SVM_Spotlight_032120 by Shaw Media

p g i t S O l ht SAUKVALLEY.COM n MARCH 21, 2020 n PAGE D1 n AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT OF SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE MAKING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES

SPOTLIGHT | HERITAGE SQUARE

Making every day better

At Heritage Square, ‘the little things mean a lot’ isn’t just a saying, it’s a philosophy. The staff there knows how important it is to give residents less to worry about and more time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life

BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

or the staff at Heritage Square, an award-winning independent senior living center in Dixon, it’s important to go beyond the basics to provide for each resident’s well-being. “We want to make every day better with the little things,” said Bonnie O’Connell, facility administrator. It doesn’t take long for new residents to regain a sense of independence and choices, without the burdens of worrying about who can drive them to the grocery store or doctor appointments, or getting help with the cooking and cleaning. Residents find they have less to worry about and more opportunities for recreation, and hobbies, and making friends – which is as simple as walking down the hall or finding company at meal time. HERITAGE SQUARE continued on D54

MOVING

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LOTS gets you to where you need to go. For medical appointments, to your community college, the bank and so much more. Including regular scheduled trips to Rockford, DeKalb and Sycamore! LOTS offers many conveniences: • Cost Effective – Low Cost Fares • Medicaid/Medicare Accepted • Clean, Handicap Accessible Buses Ask us about Greyhound Connect routes to Chicago and other destinations.

www.leeogletransportation.com Funding for this ad provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

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A custom fit SPOTLIGHT | CLOVER HILLS APPLIANCE

From picking the right product to picking out a payment plan, from delivery to disposal, from sale to service, Clover Hills Appliance wants to make sure their customers are like one big happy family

A person may walk through the door at Clover Hills with questions, but they won’t leave without answers, thanks to the friendly, knowledgeable staff. “It’s our job to help the customer get it right,” said managing partner Wayne Walker. From left: Walker, Tim Cochran, James Wright, Brian Hamilton, and Andrew Ratliff. the next question is payment. At Clover Hills customers will find several t Clover Hills Appliance shoppers options, including a 6-month layaway will find the top-rated appliances, plan, deferred interest financing, mattresses, electronics and furthe option of leasing to own, and the nishings for their home and quality no-credit-needed program. customer service that continues long “These options have helped a lot of after they’ve walked out the door with people,” Walker said. their purchases. Once customers make their purchase The first level of service starts with Clover Hills’ full-service delivery team the shoppers. The staff will answer will deliver the item, install it and haul questions that help them find the away the old one as well. item suited to their needs. Managing The top-rated service from Clover partner Wayne Hills continues Walker said it long after customcan be daunting ers have left the to walk through store. Clover Hills rows of washing has an in-house machines, but he technician availand his staff are able to handle there to assist by service calls. answering quesWalker said the tions and providtechnician is able ing details on use to service most More info and care. major brands. “We treat everyClover Hills, 2400 N. Locust St. in Ster“It’s a great plus body like family,” ling, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon- for us to have him said Walker, who day through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 in house and he has been with Clo- p.m. on Saturday. Find us on Facebook is often available ver Hills for more at Clover Hills Sterling. Call 815-625for same-day serthan 20 years. “It’s 8529 or go to www.cloverhillsappliance. vice,” Walker said. our job to help the com for more information. Finding an customer get it appliance serright.” vice-repair person Walker said his staff takes the time to who can make house calls isn’t easy, understand their products and has the but with a single call people can book knowledge to serve customers. He also an appointment. And, this service is encourages his staff to ask their own available to everyone, not just those questions to help understand exactly who purchased with Clover Hills what the client is searching for in an Appliance. Walker said his staff underappliance. Time is valuable and he stands families don’t have time to let and his staff want to be the one-stop laundry pile up because of a broken for shoppers who can find everything washing machine or let dishes collect they need and want in a single locain a sink due to a broken dishwasher. tion, whether that is an appliance with Whether it is searching for a replacebuilt-in Wi-Fi to pair with a Smartment or an upgrade, Walker and his phone or an appliance that can meet staff have the knowledge and time to the demands of a busy family. provide top-rated service to each cusAfter customers conquer their search tomer. BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

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SPOTLIGHT | FAITH ASSEMBLY OF GRAND DETOUR

A ‘pretty special’ place

Faith Assembly of Grand Detour has been part of the community for more than 100 years. Today, the church’s mission is intertwined with its school. Faith Assembly’s Pastoral Leadership Team includes, back row from left: Phil Arellano, Youth Ministry; Lead pastor Jon Marx; Ryan Bivins, Worship Ministry; front row: Cindy Drew, Church Development; and Jordan Bivins, Children’s Ministry.

