ILLINOIS VALLEY
Boomers
TODAY December 2023
TRUE LEAVES BOOKSHOP A Place for Book Lovers
Also: • Bernie Moore hopes to referee into his 80s • Party dips to wow your guests • Rayanne Sester devotes her energy to MASS
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A Feeling of Accomplishment There are two types of people in the world – those who love checklists and those who don’t. I’m the type of person who has always embraced the idea of having a daily to-do list. I get great satisfaction from crossing things off my lists when I’ve completed them. And having a long list reminds me of all the things I need to – or should be – accomplishing in my life. But now we’re on the verge of my least productive season – winter. Every winter, I notice a troubling trend. I complete all the work items on my daily list, but my personal items, like exercise and home projects, never seem to get crossed off. This is embarrassing to admit, but re-staining my deck, for instance, has been on my to-do list for more than a year.
Recently, I read about the benefits of having a weekly to-do list rather than a daily one. If you have a weekly list, you don’t feel that sense of doom and gloom if you have one unproductive day or are sick. People who use this method of staying on track say it helps them keep their weekends free because they know if they check every item off their list before then, they’ll have a weekend of doing anything they want. Last week, I gave a weekly list a trial run. I wrote down everything for work I needed to accomplish, every meeting and appointment I had, all the exercises I wanted to do, and all the cleaning and home projects I wanted to finish. I made sure to make it aggressive by writing down far more than I would typically accomplish. I had to add
a couple of items mid-week that I didn’t know about when the week started. By the time Saturday rolled around, I only had about 10 things left on my list. I powered through half of them, and I finally got that deck re-staining project completed. That was a great feeling. In just one week, I exercised more, and my house looks better than usual. I’m officially ditching my daily lists from now on. If you’re a to-do list lover, I highly recommend making a weekly list and seeing if it helps you, too.
Contents
Best wishes, Shannon Serpette, Niche Editor
Boomers Today
Directing the To-Do List 5
426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452 www.newstrib.com
Beginning a New Chapter 8
General Manager/ Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com
Staying in the Game 11
Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com
Sester finds fulfillment in helping senior citizens.
Taking a chance on opening a local bookstore.
Bernie Moore hopes to referee into his 80s.
Writers Brandon LaChance Shannon Serpette
Entertaining Dips 14
These delicious dips will be crowd-pleasers at your next party.
Photographers Brandon LaChance Shannon Serpette Designer Liz Klein
On the cover: Angela (from left) and Matt Adams, who own True Leaves Bookshop in Princeton, and employee Jessica Gray are all book lovers who are happy to talk to customers. PHOTO BY SHANNON SERPETTE
Published by: est. 1851
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 3
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Transportation for senior citizens is one of the biggest responsibilities of Mendota Area Senior Services. Sester and transportation director Gary Stevens look at GPS on the computer for the best route to get a senior citizen from home to an appointment. MASS offers rides for medical, social, food, and educational purposes.
Directing the To-Do List Sester finds fulfillment in helping senior citizens Story & Photos by Brandon LaChance Finding time to garden, read, or color on her phone application is difficult for Rayanne Sester. Although she loves her hobbies, there are other activities she loves just a tad more. Sester, the director of Mendota Area Senior Services (MASS), has fallen in love with helping senior citizens and others who need assistance. “Throughout my life, I’ve always worked
with seniors. Before I came to MASS, I worked in nursing homes as an aid,” Sester said. “I love working with seniors. They’re kind of my niche.” Little did she know when she applied for a job at MASS, she was embarking on a career that would span 30 years. See SESTER page 6
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 5
Mendota Area Senior Services Director Rayanne Sester has friendly relationships with senior citizens who come to MASS for their services and weekly engagements like Pokeno and Euchre. The Pokeno group gladly invites Sester to have some laughs.
