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ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2020 • ShawMediaIllinois.com

FRESH START

Farmers markets provide produce for July 4 celebrations / 3

ON THE WATERFRONT

Discover watersport access for Fox River Valley this holiday weekend / 5

SNAP, CRACKLE AND POP Catch a fireworks display in Ottawa to light up Independence Day / 6

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, July 4, 2020

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS

2 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND

AP photo

In this image released by Disney Plus, Lin-Manuel Miranda portrays Alexander Hamilton, and Phillipa Soo plays Eliza Hamilton in a filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton.”

‘The Vote,’ Willie Nelson, ‘Hamilton’ on tap

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

“Hamilton”: Disney Plus does not want to throw away its shot. In time for the Fourth of July, the streaming service debuted the much-anticipated live capture of the hit Broadway show.

With Broadway theaters dark this summer and beyond, it’s the closest anyone can get right now to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s pop-culture sensation – and, at least this way, tickets are far easier to come by. The PG-13 film was shot in summer 2016, over two “Hamilton” performances with the original cast, and it comes complete with an intermission.

“John Lewis: Good Trouble”: “There are forces today trying to take us back to another time,” says the Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis in the opening of Dawn Porter’s documentary. “We have miles to go.” Few voices have echoed louder and more truthfully through the last 55 years of American life than the 80-year-old Lewis. Porter’s film, which debuted on-demand Friday, is a sturdy vessel for Lewis’ story.

“Welcome to Chechnya”: David France’s documentary, which debuted this week on HBO, is about an un-

said. The special debuted on Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons and online on sites including Nickelodeon YouTube.

Americans who take voting for granted may get inspiration from “The Vote,” a two-part, four-hour PBS documentary marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment that gave women the vote. Part one details the work of suffrage pioneers and the clash between the rights of African American women and efforts to gain support in former Confederate states.

The second half further explores the role of race and the decision to focus on passage of a federal amendment.

Emmy-winning filmmaker Michelle Ferrari’s “The Vote” debuted this week on PBS’ “American Experience.”

National Geographic combines a – Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu mystery with a daring adventure in “Lost on Everest.” The special details Television an expedition’s bid to find out what Alicia Keys hosts “Kids, Race and happened to two famed explorers, Unity,” a “Nick News” special aimed at Andrew “Sandy” Irvine and George helping children understand the crisis Leigh Mallory, who disappeared in facing America. Among those joining June 1924, while attempting the first the discussion are the co-founders summit of the world’s tallest moun– Film Writer Jake Coyle of Black Lives Matter and Keedron tain. Mark Synnott, a climber and Bryant, the 12-year-old “I Just Want to journalist, and National Geographic Music Live” singer-songwriter. In a stateWhitney Houston: Thirty-five years photographer and mountaineer Renan ago, the iconic Whitney Houston ment, Keys said talking about race can Ozturk lead the team. The special was released her self-titled debut album, be uncomfortable, and families may paired with “Expedition Everest,” taking over radio stations across the want to protect kids from racism. But about scientists’ efforts to gather comworld with anthems like “You Give there is “no way around this topic if prehensive data on weather, global Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for we want to move forward in any kind warming and the evolution of glaciers.

You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatof meaningful way,” the musical artist – Television Writer Lynn Elber

derground pipeline rescuing LGBTQ Chechens from the Russian republic, where the government has for several years waged a lethal crackdown on gays. France, the filmmaker of the Oscar-nominated “How to Survive a Plague,” went to great lengths to capture LGBTQ Chechens’ road to safety.

And to protect their anonymity, he used artificial intelligence to digitally replace their faces.

“Western Noir”: Film noir and the Western are the two great, intrinsically American genres of moviemaking, and they can feel like diametric opposites.

One is harshly bright and mapped across open plains, the other is cloaked in shadow and hustles down dark urban alleyways. But a new series, beginning Sunday on the Criterion Channel, finds common ground in a batch of postWorld War II films of frontier gloom, including Anthony Mann’s “The Naked Spur” (1953), with Jimmy Stewart and Robert Ryan; Robert Wise’s “Blood on the Moon” (1948), with Robert Mitchum; and Fritz Lang’s “Rancho Notorious,” with Marlene Dietrich.

est Love of All.” To commemorate its milestone anniversary, Sony’s Legacy Recordings this week released a twoLP vinyl version of the 13x platinum album. The package also includes a second album – the U.S. release of the “Whitney Dancin’ Special” EP/remix album – previously released only in Japan in 1986.