Faith Assembly of Grand Detour’s roots run deep in the community it serves, giving people a heavenly place to call home for more than 100 years BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

GRAND DETOUR – On Easter Sunday, the Rev. Jon Marx, pastor at Faith Assembly of Grand Detour, will welcome friends and families as they arrive dressed in their very best. He’ll greet small children with little hands sticky from Easter breakfast, a tradition at the church, before starting morning services. This year, they will be including baptisms for new believers in the morning service. “We feel what we have is pretty special,” Marx said. Marx has been a pastor for nearly 30 years, serving where he is called to help, from Minneapolis to the Chicago suburbs to a small rural community in northern Minnesota. When he joined Faith Assembly more than 3 years ago, he accepted the role as a pastor along with a new title: superintendent of Faith Christian School. Soon after, church leaders were discussing the need for more classroom space and making the decision to buy the former Grand Detour Elementary School. It was a busy time for church leaders as they hired contractors and organized volunteers to renovate the building. The hard work paid off, and the school opened in August of 2018. “We knew we were walking into a pretty big juggernaut,” Marx said. “We probably still have quite a bit to do. And so many people have been helping us out.”

More info

Faith Assembly of Grand Detour is at 7887 S. Green St. Find it on Facebook, call 815-652-4488 or go to www.faithgranddetour.org to learn more. The church seeks to be fiscally prudent and responsible: It paid cash for the building and renovation work, supplemented with generous donations of time and materials, Marx said. Along with the buildings came land that offers a campus-like feel, and space for athletic programs such as soccer. The school also offers a preschool program, at Bethel Ministry Center in Dixon. The church’s roots in the village of Grand Detour date

back well over 100 years, Marx said. It opened a grade school in 1980, and added middle and high school classes 5 years later. Now that the elementary classes are out of the church building, there is room for the church to host other ministries. It has added youth and children ministries, which take place during the Sunday service and on Wednesday evenings, and Bible study classes and other programming is being considered now that space has been freed up. “A lot of the church success story is wrapped up in the school,” Marx said. “We’ve been invested for so long in the school, now we’re looking forward to becoming a church that does a good job ministering to people where they are.” While each of his church homes through the years has been unique and special, he has found himself at home at Faith Assembly & Faith Christian School, where he can share his love of academics and his love for the church, Marx said. He teaches a class for high school juniors and seniors that mixes philosophy, theology and science. Its aim is to help them prepare for the future. He loves working with his students. “I love watching the light bulb go on. I love the conversations that are difficult to solve, and I love watching the students grow in the Lord.”

eritage Square

Serving Our Community for 45 Years

“We Care for Those You Love”

620 N. Ottawa, Dixon • (815) 288-2251 www.heritagesquaredixon.com

D4 • SV Weekend

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SPOTLIGHT | AVONLEA COTTAGE OF DIXON

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

The mission to care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia is one close to home for Steve and Avonlea Casey, who bought Avonlea Cottage of Dixon in October. The couple saw first-hand the challenges of caring for someone with memory loss and the weight of the work that rested on caregivers when they helped care for AvaLynda’s father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s before he died. “It has become a ‘calling’ for us to provide Christian, quality care to families who need it,” AvaLynda said.

