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Boomers

Evaluate your hearing at

Wallace Center for Hearing

Also:

• A twist of fate led to didoughs’ pretzel truck

• Making a difference the Maitri way

• Soup-er recipes to make

Feeling Your Age

When I started creeping toward middle age, I wondered when I would begin feeling my age. When I was 40, I still felt super young. Then, I took up running in my early 40s, and that made me feel even younger. Even at 45, I felt like I was at the top of my game.

Well, the wheels fell off quickly when I hit 50. Suddenly, everything started hurting or refusing to work. For instance, my shoulder recently stopped moving, and any little movement caused intense pain. I went to the doctor and found out I have a frozen shoulder. That’s an actual thing, which I blissfully didn’t know anything about for the first 50 years of my life.

As our bodies begin to betray

us when we age, we have no choice but to laugh about it. The only other option is feeling depressed, and I refuse to feel sorry for myself.

While I’m not gullible enough to believe I can reverse the aging process, I do think there are steps I can take to feel better on a daily basis. I’m working on losing a little weight and focusing more on anti-inflammatory and nutritious choices. Still, there are days I watch my kids drinking soda and jumping around with no negative consequences for their joints, and I shake my head at how much I took being young for granted.

But we can’t go backward in life – we have to keep marching on. While I may not be able to feel

physically young most days anymore, there are still plenty of ways I trick myself into feeling that excitement and joy that younger people innately have. I spend lots of time with people who make me laugh until I cry, and I try to incorporate hobbies that generate true excitement for me.

As for that frozen shoulder, one of these days, it will thaw out, and I’ll be able to move it again. And when I do, I’ll try to remember not to take my mobility for granted anymore.

Best wishes,

Shannon Serpette, Niche Editor

Helping the Maitri Way

4

Maitri brings much-needed services to the Illinois Valley.

Wallace Center for Healing 8

Long-time audiologist provides quality hearing services.

A Twisty Treat 11

From malls to food truck, didoughs fills the pretzel need.

Soup-er Easy Meals 17

When you want an easy meal you can cook in one pot, it’s hard to beat soup.

On the cover: Audiologist Beth Wallace provides services such as diagnostic hearing evaluations, tinnitus evaluations and treatments, hearing aid services, and more at Wallace Center for Hearing, located at 4127 Progress Blvd. in Peru. Her office is accepting new patients.

PHOTO BY SHANNON SERPETTE

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Boomers Today

426 Second Street

La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452

www.newstrib.com

General Manager/ Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Niche Editor

Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Writers

Brandon LaChance

Shannon Serpette

Photographer

Shannon Serpette

Designer Liz Klein Published by:

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Helping the Maitri Way

Maitri brings much-needed services to the Illinois Valley

Story & Photos by Shannon Serpette

When Kelly Jones founded Maitri Path to Wellness, she had one clear goal in mind – providing compassionate recovery and mental health care services to those in need, and in a way that they could stay near their families in the Illinois Valley.

Although the Illinois Valley clearly has its share of substance abuse issues, when people needed help with those

issues, they would have to leave the area to seek treatment. That meant leaving their friends and families, and Jones knew the region needed more options than that.

“I worked in the jail systems before I opened anything,” she said. “I would work to place people.”

When working for the jail, she learned when people needed help

Kelly Jones, the founder of Maitri Path to Wellness, stands in the new Maitri (pronounced My-tree) building, located at 710 Peoria St. in Peru.

with addictions and behavioral health that there wasn’t much in this region they could turn to. She wanted a solution to that problem.

“I thought if I don’t do it, who’s going to do it?” she said.

That led her to open Maitri Path to Wellness in LaSalle, so people had a local alternative for support instead of having to travel and leave their families, jobs, and homes.

With Maitri’s success, Jones began looking at buildings with the hope of establishing a residential facility. Jones, a licensed clinical social worker and a certified alcohol and drug counselor, found what she wanted in a building located at 710 Peoria St. in Peru.

“I chose this piece of property because of the location,” she said.

It’s near businesses, doctors, jobs, and shopping, which is important.

“We don’t have a big transportation system (in the Illinois Valley),” she added, so having services within walk-

ing distance is a big plus.

She put an offer in for the building in February 2022.

After applying for two Illinois Housing Development grants, she was excited to learn she had received both of them. After having her offer accepted for the building on Peoria Street and working out the zoning issues, she began working on preparing the building. During the process of securing and decorating the building, she encountered some people who wondered if the business would be a good fit in the area.

“I think all of that comes from stigma,” she said.