Sester FROM PAGE 5
“I stayed at home with my kids when they were younger and in school, and I did a daycare in my home. There was an ad in the paper for a part-time outreach worker at MASS,” she said. “I was hired on the spot for the outreach position. I loved it because you went to people’s homes looking for seniors in our area to let them know about our services. It was always so fun. I got to talk to them on their turf. They loved talking. There were times where I was at their house for two hours,” she said. Sester and her spouse, Chris Sester, have three adult sons, Ryan, Joe, and Aaron, and eight grandchildren. She has worked her way up through MASS over the years, serving as director for the past 12 years. Her duties have changed along the way. And as the director, it’s easy to run out of paper when jotting down her responsibilities. Sester writes grants for funding, including for vans through the Illinois Department of Transportation, keeps track of all budgets, organizes fundraiser events such as pork chop dinners, baked potato bars, and spaghetti dinners since grants only provide 50 percent of funding, recruits donations from the public, and reports monthly to the umbrella agency MASS is under, Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging. The director tracks every phone call made, every person who comes in, every ride given, and IDOT wants to know whether it’s a trip
6 December 2023 | Illinois Valley Boomers | A NewsTribune Publication
for shopping, doctor, social, or education. There are also caregiver fairs, thank you cards delivered to volunteers and donators, Facebook and social media posts, payroll, paying vendors, and managing the staff. One of the biggest responsibilities of MASS is providing transportation – MASS gives senior citizens rides throughout LaSalle and Putnam counties. “Western went to county-wide transportation around 12 years ago, around the time I became the director, and that was a huge undertaking. We cover ten counties, but we have a lot since LaSalle County is huge. We have a full-time van in Peru, and there are as many as three or four vans in LaSalle and Peru at any given time during a weekday, especially since the hospitals closed. The seniors now go to Ottawa and Princeton,” Sester said. “Putnam County didn’t have senior transportation for a year, so IDOT asked us if we could provide the service. They gave us three minivans when we began driving for Putnam County on Oct. 1, 2023. We now have 14 vehicles with ten minivans, two 12-passenger vans, and two smaller vehicles for long travels,” she said. Although the paperwork and behind-thescenes duties are still fun for Sester, she does miss her responsibilities of the past. Transportation is a huge chunk of MASS’ services, but they also offer one-on-one assistance to senior citizens. Sester can’t help as much as she would like, but she does when she can. She gives her staff the best resources to help seniors and promotes MASS so seniors know the services are there.
“Seniors know that MASS is here and that they have a place they can go to if they have issues. There are a lot of details, circumstances, restrictions, and guidelines that people don’t know about Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and other senior programs. We are here to help them with their questions, filling out applications, and to make sure they get enrolled. It’s still surprising that a lot of people don’t know about MASS, even people in Mendota. They usually don’t know until they need us, then they’re here, and they’re grateful,” Sester said. “That was one of the hardest parts about becoming the director. Before, I dealt with people one-on-one for appointments and for everything else they needed. When Medicare Part D came out in 2006, I met with them every year. It was kind of cool because sometimes I wouldn’t see some of them for a year, and then they’d come for Med-D enrollment, and we’d catch up. They’d ask me about my family, and I’d ask them about their family. Through the years, they’d watch my kids grow up, and I got to know them also,” she said. The director still takes Med-D appointments when she can because some only want to have her assistance, and she likes to help people save money. In 2022, MASS helped seniors save roughly $400,000 through programs, medicine costs, and premiums. As a whole, the Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging helped seniors in its ten
counties save over $2 million. When Sester sees those significant numbers and knows the people MASS helps are happy and satisfied, it doesn’t matter how many duties, responsibilities, jobs, stacks of papers are on her desk, or appointments she has in a day. “It’s a challenge, but it’s rewarding. This has been my life. My blood, sweat, and tears are in this job. It’s so rewarding because I always go home at the end of the day feeling like I’ve done something worthwhile. Every day is different. There isn’t a day exactly like another. You never know what is going to hit you, but when you help seniors and the disabled, it’s so gratifying,” Sester said. “They have a need for people to help them. I don’t do it to make myself feel good, but it is a good feeling to know I am helping people every day. That’s what’s kept me here for all these years,” she added. Sester has just over three years until she reaches her retirement age of 67. She doesn’t know when she’ll resign as the director officially, but that’s her goal as of now. During her time left on the job, she still has missions she wants to complete, including a new transportation facility to house the 14 vehicles MASS owns because they’re running out of room at the garage they rent. She doesn’t think it’ll happen during her time as director because it will take money and energy. However, she’s added helping the next director complete the project to her already lengthy to-do list.