Comfort and care

A Dixon memory care community has new owners, but its mission remains the same: to provide peace of mind for its clients and their loved ones “Our goal is to give caregivers a break by the hour so they can attend events and DIXON – Avonlea Cottage of Dixon does keep appointments, knowing their loved more than just provide excellent care for one is safe and happy,” AvaLynda said. “All its clients, it also provides peace of mind our services are available while they are for their families with us … meals, incontinence care and “We are providing quality care and meet- cleaning, naps, medicine, activities. Our ing the needs of the community,” said loving staff is amazing.” AvaLynda Casey, who owns the business At Avonlea Cottage of Dixon caregivers with her husband, Steve. The couple took will find a setting specifically designed to over the memory care community last look like a warm, friendly home with the year, making a seamless transition to conamenities of a secure and locked facility. tinue its mission while slowly building in There are no long hallways; rather the changes that will allow care to expand for building is designed in a rectangular layresidents’ out, so resigrowing dents can be needs. free to move The misabout withsion to care out feeling for those lost. with AlzheiAt the mer’s and heart of the dementia is business is one close to a staff that home for the provides couple, who care, assishelped care tance with for AvaLynall activities da’s father, for daily Howard living, and Wiseman, delicious who died homeWhether it’s a short-term stay or long term, the staff at cooked in 2018 Avonlea Cottage of Dixon can provide all the services meals. and who needed for clients, and give peace of mind to their famwas also Alma ily, “knowing their loved one is safe and happy,” said Wood, diagnosed with Alzhei- AvaLynda Casey (right), shown here with Alma Wood director of (left), executive director and director of nursing. mer’s. The nursing and couple saw the facility’s first-hand executive the challenges in caring for director, maintains staffing someone with memory loss levels at 1:7 ratios during and the weight of the work the day and 1:8 at night in that rested on caregivers, who addition to ensuring there are often spouses and adult is a licensed nurse available children. on-site 24 hours a day. They also had some help Often, one of the biggest from a higher power in makhurdles to finding care for a ing the decision. loved one is financial, which More info “It has become a ‘calling’ is why Avonlea Cottage of To learn more about for us to provide Christian, Dixon is an approved providAvonlea Cottage of Dixon er with the Northern Illinois quality care to families who visit AvonleaDixon.Com, Area Agency on Aging, which need it,” AvaLynda said. The couple have been involved in call 815-288-6044 to allows families to apply for Christian ministry for a num- arrange an appointment grants of $1,000 per year to to visit and tour the loca- help with short-term care. ber of years. tion at 503 Countryside Avonlea offers different “Short stays are good way Lane, Dixon. options for care. First, there to see how loved ones adjust are full-time residents. Secto the new environment,” ond, there is Respite Care, AvaLynda said. which allows family to regisFinding comfort and ter a patient for short-term care, such as care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or when caregivers need to step away for a dementia isn’t easy, and whether it is few days. respite care for a few hours, a few days or This spring Avonlea is launching a Day seeking full-time care options the staff Out, a private-pay adult day care option at Avonlea Cottage of Dixon is ready to available 7 days a week for a minimum of answer the call for residents and their a 2-hour care for their loved ones. caregivers. BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

Saturday, March 21, 2020

www.saukvalley.com

SV Weekend • D5

Community collaboration is part of Heritage Square’s mission HERITAGE SQUARE CONTINUED FROM D1 t

“We’ve seen residents gain weight, walk more and become more social and not as isolated,” O’Connell said. “They become more involved and find their lives are overall for the better.” Some of that credit goes right back to the Heritage Square staff, who find those little ways to make a resident smile, asking about a grandchild or coming up with other ways to make residents feel at home. That includes collaborating with the local community, from students who help residents with projects such as making blankets and baking cookies to the weekly visits from pet therapy dogs

Barney, Lulu, Annie and ration in her time their owners. with her. “We’re very connected to “My grandmother the community,” O’Connell had a very strong said. influence on my life,” As the facility administraO’Connell said. “She tor, O’Connell works hard was stoic and indeto support the residents pendent. She encourBonnie O’Connell, and her staff. She also tries aged me to choose a then and now to encourage others to career where I would consider the nursing field be able to support and the opportunities it presents as a myself and my family.” career and a calling. With an additional nudge from a In many ways, it was O’Connell’s family friend, O’Connell began to see grandmother who inspired her to con- nursing as career choice. She started sider nursing. When her grandmother as an aide working evenings while suffered a stroke, O’Connell, the sevstudying to become a licensed practienth of eight children, was sent to live cal nurse, then obtained her associate with her to provide support and care. It degree. There were long days and long nights working and juggling the was a big change, but she found inspi-

Schilling

responsibilities of her family. In the early 2000s she returned to the classroom and in 2005 earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing. “I could see opportunities to improve myself and opportunities to succeed in my career,” she said. “Nursing has many opportunities,” such as administrative roles, or working alongside the insurance field to providing flexible hours through home-health care and other avenues. “It’s just an open door.” It’s the opportunity to work directly with patients and the camaraderie of her fellow nurses, though, that keeps her passion for the field high. “It isn’t a job, it’s a way of life. I never thought of what I do as a job. That’s just the way nursing is.”