When the new residential building was completed, Maitri had an open house so residents could see the setup firsthand. The space includes a group room, therapist rooms, a laundry room, bathrooms, kitchens, a deck, and separate residential sections for

Kelly Jones stands in one of the residential areas of Maitri’s new building in Peru. The new building allows Maitri to expand its services to include residential care and services, as well as the outpatient counseling services for which Maitri is known.

See MAITRI page 6

Maitri

both men and women. Each residential section has six bedrooms, with two beds per room.

“The people who came to our open house were surprised in a good way,” she said.

The facility, which opened its doors in January of 2024, has a welcoming feel to it.

“That was the whole idea,” Jones said. “When we chose the flooring and the paint, it was to give it that homey, comfortable feeling.”

Residency at Maitri is restricted to those who have proof of residency in LaSalle, Putnam, Bureau, Grundy, Livingston, Marshall, Kendall, Woodford,

Lee, or southern DeKalb counties. Residents can stay between three to six months, and Maitri also offers outpatient counseling for those who aren’t living there.

“They don’t have to live here to get services here,” she said.

When they are staying at Maitri, residents will be working on their life skills to help ensure they are ready to transition to the outside world once their stay with Maitri has concluded. They’ll work on things like how to fill out job applications and prepare for job interviews.

“During that time, we have people working with them to make sure they are saving and budgeting,” Jones said.

During their stay, they’ll participate in things like substance abuse counseling, group counseling, and individual counseling, depending upon what their particular needs are.

Maitri isn’t a 28-day program – they’re the program that can help people after they’ve been through detox. They’ll help people transition back to their lives with more strategies and tools to help them succeed.

“The longer someone continues with treatment, the more likely they are to be successful,” Jones said. “This is truly about helping people because there is nothing in any of those counties, or very little. The reality is these people are already here, and they’re struggling.”

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Audiologist Beth Wallace offers hearing services at her business, Wallace Center for Hearing in Peru. Audiologists undergo years of training, so they are capable of diagnosing and treating hearing and balance disorders.

Long-time audiologist provides quality hearing services

Story & Photos by Shannon Serpette

After working for more than 20 years for St. Margaret’s, audiologist Beth Wallace decided it was time to set out on her own. Two years ago, she opened the Wallace Center for Hearing at 4127 Progress Blvd. in Peru, and she’s still happy she decided to undertake the challenge of opening her own center.

Every day, she gets to do something she enjoys – helping her patients hear better so they can enjoy their lives and

loved ones more. Some of the services offered by Wallace Center for Hearing include complete diagnostic hearing evaluations for all ages, tinnitus evaluations and treatments, and hearing aid evaluations, fittings, repairs, and maintenance. She can also safely remove built-up earwax and recommend custom hearing protection and swim molds.

“I love what I do,” she said.

Helping those with hearing issues

is gratifying because Wallace knows hearing loss can be extremely isolating for those experiencing it, impacting every aspect of their lives.

“They withdraw from social situations,” she said. “They’re anxious. It can lead to depression.”

Hearing loss can also lead to dementia in some cases.

“Your brain needs that constant stimulation,” she said.

And if you are experiencing new hearing loss, it’s essential to get it checked out because it could be a symptom of another medical condition, Wallace added.

Hearing loss is a common chronic health condition, with one in three 60-year-olds struggling with disabling hearing loss. That ratio rises to one in two people over the age of 75.

“With aging, you’ll see a gradual decline in hearing from year to year. I have seen patients in their 80s that develop hearing loss,” Wallace said.

Hearing issues don’t happen exclusively to middle-aged or elderly patients.

“We see patients of all ages,” Wallace said.

However, since hearing loss can go along with age, Wallace said it is a good idea for older people to have their hearing evaluated so any changes can be spotted. For that reason, she recommends an evaluation for anyone who reaches Medicare age so a baseline can be developed.

If a patient does develop hearing loss, there may be a solution.

Sometimes, a patient may experience improved hearing from having

wax buildup removed. Another option that can be explored is hearing aids.

“Hearing aids can definitely compensate for the hearing loss,” Wallace said.

Some people are resistant to the idea of hearing aids because they are worried about the expense or think the hearing aids won’t provide much of an improvement in their hearing loss.

“We can put in a hearing aid and see if it helps,” Wallace said. “It gives them the opportunity to experience the difference they can make.”

The patient would have no obligation to buy them, but Wallace said she likes to provide enough information about hearing aids so people can fully explore their options.

“Most people are pleasantly surprised at how clear and natural the hearing aid sounds,” she said.