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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 7
Those who want affordable, gently used books will find a selection of hardcovers and paperbacks at True Leaves.
Beginning a New Chapter Story and photos by Shannon Serpette
Taking a chance on opening a local bookstore
Many long-time residents of Bureau County likely remember going to a bookstore decades ago when they wanted something to read. In recent years, if you wanted a book, you would need to buy one from the limited selection at bigger one-stop shops, shop online, or drive to a big city to find a major bookstore chain. Now, local shoppers have another option because a Bureau County couple is taking a gamble that people miss the days of hav-
ing bookstores in their communities. In October, Matt and Angela Adams opened True Leaves Bookshop at 950 N. Main St. in Princeton. Matt and Angela weren’t born in Bureau County or any part of the Illinois Valley, but they are glad they moved here years ago because they love it so much. “We weren’t born here, but we got here as quick as we could,” Angela said. Angela said she’s aware that opening a small bookstore is a risk since Amazon and other big-box stores have put many independent bookstores out of business. “Margins are pretty slim on books,” she said, adding that small bookstores don’t get the
8 December 2023 | Illinois Valley Boomers | A NewsTribune Publication
True Leaves Bookshop has recently opened at 950 N. Main Street in Princeton.
Local art, such as these pieces, can be purchased at True Leaves Bookshop.
deep discounts on books that mega sellers like Amazon get. While the bookstore was only opened in 2023, it had long been a dream of the couple, who had discussed the possibility for years. The idea had also been discussed many times with Angela’s friend, Jessica Gray, who now works part-time at the bookstore. “We felt one of the things Princeton was missing was a bookstore,” Gray said. After having the idea in the back of their minds for so long, they decided the time was right to move ahead with it in 2023. “We really started planning in July,” Angela said. “We knew we wanted to have something
ready for the fall and holidays.” At first, the couple wasn’t sure if they were going to have an actual building for their bookstore or if they would do a pop-up event in a motor vehicle. “Then we had an amazing opportunity to use this space,” Angela said. Angela said they would eventually like more space for their bookstore because they have envisioned adding things that will require extra room. “The long-term goal is to have a café where we sell coffees and teas,” she said. More room would also help make the shop more accessible for those with strollers and wheelchairs.
“We definitely have ideas for a bigger space,” Gray said. The shop has been designed to make the most of its smaller space, with a good mix of new and used books for all ages. True Leaves also carries interesting sideline items and local art pieces that are available for purchase. Angela, who works full-time in the technology industry, does the purchasing for the shop. “All of the books are hand-selected,” she said. Angela tries to incorporate a wide variety of themes in the book selections she makes in the store and said she tends to have a lot of nature-based products. “Even the kids’ selections tend to have themes of inclusion, personal growth, or nature-based,” she added. Matt and Angela weren’t sure which genres would sell well when they first opened – and they were surprised by what flew off the shelves. “The most incredible thing is people were buying local history books,” Matt said. “Princeton history has been really popular,” Angela added. Books that discuss grief have also sold surprisingly well. Matt and Angela are happy with the reception the bookshop opening has received. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” Angela said. “It was really wonderful.” The first opening day went well, and the momentum has continued. “It’s been a steady stream of people coming in,” Angela said. Even on slower days, Matt noted they’ve had a good number of transactions. “We have high hopes this will continue to grow,” Gray said, adding that it’s the only bookstore in Bureau County. Gray said they hope to defy a common stereotype, which is “bookstores can’t succeed anymore.” “I hope Princeton and Bureau County prove that wrong,” Gray said, adding that it’s important to have bookstores in communities. “We need to be reading as adults.”