Willie Nelson: Lucky No. 70. You read that right. The legend Willie Nelson released his 70th studio album, “First Rose of Spring,” on Friday. The album originally was supposed to drop in April, days before he turned 87, but was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. “First Rose of Spring” features two new songs, as well as Nelson’s interpretations of tunes written by others, including Chris Stapleton and Toby Keith.

Farmers market ingredients lend bright pop to 4th of July parties

By HANNAH HOFFMEISTER

Batavia Farmers’ Market

hhoffmeister@shawmedia.com

8 a.m. to noon Saturdays; downtownbatavia. com/farmers-market

There’s no question that Fourth of July celebrations amid a pandemic will be different than years past – with fireworks replaced by social distancing. But even while plans change, traditional ways to celebrate the holiday weekend still abound.

If your preparations include a barbecue or picnic for Independence Day and summer weekends ahead, a trip to a local farmers market for fresh produce and ingredients will rocket your taste buds to new heights. Here are some options available; check online to make sure you’re following the safety guidelines each market has put in place.

Held in downtown Batavia with a view of the picturesque Fox River, the Batavia Farmers’ Market offers a little bit of everything. Scones, freshpressed juice, meat, flowers, produce, apple cider donuts — you name it! The market’s live music only adds to the festive feeling.

KENDALL COUNTY Oswego Country Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays; shawurl.com/3dl4

LaSALLE COUNTY Ottawa’s Old Town Farmers Market 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays; www. facebook.com/ottawailfarmersmarket In downtown Ottawa, you conveniently can grab fresh local produce on your way to a picnic at Starved Rock State Park. According to its Facebook page, the market has been offering a shopping time for seniors and at-risk patrons from 8 to 9 a.m.

LEE COUNTY Haymarket Square Farmers Market 7 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays; www.dixonparkdistrict.com/farmers-market If you’re being careful about social distancing and are interested in produce, honey or scones, you’re in luck – these options offer online ordering and pickup. The market is run by the Dixon Park District.

McHENRY COUNTY Woodstock Farmer’s Market 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays; woodstockfarmersmarket.org In addition to only selling products made or produced by the vendors themselves, the Woodstock Farmer’s Market hosts live music at many of the market days. From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, listen to bands Kishwaukee Ramblers and Guyz with Bad Eyez.

Crystal Lake Farmers Market 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; shawurl.com/3dl3 If cheese is an important element of your picnic, the Crystal Lake Farmers

Katrina J.E. Milton - kmilton@shawmedia.com provided

Market features kosher cheese made

by Umland Crunchy Cheese, which offers its unique bites snacks among the wares of more than 10 vendors. This farmers market is part of the Illinois Farmers Market Nutrition Program and accepts WIC payment as well.

WHITESIDE COUNTY Twin City Farmers Market 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays; twincityfarmersmarket.com Open year-round, the farmers market in Sterling is still up and running with its usual local produce vendors.

If you have any upcoming birthday or anniversary celebrations, the market also offers gift certificates. On hold for now is the regular beverage service.

DuPAGE COUNTY Wheaton French Market 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; www. bensidounusa.com/virtual-market.html In addition to the in-person shopping experience on Saturdays, the market’s website offers online ordering options with deals. Gourmet jams, maple syrup, handmade pasta

and essential oils are only some of the enticing items on the long list of wares provided by vendors.

WILL COUNTY Plainfield Farmers Market Noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; www.facebook. com/PlainfieldFarmerMarket The market is set up in the parking lot of Plainfield Public Library, which is closed Sundays. Plainfield Farmers Market’s Facebook page also shares recipes, so it’s possible to line up your ingredients and Fourth of July weekend picnic inspiration courtesy of the same tasty source.

KANE COUNTY Geneva French Market 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays; www.facebook. com/GenevaFrenchMarket The market is held in the parking lot of the train depot in downtown Geneva. In addition to finding orchardand farm-fresh produce, baked goods, melt-in-your-mouth cheeses and smoked seafood, you also can browse artisan items like jewelry and soap, as well as books and other goods.