More info

Heritage Square is at 620 N. Ottawa Ave. in Dixon. Call 815288-2251 or go to heritagesquaredixon.com for more information.

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SPOTLIGHT | PLN MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.

They have their ears to the ground When their clients talk, Bill Gorski and his staff at PLN Mutual Insurance listen, giving them some face-to-face time in the heart of America’s farmland

Submitted

Bill Gorski (left) and his staff, Kim Cruse, Vickie Michels and Dustin Popejoy, are on a mission to provide insurance coverage at the lowest possible cost, while providing superior personal service to policyholders. provide outstanding service that makes them stand out from the crowd. His agents DIXON – For Bill Gorski and his staff at meet with clients in person and visit farm PLN Mutual Insurance Co., it isn’t enough properties before writing a policy. to understand the insurance business. “That’s in our foundation, having time They make it a point to understand for face-to-face,” Gorski said. “We like to their clients’ business – specifically, they do business across the kitchen table.” understand the nature and needs of PLN Mutual works with 28 agents farming. throughout northern Illinois to serve its “This is a real key to our business and client base. Many share Gorski’s longevity our success,” said Gorski, general manag- in the insurance business as well as his er of the Dixon office. passion for and underGorski, who grew up standing of farming. on a small grain farm Several agents also have near Polo, has been with farming backgrounds. PLN Mutual Insurance “I’m very proud of our More information Co. for 23 years. He agent force,” Gorski said. knows first-hand the “They are all very comPLN Mutual Insurance Co. is hard work, dedication mitted to taking care of at 201 Lincoln Statue Drive in and passion it takes to Dixon. Go toplnmutualins.com or their clients’ needs. They care for livestock and call 815-284-6816 to learn more. are the heart and soul of the land. our company.” “I love being a part of PLN Mutual, founded farm life,” Gorski said. “It’s a specialized in 1865, today’s also encompasses four niche market for farms.” other historic area farm mutuals: Lincoln The industry has grown bigger and Mutual of Mt. Morris, founded in 1860, challenges continue to arise, but PLN Nashua Mutual of Oregon, founded in agents and staff understand the evolving 1877, and Buffalo Mutual of Polo and industry and its needs. Lanark Mutual of Lanark, both founded “Farmers are a group of people that in 1874. It partners with The Grinnell Co. need to be appreciated and taken care of Iowa for its liability protection. of,” he said. In addition to its core farm communiWhile many policies can look similar, ty, PLN also insures homeowners and Gorski said his staff goes the distance to renters. BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE For Sauk Valley Media

ttorneys can help people at various times in their lives. Much like doctors specialize in particular types of medicine, attorneys also tend to focus on one area of the law. For example, some lawyers might specialize in criminal law, while others may help their clients with estate planning. Use this guide when choosing an attorney.

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SPOTLIGHT | LEE-OGLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Come along T for the ride

Many people still harbor the misconception that LOTS buses are just for seniors – but they’re not. Need a ride to KSB to keep an appointment (left)? LOTS can help. The fleet serves all ages. For example, LOTS also partners with Kishwaukee College in Malta to provide transportation to students from the Rochelle area (above). Submitted photos