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 9
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Staying in the Game Story & Photo by Brandon LaChance
Bernie Moore hopes to referee into his 80s When Bernie Moore ended his Air Force responsibilities after four years and two tours to Vietnam, he wasn’t quite sure what his next stage in life would be. After a short stint at Sundstrand Corporation, he decided to go back to school to become a teacher and a coach. In 1974, he took a job at St. Bede Academy and stayed there until 2015, when he retired after 41 years. By the time he retired, Moore’s SBA resume included coaching football, basketball, baseball, track, and girls golf, serving two stints as athletic director for a total of 19 years, and serving as Dean of Students for 37 years. However, even though he is now retired, Moore isn’t sitting around watching TV or spending pension checks on new golf clubs every year. He is refereeing basketball and softball games, an activity he began years ago when he officiated his first games while he was still coaching. “In 1996, when I lost the boys basketball head coaching job because they decided they were going in a different direction, I wasn’t ready to give it up. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to put my money where my mouth is.’ I had been coaching and yelling at refs. I thought maybe I could be one. I took the test and, 28 years later, I’m still officiating,” Moore said. “The first two games I ever did were girls varsity basketball games. I got a call from Gary Coates, who was the Princeton athletic director at the time, about a referee going down or
Bernie Moore has collected many memories during his 28-year officiating career. He has pins around the collar of his basketball referee shirt symbolizing milestone career years, players who have passed away, and officials who are no longer with us that he had the pleasure of sharing a court with.
See MOORE page 12
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 11
Moore FROM PAGE 11
getting sick, and he needed an official for the Thanksgiving Tournament. He found out that I had just got my license. My partner was Randy Rimmington. I agreed to it. I was scared, but I got through it. After the games, I thought I could do this. They threw me in a lake, baptism by fire,” he said. Moore, who is now 77, grew up in Spring Valley and graduated in 1965 from Hall High School. He went into the Air Force, married his wife Carolyn in 1967, and had two children, Jennifer and Josh, who are both married and have given Bernie and Carolyn four grandchildren. When he wasn’t with his family, in a classroom, or didn’t have a clipboard in his hand on the sideline, Moore had a whistle in his mouth or was wearing full catcher’s gear as an official. “Most of my experience around here was Class 1A and 2A in softball. Basketball is smaller schools also,” said Moore. Moore originally was going to ref baseball instead of softball, but after he agreed to do six softball games, he fell in love with the sport and didn’t referee baseball. “I thought if I was going to move up the referee ranks, get my name known, I knew I needed to do bigger schools. I was looking for LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, and schools that size. I knew I could travel, so I added St. Charles, Oswego, Sandwich,
and others out that way. It was quality softball, and I enjoyed it,” he said. “I’m cutting back on how far I travel now. But this past year, I did a softball sectional in Sandwich.” He fell in love with officiating while still coaching because of his love for sports, competition, athleticism, and camaraderie. Moore soon found out there is just as much camaraderie between the team of officials as there is between a basketball or softball team. “A lot of people have come and gone. We’ve lost quite a few referees over the years,” Moore said. “It’s kind of like being in the service in a way. There are two games each night, so you’re doing eight quarters of ball, and you’ve got another official with you. You’re the two in the trenches. “You’re making the calls and making or not making the game run. It may be smooth or not smooth. There is a camaraderie that develops. You’re sharing that moment with your partner,” he said. Not only does it offer side income and new friends, but wearing the stripes during basketball season or the light blue polo during softball season also provides a workout and a service. “It’s great exercise. It gets me up and gets me going. I still really enjoy it. Not to mention the fact that I’m fully aware of the referee shortage. There is a huge shortage. When I was a kid, I never gave a thought to the officials on the court, and if you paid me $100, I couldn’t remember an official from when I was a kid,” Moore said.