The market, which has set up one-way traffic to encourage social distancing, features more than 25 vendors. “With all of the exciting growth in downtown Oswego, parking will be more limited during the market this season,” according to its website. “We encourage you to leave your car at home and walk or bike to the market.” In addition to produce, meat and eggs, you’ll also find gourmet kettle corn and handcrafted items like tabletop beanbag games.

Maybe that will inspire you to add a few games to your weekend celebrations just for fun.

GRUNDY COUNTY 3 French Hens Market 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each second Saturday; shawurl.com/3dl5 While it won’t be open on the Fourth of July, mark your calendars for Morris’ monthly farmers market.

The July market location has been moved to the parking lot of Jennifer’s Garden Banquets to accommodate “all of your favorite vendors in a new space that allows for social distancing,” according to the French country market’s Facebook page.

DeKALB COUNTY DeKalb Farmers’ Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays; www.dekalb. org/farmersmarket.html This market keeps the spotlight on food and produce, according to its website. “We are looking to expand vendors,” it stated. Among the current 10 participants are Big D’s Hotdogs and Slow Smoke BBQ, two tantalizing choices for food-focused festivities.

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, July 4, 2020

Explosion of flavor

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UNCORKED

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An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, July 4, 2020

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By JAMES NOKES

Photo provided

Rolando Herrera is the owner of Mi Sueño Winery, which translates from Spanish as “My Dream.” On three separate occasions, his wines have been poured at the White House.

Aspiring winemaker takes big leap to success

R

olando Herrera dared to dream.

His father moved from Mexico to Southern California, where he worked in produce and fruits until later the family settled in Napa Valley. As a high school student, Herrera worked part time as a dishwasher at Auberge du Soleil, a posh Napa Valley resort, and in the kitchen at Mustards Grill in Yountville.

Neither job offered fulfillment, but he was surrounded by opportunity, and when he walked into Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, his life changed.

Today, Herrera is the owner of Mi Sueño Winery, which translates from Spanish as “My Dream.” He also owns a vineyard management company and hard, you can pursue your dreams. several vineyards. On three separate The beauty is it’s free to dream, so occasions, his wines have been poured dream big, because the sky is the limat the White House. it. If you work hard and love what you Yes, Herrera has lived the Amerido, good things will happen.” can Dream.

The culmination of his hard work, “Way back when I was washing the Mi Sueño Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvidishes, things were pretty tough,” Her- gnon 2016 ($75), has a sleek mouthfeel rera said. “I just wanted to get through with sweet black cherry, pipe tobacco, high school. I hoped I could go to coldusty cocoa and cedar. It happened lege for the opportunity to have a good because Herrera took a risk. job. I didn’t even think about having a In his first job at Stag’s Leap Wine family. If I got a full-time job, maybe I Cellars as a “cellar rat” – winery could get a car and rent an apartment. speak for someone that does everyI had a survival mentality. thing from barrel scrubbing to pump “To be where I am at today is a sign repair – Herrera was instantly pulled that America is the greatest country to the wine industry. in the world,” he said. “If you work “Walking into Stag’s Leap would be

like walking on Mars today,” Herrera said. “It was a totally different world.

The smell, the aroma, the barrels; it was love at first sight.”

Mentored by legendary winemakers, Warren Winiarski and later Paul Hobbs, Herrera had ambition to advance in the business. He enrolled in the winemaking program at Napa Valley College, and after 13 years at Stag’s Leap, he moved onto Chateau Potelle, where he could have a say in the wine blending trials.

But even then, it wasn’t enough.

Herrera wanted to put everything he’d learned to a test and make his own wine.

“I was frustrated,” Herrera said.

“After 13 years as an assistant winemaker, I wasn’t happy. I was bored with it. I’d been following instructions for a long time. I had a curiosity and ideas of my own for how things should be done in the cellar and vineyards.

If I wasn’t the owner or winemaker, I couldn’t do it.”

While he didn’t have the glitzy credentials of other winemakers, and he’d just been married in 1997, his wife supported his vision of owning a winery. The inaugural 200 cases of chardonnay were a hit.

“Sometimes, I have to pinch myself that this really happened,” Herrera said.

Cabernet sauvignon has planted

deep roots in Napa Valley. Herrera remembered being a young “cellar rat” at Stag’s Leap, when he heard a pair of old-time winemakers laughing that the price per acre of land had risen to $20,000. They thought there was no way the buyer would make a return on the investment.

