Filled to the rafters with space

If you need

Place Big

For

bounce house, or

BY MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE FOR SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

STERLING

— Weddings

and birthdays, baby showers and retirement parties — those are just a few of the special events hosted inside The Loft at K’s Korner, explains Marion Younger.

She and her husband, Andy, own the special events venue that was transformed from a former dairy barn into a beautiful, large open space able to accommodate smaller, intimate gatherings as well as large parties of up to 300 guests.

Though it used to be a barn, today the venue retains a sense of elegance and many wedding couples enjoy using the beautiful wooden, winding staircase in photos of their special occasion.

More info

K’s Korner

13030 Galt Road, Sterling 815-626-2988

Younger recalls when the loft was able to hold 10,000 bales of hay instead, and was located further up Route 30 outside of Rock Falls. The barn was moved to its current location in 2014 and underwent a major renovation that was completed in 2015. Today it retains the beauty and rustic look of a dairy barn with modern, amenities including climate control for year-round comfort and an elevator, making it easier for guests to enjoy The Loft, and to move equipment and food easily into the entertainment area.

Hours: 6 a.m.-1 a.m. daily

Online: Find K’s Korner on Facebook

The Loft is also great for those who want to customize the room design. The Youngers provide the space and clients supply the decorations. Younger said she has a list of vendors to help in planning. She has seen couples create romantic space for their wedding ceremony and reception and she has helped guests host birthday parties for children complete with a bounce house located inside The Loft space. “It’s always wonderful to see how each party is set up and the weddings are so beautiful,” Marion said.

While the celebrations can vary, Younger is adamant the venue space shouldn’t take up the entire event budget. The Loft room rental is $300 per day and that price includes a bartender to serve guests.

“We want all our guests to be comfortable,” Marion said, adding the space is wheelchair accessible.

The elevator is a big help when moving tables, chairs and a DJ’s sound equipment, Marion added.

And while advance reservations are recommended, Marion said she has taken a few last-minute reservations, even helping a couple host a small wedding with just several days of planning.

Clients can visit The Loft space during K’s Korner operating hours or book an appointment to meet with Younger to reserve the space.

DIXON — The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round — all through the town, and all through Lee and Ogle Counties, sporting “LOTS” painted on the side. Some of the newer buses are a brighter blue with orange color scheme, to grab the attention of the general public and potential riders.

Did you know that the Lee Ogle Transportation System buses, which are outfitted with wheelchair lifts to serve the disabled and seniors, are available to anyone and everyone?

“Your vehicle may be in the shop, or you may not have a vehicle — you may find it less expensive to use public transportation than to maintain and operate your own,” explains Greg Gates, executive director of Lee Ogle Transportation System or LOTS for short.

“Whatever the reason, LOTS is here to help you ‘Move forward,’ and be a resource for getting you to different community resources in the two-county region,” adds Gates, who has been with the public transportation system since September 2017.

People might be surprised to know that LOTS currently has 24 buses operating in the system, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

“A few of our drivers start their routes around 4:30 a.m., usually to pick up workers who need to be at the start of their shift by no later than 6 a.m. For the past 3 years we’ve been partnering with Crest Foods in getting their employees to work on time. It’s been a great partnership and one that both sides have benefited from.”

LOTS cont’d from page 17

Gates adds that LOTS has had discussions with other businesses in the Sauk Valley region about developing a partnership similar to the one LOTS has with Crest Foods.

Gates is not new to the transportation business. He earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from NIU, and before starting at LOTS served as Kreider Services’ director of communication and marketing for 8 years, and prior to that, worked at Sinnissippi Centers for 10 years in marketing.

“I had some dealing with transportation and the LOTS system during my tenure at Kreider. That paperwork experience has prepared me for the monthly reimbursement requests that are sent into the Illinois Department of Transportation.”

“I enjoy the work. It has enabled me to grow professionally, especially working with riders, provider organizations, funders and the general public. I have a great staff who do their very best every day to make sure people get what they need for either themselves or a loved one. Everyone can use public transportation at some time in his or her life.”

Improvements continue to be made to the LOTS system. In spring 2020, work was completed on a $1 million construction project, which included a 3,064-square-foot maintenance garage and wash bay and the addition of 26 parking spaces to the Reagan Transit Center, the main office of LOTS at 210 E. Progress Drive in Dixon.

Other recent development for LOTS include the addition of a canopy for the Reagan Transit Center. Future plans call for the construction of a secondary transit facility on West Pines Road at the intersection of Route 2 on the south edge of Oregon.

“Buses in the system with regular routes in Ogle County will in the future begin from that new transit facility,” explains Gates, who adds that the new facility will have space for offices as well as a conference room. “LOTS is doing a good service, and wants to broaden and reach more people.”

Annually, LOTS provides close to 100,000 rides with system buses traveling more than 700,000 miles.

One addition that riders will begin to see in the not-so-distant future will be the incorporation of electric hybrid vehicles into the system’s fleet.

“We received funding from IDOT to purchase a couple EV buses, which will run 150 miles on a single charge. Personally, I’m excited about the potential use of these vehicles here in rural Illinois.”

In addition to the local public transportation routes, LOTS is partnering with Greyhound Connect to provide two local routes — one along I-88 between Chicago and Davenport, Iowa, and the second along I-39, I-90 and I-74, between Chicago and Danville.

“The Greyhound Connect routes are growing in popularity, and seem to be rebounding nicely from a downturn after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

On the I-39 route, Greyhound has stops in Chicago, Elgin, Rockford, Rochelle, Oglesby, Normal, Champaign and Danville.

On the I-88 route, Greyhound stops include Chicago, Aurora/Naperville, DeKalb/NIU, Rochelle, Dixon, East Moline and Davenport.

Like airlines, the cost of a ticket is determined daily; they can be purchased at greyhound.com.

Gates shared his secret to LOTS’ growth and success: “We’ve developed great partnerships over the years, especially with our operator partners. We want to hear regular feedback from our riders. They are a great sounding board for ideas. Maybe in the near future we’ll start adding transit hours of operation to weekends. We’ll continue to do our best and meet the transit needs of the public,” Gates said.

— Article submitted by Lee Ogle Transportation System

More info

Lee Ogle Transportation System 210 E. Progress Drive, Dixon 815- 288-2117 leeogletransportation.com