“The kids today deserve that experience just as much as we did when we were kids growing up. I think it was a vital part of our childhoods. They need that and deserve that. I don’t see people coming out of the stands to volunteer,” he said. When he was a member of the Hall basketball team, Moore called himself a 30-point player, meaning he would play if the Red Devils were ahead or down by 30 points. Although he has never worked in a regular three-man crew with the same crew traveling gyms together because his schedule hasn’t allowed it, he has been able to ref for 28 years and plans to put in a couple more to be able to call himself a 30-year referee. “If you’re going to be involved in officiating, you have to join an association. You have to go to clinics. You can’t do this by yourself. You need more help than just doing games. You need experience. You need to bounce ideas off of each other. You need to sit in those meetings and have guys say, ‘What if this happened?’ or ‘In my game, I saw this.’ That’s how you really, really learn,” Moore said. “When I started, associations were good, but they weren’t as involved as they are now. When they realized there was a shortage, there was more of a priority on referee education,” he said. Moore has no plans to slow down as of yet. “I really enjoy officiating. I really, really love doing this,” he said. “I’m 77, and if all is well with my health – I just had my right knee replaced last year – I want to ref into my 80s.”
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A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 13
Entertaining Dips These delicious dips will be crowd-pleasers at your next party By Shannon Serpette
W
hen you’re throwing a holiday get-together and need to have some snacks on hand that won’t take long to prepare, it’s hard to beat a dip. Everybody loves them, and they are quick and easy to make. Whether you serve a cold dip or a hot one, it generally only takes just a few ingredients and a minute or two to mix it up. Serve it with a plate of fruit, vegetables, tortilla chips, or crackers, and you’ll have enough food to keep your guests happily snacking. Best of all, it doesn’t take much preparation, so you can steal a few extra minutes for cleaning, cooking the main course, or kicking your feet up and relaxing for a minute.
Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip INGREDIENTS 2 cups frozen spinach One 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1/2 cup Alfredo pasta sauce 1/2 cup mayonnaise 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese Crackers, veggies, or tortilla chips for serving DIRECTIONS Cook spinach as directed on the packaging. Drain the spinach well, pressing with a fork to remove the extra liquid. Chop the spinach finely. Mix the spinach and the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker, except the crackers, veggies, or tortilla chips. Cover and cook on low for up to 2 hours and 30 minutes, checking periodically to stir. When stirring, scrape the edges of the slow cooker with a rubber spatula to prevent the edge of the dip from scorching. Serve with crackers, veggies, or tortilla chips. After it’s done cooking, you can keep the dip on low or turn the heat setting to warm.
Easy Dill Dip INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup mayonnaise 2/3 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning
14 December 2023 | Illinois Valley Boomers | A NewsTribune Publication
DIRECTIONS Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Brie and Apricot Dip INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon apricot preserves, divided 1/4 cup apple juice 16 ounces Brie cheese with rind removed and cut into pieces Crackers of your choice DIRECTIONS In a slow cooker, add dried apricots, 1/3 cup apricot preserves, and apple juice. Cover and cook on high for 40 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cover, and continue cooking on high for 30 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. Stir in the one tablespoon of preserves and serve with your favorite crackers.
Fruit Dip INGREDIENTS One 13-ounce jar of marshmallow crème One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract DIRECTIONS Gently mix together all the ingredients. Serve with apples, grapes, and strawberries.
Spicy Cheese Dip INGREDIENTS 1 pound hamburger 2 pounds Velveeta cheese 1 can Hormel chili (no beans) 3 drops Tabasco sauce DIRECTIONS Brown the hamburger, drain
the grease, and pat with a paper towel to remove any excess grease. Put the other ingredients and the meat into a crockpot and set on low, stirring occasionally until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Keep it on a warm setting and serve with Doritos or tortilla chips.
Cold Crab Dip INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon onion, grated 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 2 cups sour cream 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
1 pound crab meat or imitation crab meat DIRECTIONS Combine the onion, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, sour cream, mayo, and green onion tops. Mix well and stir in crab meat. Serve with crackers.
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | December 2023 15
16 December 2023 | Illinois Valley Boomers | A NewsTribune Publication