Another common complaint is tinnitus. Tinnitus is a ringing or noise in the ears, and it is often accompanied by hearing loss. Approximately one in five people experience this condition, and the symptoms can be overwhelming for those suffering from it.

When a person notices tinnitus, they should go in for a checkup with an audiologist because it is a symptom of another condition, such as an ear injury, hearing loss, or a circulatory system disorder, Wallace said. If the cause of tinnitus is treated, it will often improve.

“Rarely is there a hearing condition that we can’t treat. It’s worth having your hearing evaluated,” she said.

Clay Begly, an Illinois Valley native who lives in Princeton, has always been self-employed. In 2002, he looked into owning a pretzel business. When it didn’t work out, he decided to form his own, and didoughs was established in December 2003 as a mall business. In 2019, didoughs opened a concession truck, and the wheels haven’t stopped since.

A Twisty Treat

From malls to food truck, didoughs fills the pretzel need

Story by Brandon LaChance

Food trucks have become the norm as of late. They offer less financial overhead, and concession trucks can be in different locations instead of one brick-and-mortar building.

All of these reasons are why Clay Begly took his pretzel company, didoughs, from five different mall locations, including Peru, to one con-

cession business on wheels.

“The mall told us we could be open during COVID-19 because restaurants were considered essential,” said Begly, who along with his wife of 11 years, Margit, is from the Illinois Valley and currently lives in Princeton. “Customers couldn’t go inside or go to the other stores, but they could pick up

The recipe, along with the logo and the look of didoughs, is Clay Begly’s creation.

their food. I didn’t want to be open in the mall with no one else open.”

Ultimately, Begly made the decision to leave the mall – a place he had been selling pretzels for a long time.

Just over two decades ago, he decided that pretzels would go over well in the Illinois Valley.

“I saw a need for a pretzel place in the area. I reached out to Annie Anne’s in 2002 to try to buy a franchise,” said Begly, who opened the Peru Mall location in December 2003. “It was turned down because the Peru Mall was too small for them. I decided to do my own. I came up with the recipe, the look, and the name. That’s how it went.”

Starting a business wasn’t new to Begly at that point.

“I’ve been self-employed my entire life. I was familiar with the ropes of building a business. It wasn’t too hard. You learn as you go, too. Before pretzels, I did upholstery repair for automobiles for 12 years. I got tired of doing that and decided pretzels was the next business to start. I was burnt out, and it was time for something new,” he said.

When Begly first put didoughs in malls in the early 2000s, business was booming. The foot traffic was flowing, and profits were made month in and out.

Then the wave hit where the traffic wasn’t there as big stores such as JCPenney’s and Bergner’s left. COVID-19 was the last straw as didoughs left the mall in March 2020, the beginning of the pandemic.

“I’m going to take credit for the concession, though, because when he first started the business in 2002, he started with a concession (for one year),” Margit Begly said. “Then he went into malls – Peru, Sterling, Peoria, Ottawa, and Burlington, Iowa. When the malls started to fail, I had said, ‘Why don’t we do a concession?’

He didn’t want to because he started in a concession and it was exhausting, too much work. I wasn’t around for that, so I didn’t know.

“If it pays our bills, it pays our bills. We have to have something. I pushed him and pushed him. He knew he was going to do most of the work. We ended up closing the other four stores and only had the Peru store open. Then he finally gave in because the malls were going bad,” she said.

“I started making phone calls and finding different places we could go with our concession. The first summer, 2019, he was pretty busy, and we knew it would work. Everything fell in place with a pandemic, decline of mall business, and financially,” she said.

Each food truck is considered a concession and does have to have a building for inventory and licensing. The concession housing for didoughs is at the Westclox building in LaSalle, where the truck stays and serves from December to April.

When April hits, the wheels turn to Woodhaven Lakes for Memorial Day weekend, Oglesby Festival, LaSalle Festival, Walnut Days, DePue Boat Races, Mendota Sweet Corn, Bureau County Fair (the only fair on didoughs’ schedule), and Chris Cringle in Ottawa.

During festivals and carnivals, the demand for a pretzel often builds faster than the supply.

“The longest wait we’ve had for a pretzel was two hours in Walnut during their 4th of July celebration,” Begly said. “They have a town of 1,200 people, but on that Sunday, it turns into a town of 5,000 people.”

Margit remembers a blah day being not so blah.

“We sat in Ottawa one day on a rainy day because we don’t get out there often for events. It was pouring down rain, and we had a line. We were slammed. We didn’t think we were going to be busy and thought maybe it was a bad idea to go. They

These tasty treats are a big hit with didoughs’ customers.

didoughs

FROM PAGE 13

didn’t let us down,” Margit said.