at 210 E. Progress Drive. In late January, LOTS also began administering a he wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round new Greyhound Connect route between Chicago ... all through the town ... and all through and Danville, encompassing stops along InterLee and Ogle counties, sporting “LOTS” states 90, 39 and 74. The stops along the new route painted on the side. include Chicago, Elgin, Rockford, Rochelle, OglesDid you know that the Lee-Ogle Transportation by, Normal, Champaign and Danville. System buses, which are outfitted with wheelAssistant Director Kari Wolfe also started in chair lifts to serve the disabled and seniors, are September 2017. nonetheless available to anyone and everyone? She worked for 2 years at Trinity Financial, right Your vehicle may be in the repair shop. You out of high school, and then for the Lee County may not have a vehicle – you may find it less Treasurer’s office for 6 months. expensive to use public transportation than to Her financial background of grant managemaintain and operate your own. ment, retirement planning services, portWhatever the reason, LOTS is there folio reviews, and public service prepared for you. her to be Gates’ right arm. Many people still harbor the mis“We offer safe and friendly pick-up or conception that LOTS’ buses, which drop-off – door to door,” Wolfe said. “We are owned by the county, are just for pick people up in front of their home, or in seniors. front of their work. It’s much more person“LOTS used to be in the Senior Cenal.” ter on Galena Avenue in Dixon,” said People moving from urban areas are used Greg Gates Greg Gates, LOTS executive director to city transportation. since September 2017. “Our current “When people are getting to know the building, built in 2012, is out on area, or if they have environmental conRoute 26/South Galena, just beyond cerns, some are satisfied with public transthe I-88 overpass.” portation options,” Wolfe said. Gates is not new to the trans“LOTS is doing a good service, and wants portation business. He’s earned a to broaden and reach more people.” master’s in business administraDoor-to-door service to your bank, job, tion, served Kreider Services for 8 Kari Wolfe Sinnissippi services, medical appointments, years as its director of communigrocery store, and to Sauk Valley and Kishcation and marketing, and Sinnissippi waukee community colleges are available. Centers for 10 years, also in marketing. LOTS makes three trips a month to Rockford, for “I had some dealing with transpormedical appointments and to Cherryvale Mall. tation and LOTS during my tenure at Rides also can be provided to DeKalb, Sycamore, Kreider. Now that paperwork experiLaSalle-Peru, and the Quad Cities. ence has prepared me. I request state Greyhound bus service also is available at the funding through the Illinois DepartLOTS terminal, with daily travel to Chicago and ment of Transportation for LOTS.” Davenport, Iowa. Gates finds the work rewarding. Like airlines, the cost of a ticket is determined “I enjoy the work. It has enabled me daily; they can be purchased at greyhound.com. to stretch and grow – working with The numbers show how valuable LOTS is to provider organizations and individpeople. From July 2018 to June 2019, LOTS prouals. I make sure people get what vided more than 105,000 public rides, traveling they need for themselves or for a more than 731,000 miles. loved one. Everyone can use public Gates shared his secret to its growth and suctransportation at some time in his cess. “Provider organizations have deep roots in or her life.” our area, and they area big proponent of public People might be surprised by the transportation. We’ve developed great partnersize of the LOTS fleet – there are ships over the years. 24 buses in the system, medium “We want to hear regular feedback from our duty, light duty, and minivans – riders. They are a great sounding board for ideas. and in September, work began on Maybe we’ll start some weekend trips and add a $1 million maintenance garage limited hours on weekends. It’s all about the and wash bay, which includes people,” Wolf said. building a 3,064-square-foot “We have the best drivers, helpful staff, cusmaintenance garage and wash tomer service and dispatch staff. With the recent bay and adding 26 parking weather crisis, we still got people where they spaces to the LOTS main office needed to go every day.” BY AVALYNDA CASEY For Sauk Valley Media

The Lee-Ogle Transportation System is LOTS more than just a bus service for seniors; it’ll pull up and pick up people of all ages

Lee-Ogle Transportation, 210 E. Progress Drive in Dixon, is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 815-288-2117 to schedule a ride; the need 24 hours notice for a trip withing the two counties, 48 hours notice for rides outside the county. Children 5 and older can ride alone; those younger than 5 must be accompanied by an adult or sibling. The rates are $1 one-way within a ZIP code for 5 and younger; $2 oneway in a ZIP code for ages 6 to 59; 35 cents a mile is added for travel outside the ZIP code. Those who are 60 and older or disabled pay $1 one way, in or out of the ZIP code. One to two days’ notice is required. Go to lotsil.org or email info@lotsil.org for more information. You also can find the agency on Facebook; search for Lee-Ogle Transportation System (LOTS).