There’s an abundance of great cabernet sauvignon labels from Napa Valley.

Just around the corner from where Herrera started his career at Stag’s Leap is Chimney Rock. Its Stags Leap

District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 ($75) had aged gracefully, with

juicy blackberry, black cherry flavors and tertiary notes of forest floor starting to poke through.

Sourced from vineyards a bit further north in Calistoga is Jax Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ($49).

For a crowd pleaser that is easy to approach, owners Trent and Kimberly Jackson turned to winemaker Kurt Venge for red with blackberry, sage and graphite flavors.

All provide their own fireworks when it comes to flavor and would be fit for any Independence Day celebration.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

SPLASHY

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Discover watersports along Fox River Valley northernmost entrance through the Fox River Trail) remain accessible.

Yorkville may be the home of Ragnstead of destinations requiring ing Waves, Illinois’ largest waterpark, airports and days-long road trips, but it’s also home to the Marge Cline we show you how to give waterWhitewater Course, which quickly sports such as boating, fishing, won over novice and avid canoeists canoeing and kayaking a try, at and kayakers. the spur of the moment, with less travThe bypass chute, which is 1,100 el and little cost. feet long, allows those with canoes, kayaks and tubes to travel downstream Chain O’Lakes Anglers, boaters, skiers and others around the Glen D. Palmer Dam withwho love spending time near the water out having to portage. Canoes, kayaks, rafts and tubes can be rented from the see their dreams come true at the Yak Shack at 630-479-8074. busiest inland recreational waterway per acre in the United States.

Crystal Lake Water Ski Association The Chain O’Lakes consists of 15 Some people passionate about walakes and over 6,500 acres of water, ter skiing who live on or near Crystal hundreds of miles of shoreline and Lake are members of the Crystal Lake miles of natural and dredged canals.

Water Ski Association, affiliated with Home to Chain O’Lakes State Park, USA Water Ski and Crystal Lake Park it’s in McHenry and Lake counties.

District.

With more than 200 campsites, Members of all abilities, from beseveral picnic areas and four trail ginning to nationally ranked, are part systems, it also offers hiking and of the association. The CLWSA has horseback riding. a Facebook page and member Gerry Canoeing/kayaking on the Fox River Meyer can be reached at 815-790-5956.

There are many ways to have fun Harborside Marina floating on the Fox River. Mill Race Countless dreams have come true Cyclery, 11 E. State St., Geneva, rents at this full-service marina that sells kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddlenew boats, as well as a wide selection boards. of used boats and yachts. Harborside St. Charles Park District offers Marina at 27425 S. Will Road, Wilmingfree public boat launches for kayaks ton, is a dealer for Manitou pontoon and canoes at Mt. St. Mary Park and boats, Scarab Jet Boats, Evinrude Ferson Creek Park. outboards and EZ Loader trailers, and River View Miniature Golf, 8 North other lines.

Ave., St. Charles, rents kayaks and It’s on the Illinois River near the pedal boats; 630-584-1028. mouth of the Kankakee River southViolet Patch Park, 1425 Route 25, west of Joliet. Learn more at 815-476Oswego, has a canoe/kayak access 4400, www.harborsidemarina.com. point.

Hudson Crossing Park, 65 N. HarKayaking Fox River via rison St., Oswego, has a canoe/kayak Batavia Park District What can tone your tummy and access point. There is construction in elevate your heart rate, but also be a the area, but two entrances (corner of Washington and Harrison and the low-impact exercise while providing

By CHRIS WALKER

I

For Shaw Media

Photo provided

Watersports attractions line the Fox River Valley. stress relief, adventure and even a touch of the romantic? You’d probably be surprised to learn that the answer is kayaking, which is now available on the Fox River through the Batavia Park District, which had rented paddle boats, but is transitioning to kayaks this summer. Participants must be age 16 or older.

Rock River

Geographically older than Lake Michigan, the Rock River is a popular destination for anglers, offering populations of channel catfish, walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, sauger, bluegill and flathead catfish.

Providing an aquatic resource of about 12,400 acres, the river is fully accessible via boat ramps at Lowell Park and Page Park, 121 W. Second St., Dixon. Private powerboats, canoes and rowboats are allowed.