“They stood in the rain, and some of them didn’t even have umbrellas. We felt so bad and told them sorry for any wait. They were very kind and thankful to be able to get pretzels. It was unbelievable. It makes you want to get up in the morning, get out there, and keep working,” Margit added.

The festivals and carnivals, while fun, require long days.

“It’s amazing, but it can tire you out. During a carnival, I’m usually at the trailer at 8 a.m., open at 11 a.m., and we don’t close until 10 p.m., and get home around 11 p.m. to midnight. Then we start over the next day because they usually run three or four days,” Begly said.

Throughout the years, the didoughs’ menu has expanded as there are didough dogs, cookie dough, and shakeups made the old-fashioned way in lemon or different flavors.

Clay and Margit have even introduced their children into the business while they were growing up, with Clay Nathan Begly II (known as Nathan), Amanda (Mandy), and Teresa all playing a part.

When Clay sells a pretzel, he knows the recipe, the logo, the name, the look, the family help, the work, the hours, and the transition from a building to a truck was all worth it.

“It makes you know you have a good product and a good business when people will wait for it,” Clay Begly said. “Didoughs is the best job I have ever had. I love making pretzels for my customers. It’s so rewarding.”

Soup-er Easy Meals

By Shannon Serpette

When you want an easy meal you can cook in one pot, it’s hard to beat soup. Some soup recipes only take a few minutes to throw together, and you can keep them on low heat in a crock pot all day. Plus, they give you a great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

Whether you want a hearty cheese soup or a broth-based soup that is friendlier on the waistline, it’s easy to find a soup recipe you’ll love. These are some of my family’s favorite soups we make frequently year-round. Some are simple to make in mere minutes, while others should be saved for when you have a little more time to spend in the kitchen.

Onion Cheese Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

4 cups milk

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large pan, sauté the onions in butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil, and cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted.

See more recipes on pages 18 & 19.

Arborio Rice and White Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup uncooked arborio rice

32 ounces vegetable broth

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli-cauliflower blend

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups fresh baby spinach

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic for one minute. Add uncooked rice, and cook and stir for two minutes. Stir in the broth and herbs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while covered for about 10 minutes. Stir in the frozen vegetables and beans. Cook while covered over medium heat until heated through and the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted.

Creamy Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 can (14 and 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup tomato paste

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups 2 percent milk

DIRECTIONS

In a large pan, combine the first six ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until blended. In a small bowl, combine milk powder and flour. Stir in milk until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Cook and stir until thickened and heated through.

Slow-Cooker Cordon Bleu Soup

DIRECTIONS

1 onion, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon, salt

1/4 teaspoon, pepper

3 cans (14 and 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup white wine or extra chicken broth

8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

1 and 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 pound diced cooked chicken

1/2 pound diced deli ham

DIRECTIONS

In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, celery, garlic, salt, and

pepper, and pour in broth. Cook while covered on low for about two hours until the vegetables are tender.

Turn up the heat setting to high. Mix flour and water until smooth, and whisk flour mixture into the broth. Cook until thickened, for about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the wine and whisk in the cheeses until melted. Add chicken and ham until heated through.

Spinach Tortellini Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 small red potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 medium carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons plus 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules

2 quarts water

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

DIRECTIONS

In a pot, combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until veggies are tender.

Stir in the chicken, spinach, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, and salt. Return to a boil. Add tortellini and cook uncovered for a few minutes until the tortellini is tender.

Asiago Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bacon

18 baby red potatoes

2 and 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon salt

1 cup butter

3 teaspoons granulated chicken bouillon.

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of flour

1 quart half-and-half

8 ounces grated Asiago cheese (can substitute other white cheeses)

8 green onions, chopped

1 to 2 quarts of milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dice bacon and cook, removing it from the pan and setting it aside when it’s done. Dice potatoes into small pieces with skins still on and toss with bacon grease. Sprinkle the parsley and salt on the potatoes and cook them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Melt the butter in a big pot with chicken bouillon, onion salt, and pepper. Slowly add flour, starting with one cup, until all the butter is absorbed. Add additional flour until the mixture is crumbly. Using a whisk, add in the half and half and keep whisking until it is smooth. The soup will continue to thicken as it cooks. Add in the cheese and green onions, stirring gently. Add the fried potatoes and bacon to the soup, which should look very thick. Slowly stir in the milk until you reach the desired thickness.