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Saturday, March 21, 2020

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SPOTLIGHT | THE HAPPY SPOT

Finding their happy place From the customers to the crew to the couple who owns it, there are plenty of people smiling at a restaurant that’s near and Deer to people’s hearts, and it’s no wonder: After 8 decades, the food there still hits the spot BY BRANDON LONG For Sauk Valley Media

A pair of business owners have a lot to be happy about these days – but it wasn’t always that way. A few months after they bought Arnie’s Happy Spot, they were staring at a pile of charred rubble. Talk about a trial by fire for a couple who took over what had, in its 80 years, become a landmark on the local restaurant scene and the destination for visitors to the village of Deer Grove, where, on any given night, the number of customers at the restaurant can outnumber the population of this tiny burg. But Richard Lance and his wife, Angie, weren’t about to let the fire have the last word. They rebuilt and reopened, and today the restaurant – now called just The Happy Spot – is back in business. The restaurant, at 1667 Hoover Road – just off state Route 40, about 8 miles south of Rock Falls – started life in the 1930s as the Happy Spot. It was bought by Arnie Johnson in 1967, who tacked his name on the front, and then by Larry and Ginny Whitebread in 1999. The Whitebreads sold it to the Lances in April 2018. During its decades as Deer Grove’s dining hot spot, Arnie’s became known for its fried chicken and was a popular destination for dancing, comedy, bands and other entertainment. But it almost became a memory in the middle of the night on July 23, 2018. That’s when the Lances were awoken by a phone call and told the business they had just bought had been destroyed in a fire. “The building is metal framed, and the fire

became so hot that it twisted and warped all the steel girders and support beams,” Lance said. “It was a complete loss.” Calling in a private investigator through the business’ insurance company, Lance set out to uncover the cause of the fire. It was discovered that a 3-foot fluorescent light fixture on a vanity mirror in the women’s bathroom short-circuited, sparking flames that spread throughout the building. “You could actually see where the wire had arched on the metal,” Lance said. “The investigator said, ‘Right there’s your fire. So you didn’t do it.’ I already knew I didn’t cause it, but I was glad we now had proof.” Once the investigation was complete, it was time to move on – but that didn’t mean moving on, it meant staying right at home in Deer Grove. The Lances were not strangers to Arnie’s. Rick had serviced the restaurant with his commercial refrigeration business for nearly 20 years before taking ownership, and as loyal patrons, he and Angie felt a strong connection to the establishment. Their appreciation for the restaurant’s deep history in the village of about 50 people drove their desire to rebuild the treasured landmark and preserve the destination that was deeply rooted in the surrounding community. With a background in trades work and construction, taking on a rebuilding project came naturally to Lance. Pooling resources from friends, family and local businesses, such as Cole Construction of Tampico and Brian Wetzell of Professional Electric of Walnut, The Happy Spot was able to hang up

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When Rick and Angie Lance bought Arnie’s Happy Spot, they didn’t know they’d be rebuilding the business from the ground up – literally. Today, the fire that destroyed the restaurant is a memory, one of many captured in photos on the restaurant’s memory wall, shown here behind the Lances. “This place has quite a reputation,” Rick said. “It has a long history, which we wanted to honor. We want to make it our own while respecting where the establishment came from.”

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the open sign in just less than a year. Most of the staff who served under previous ownership returned as the restaurant geared up for business. “We’re like a family,” Lance said. “They have stuck by our side and we are incredibly thankful.” Though rebuilding went smoothly, the Lances did worry about how customer would take to the new and improved restaurant. They needn’t have worried. When The Happy Spot reopened on June 15, devoted regulars returned in droves, along with new customers craving Arnie’s signature chicken. “Everyone was afraid that we were going to change the chicken recipe,” he said. “But we have not. It is the same exact ingredients since Arnie’s time.” While Arnie’s mouth-watering chicken remains the same, some new home-cooked dishes have been added to the menu, including smoked foods, meatloaf, chicken-fried steak, soups, and breakfast items. The Lances also added a customized catering service, and entertainment has returned, with live acoustic music on select days. The Happy Spot also has an outdoor patio complete with a full-service bar to host events and entertainment. “This place has quite a reputation,” Lance said. “It has a long history, which we wanted to honor. So, we pay homage to Arnie by including our menu that reads ‘still serving Arnie’s famous chicken.’ We want to make it our own while respecting where the establishment came from.”