Featuring 200 acres of woodland along the Rock River, Lowell Park offers scenic drives, hiking trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds with zip line, and great fishing spots; 815-288-1485, www.dixongov.com.

Three Oaks Reservoir

What was formerly the long-abandoned Vulcan Lakes quarry has been transformed into a unique recreational experience.

Easy to find and access in Crystal Lake, 5517 Northwest Highway (Route 14), Three Oaks is home to pristine waters, natural habitat and outstand-

ing fishing. Three Oaks is a catch-andrelease fishing facility.

Canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, paddle pontoons, rowboats and sailboats are rented from the marina at Three Oaks, but personal watercraft are not allowed.

Three Lakes offers recreational scuba diving opportunities, has a swim beach, kid-friendly spray park and an outdoor dining patio.

Picnicking opportunities await, with grassy sections near the beach.

Large overhead tent with picnic table units also are available. Learn more at 815-459-2020 or www.crystallake.org.

Have you considered wakeboarding without a boat? The Quarry Cable Park at Three Oaks is the place for wakeboarding as a next-generation cable wake park. The facilities include a six-tower cable system with jumps and features for experienced riders, as well as a system geared for newcomers; 815-893-0036, www.thequarrycablepark.com.

Vermillion River Rafting

How about a three- to four-hour whitewater rafting and kayaking adventure on the Big Vermillion River?

Your adventure will feature about 14 sets of rapids over the course of 9.5 miles. The Vermillion website calls this a good beginner river.

Reservations are recommended. It’s for those 8 years of age and older. Staging is at 779 N. 2249th Road, Oglesby; 815-667-5242, www.vermillionriverrafting.com.

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FUN

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STARVED ROCK COUNTRY Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

Catch a fireworks display in Ottawa to light up July 4

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com Planning your Fourth of July festivities? Consider taking a trip out to Starved Rock Country this holiday weekend to catch one of the best fireworks displays central Illinois has to offer.

While many communities have canceled or postponed their shows due to the coronavirus and state mandates restricting large public gatherings, Ottawa instead opted to host a more social distance-friendly celebration that will allow you to enjoy the Fourth of July light show from the comfort of your car.

Located at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox rivers, just a short drive from Starved Rock State Park and I-80, Ottawa boasts a picturesque downtown populated by tempting eateries and inviting boutique shopping opportunities. The nostalgic setting, steeped in history, always has been one of the main draws for celebrating Independence Day in Starved Rock Country. The other, of course, being the famed fireworks display.

Held every year on July 4, these shows are hosted

by Ottawa First, a nonprofit community organization that raises funds all year round to ensure each celebratory light show is more memorable than the last. The result is a dazzling display of fireworks

display and close-to-the-ground fireworks that only could be enjoyed from that site. This year, to ensure everyone’s safety, and to maintain state-mandated social distancing, things will look a little different.

Ottawa First has said that this year’s show will not include the typical ground display, and the Ottawa Township High School property will not be used as an observation point. Instead, the 2020 display will feature higher elevation shells that can be viewed from a much larger radius. This will allow guests to enjoy the show from the comfort of their vehicles or at one of the town’s numerous public parks and observation areas.

Popular viewing sites include the bridge over the Illinois River, downtown parking areas and the scenic riverfront Allen Park. All of these sites are expected to be open to viewers and the show is anticipated to start around 9:30 p.m. The city requests that all residents and guests viewing the fireworks Shaw Media file photo follow current CDC guidelines regarding social disOttawa will host a more social distance-friendly celebra- tancing. If you plan on viewing the fireworks from tion that will allow you to enjoy the Fourth of July light outside your car, be sure to bring along masks for show from the comfort of your car. everyone in your party.

Allen Park, one of the best sites for viewing the fireworks, is at 400 Courtney St. For more events that has attracted guests from several states away. happening in the Ottawa area, be sure to follow In past years, the town’s football field bleachers have been the hub of the festivities, allowing guests us at Starved Rock Country on Facebook and to take in a pre-fireworks talent show, skydiving Instagram.

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By PAM OTTO

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Newly emerged 17-year cicadas are early

I

don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the air these days has a distinct buzz about it.

Here we are, gradually emerging from our collective months of quarantine, and people – like the Munchkins after Dorothy landed in Oz – are coming out to experience our new normal.

But while we may have waited three long months for our businesses to come back to life, a buzz I’m excited about was 17 years in the making.

That’s right, I’m talking about the buzz – and whirrs and clicks – of the periodical cicadas.

Granted, we’re not being bombarded like our neighboring counties to the east and southeast, and way up north in Lake County. But I’ve heard scattered calls and found the exuvia, or crispy shed shells, of a number of individuals throughout St. Charles-area towns. And that makes me really happy.

Seventeen years ago – the year Sammy Sosa got kicked out of a game for using a corked bat, and the movie “Finding Nemo” debuted – the insects we’re seeing and hearing today were smaller than grains of rice. Born of parents who dated back to 1986, these six-legged phenoms drilled their way down through the soil and latched their piercing-and-sucking mouthparts (picture the straw on a juice box) onto a tree root and began feeding. Every couple of years they’d molt, or shed, their hard outer covering, then grow some more.

Finally, this year, probably in early May, their internal alarm clocks started to jingle. One by one, they began to tunnel their way up to the surface.

Under the cover of darkness they’d emerge from the soil, scrabble their way over to some vertical surface – a tree trunk, a fence post, the stem of a plant – and split their skin one more time. Freed from that constraining covering, their wings would fill with fluid and the mad dash to create the next generation would begin.

Even though they live for 17 years below ground, the periodical cicadas’ time up in the trees is extremely limited. Once they come out, two weeks is about all they have left. Fourteen days to find a mate and lay some eggs, all while dodging the probing paws and poking bills of hungry mammals and birds raising broods of their own.

But what makes this year’s periodical cicada emergence even more remarkable is that they’re not really “supposed” to be here at all.

The periodical cicadas that inhab-

Photo provided by Dave McCoy

Red eyes, a black body and orange wing veins – and a 17-year life cycle – differentiate the periodical cicada from its larger cousins, the annual cicadas. it our area are part of Brood XIII, a group that actually includes two to three different species. Their last scheduled appearance was in 2007; their next is in 2024.

But back in the 1950s and ‘60s, a subset of Brood XIII jumped ahead, or accelerated, four years, emerging in 1969, four years before their expected 1973 appearance. Just as no one really knows for sure how the 17-year cycle developed, no one really knows why those ’69 cicadas decided, en masse, to leap forward.

Of course, theories for both phenomena abound. Some research indicates that the periodic behavior may date back to the last Ice Age, when cooling temperatures meant insects took a long time to develop. Another hypothesis looks at predator satiation. When squillions of nutrient-dense, relatively defenseless cicadas crawl up from the ground within a few weeks of each other, the creatures that feed on them will become satiated, and not be able to consume every single individual.

Something went wonky in 1969.

Conditions underground may have

been crowded, or conditions above ground may have been favorable for faster development. Either way, a large group – known oddly enough as stragglers – emerged after only 13 years, but have remained on a 17-year cycle ever since.

Periodical cicadas are a sight to behold. With their red eyes, black body and orange wing veins, they look nothing like the annual cicadas that will begin to emerge very soon.

Periodical cicadas also are more svelte than their annual cousins (insects that, oddly enough, live a lot longer than a year and are just as poorly understood as the periodical species).

They sound different too.

Cassin’s 17-year cicada, Magicicada cassini, the species I’ve been hearing, sounds like a buzzy motor that’s having trouble starting. After a series of stutters, it buzzes for two to three seconds before starting its next stutter. The other species coming out right now, Linnaeus’s periodical cicada, M. septendecim, is also known as the pharaoh cicada for the way its call sounds like “PHA-raoh” – an effect

that’s quite pronounced when the males chorus together.

Yep, as is the case with so many wildlife songsters, only the males make sound. The females are busy listening, and preparing to deposit eggs using their amazing ovipositor that works like a Sawzall to cut into the tips of tree branches. After the slits are made and the eggs are laid, the young will hatch, drop to the ground, drill down to a tree root and start the next 17-year cycle.

Time is winding down now for these straggler cicadas – and for those of us who’d like to see and hear them. If you want to improve your chances, head east. My friend Dave McCoy, who took this week’s photo, says Butterfield Road was loaded with them between Route 53 and I-355. The Morton Arboretum has them, as do parks in Lombard. Go see what the buzz is all about!

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

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GOOD NATURED

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LIVE THE HARBOR L I F E

Waterfront Dining

SM-LA1791310