More info The Happy Spot, 1667 Hoover Road , Deer Grove, is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays. Find The Happy Spot on Facebook or call 815-438-5282 for more information.

1667 Hoover Rd. Deer Grove

(815) 438-5282

Still serving

Arnie’s Famous Chicken!

FREE

Order of Onion Rings With the Purchase of 2 Dinners. Expires 5/31/20

D10 • SV Weekend

www.saukvalley.com

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Making every moment count SPOTLIGHT | LIBERTY COURT

When Liberty Court residents make their personal journey through life, they do it on a red carpet, with the assisted living center’s staff right beside them every step of the way, making sure they’re nurtured, inspired, and loved – and even making a dream or two come true along the way

More info

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munity we serve. Not only is our focus on providing incomparable lifestyles for our residents, but also to foster learning environments where our team members grow and contribute to the resident experience at the assisted living and memory care facility. That’s the core belief that drives Senior Housing Management, managing company of Liberty Court, which took over on Nov. 1, 2019. Being a part of the Senior Housing family of communities means adhering to a very special set of values. One of these values is ensuring that our team members get to know each and every one of our residents, not only in regard to health care, but also as a unique and vibrant person. Our goal is to make at least one resident’s dream come true each month in every one of our assisted living and memory care communities. These dreams can range from modest to elaborate, based on the unique experiences and valley.com Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@sauk backstories of each individual resident. Their Dare to Dream One of Liberty Court’s goals is to stories offer a glimpse make a dream come true for a into the vast collection resident each month. In January, of wishes that have they helped Mabel “Mibs” Green come true throughout relive her high school cheerleading Senior Housing’s history days on January 27, shaking the of fulfilling hundreds of residents’ dreams. pom poms once more to support To date, Senior Housthe Reagan Middle School basketing Companies has ball teams during their games with made over 1,000 dreams Winnebago. Mabel is seen here with come true. Dixon cheerleaders Samantha Buelvas Those living with (left), 16 and Addie Morley, 15. It was a symptoms associatbirthday wish come true for Green, ed with Alzheimer’s who turned 100 the week before. disease or related The centenarian’s secret to long dementias can find life? “Enjoy life and be cheerful.” comfort and accep-

Liberty Court is at 124 Liberty Court in Dixon. Find Liberty Court on Facebook, go to libertycourtseniorliving.com or call 815-285-2000 to learn more about its assisted living and memory care programs and services.

rom “red carpet” hospitality, to a focus on making residents’ dreams come true, to exceptional health care services and team members, Liberty Court’s focus is always to embrace every moment. It’s a philosophy that starts with the belief that residents come first: their past, present and future. It is from there that our operations team sets out to provide the very best training and resources for each com-

Submitted photo

tance within our Memory Care Programs. Our unique approach of Embracing Every Moment allows us to meet each individual resident where they are at in their personal journey. Purposeful activities are at the core of our program, aimed at increasing engagement and stimulating meaningful interactions. Music therapy, life stations, online family engagement program, memory boxes, senior exercise programs, and busy baskets are all examples of specialized programming that enhances residents’ lives in Memory Care. This all-inclusive structure ensures that loved ones receive the attention, care and assistance needed to maintain dignity and purpose. You need only visit our Memory Care communities in person to experience how we’re Embracing Every Moment. Caregivers embrace the individuality of every resident and find great pleasure in getting to know the residents and families they serve. There also is a full slate of fun activities daily, as well the health and wellness program, Live2BHealthy, led by a certified personal trainer, and our Music Speaks program for our Memory Care residents, led by a certified music therapist. They’re all designed to ensure residents are “nurtured, inspired, and loved.” Melissa Jones, Liberty Court’s community director since 2019, has more than 7 years of experience in senior care. The Sterling native loves “the great community” and the family atmosphere of the area.

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2400 N. Locust St. Sterling, IL

815.625.8529

Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm Sat 9am - 3pm