Northern Illinois Weekender - 010921

Weekender NORTHERN

ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021 • ShawLocal.com

MUSH!

Sled dogs return to Starved Rock / 3

PSYCHIC EXPERIENCE Joe Diamond to livestream shows / 4

INSIDE SCOOP

Adventure parks offer indoor family fun / 5

UNCORKED

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

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

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By JAMES NOKES

Longevity Wines genesis all about the love

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hil Long knew it could be one of the last walks he could take with his wife, Debra.

The couple switched careers to forge a path together in the wine industry, and founded Longevity Wines in Livermore Valley, California.

In 2016, Debra was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, and the brand they’d built together and their lives would be forever changed. She was there to celebrate when Longevity was named the Livermore Valley Winery of the Year in 2018. She saw that the rebranding of their label, a heart made of vines and grapes, was an homage to their relationship, in which Phil always gave Debra a glass heart on Valentine’s Day. But when Phil walked into a tattoo parlor with Debra to get art inspired by the Longevity label on his left arm, it was so Debra knew “she’d always be with him.” She passed away in 2019, but Longevity, one of just two dozen African American-owned wineries in the United States, has carried on and is now available nationally.

“When Debra and I started out, we weighed heavily on the customer experience,” said Long, who started as a recreational home winemaker in 2000 before opening a commercial winery in 2008. “That’s where we got a lot of family. We treated guests like family, not a customer. That benefited us as a winery with a tasting room, and led to a lot of our following. Now that I’m learning to scale what it’s like to distribute a million cases a year, it’s a whole new customer.”

When Phil studied architectural design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona students in agriculture were “the guys with the cowboy hats.” Little did he know they would one day become colleagues in the wine industry. As his professional career progressed, he was “embedded in wine country,” which led him to a new hobby.

As his winemaking passions grew, both Phil and Debra kept their corporate jobs, which offered guaranteed salaries and reduced the risk every winemaker feels when they take the career-change plunge.

“When we first started, we kept our jobs for years,” Long said. “Making wine stayed hobbyish for us, so it didn’t matter how much profit there was. If I needed equipment, I could afford it. My wife let go of the umbrella before I did. But to rely on wine for our career as income was scary.”

Photos provided

Phil Long is the founder of Longevity Wines in Livermore, California. make great wines with the resources he had available. At the turn of the 20th century, critical acclaim came to the region with a pair of gold medals at the 1889 Paris Exposition.

Yet, even as glory headed about 60 miles north to Napa Valley, and later considerably south to Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, Livermore quietly carried on in the shadows of its neighboring wine regions, and Long said that today there are between 50 and 60 wineries.

It is here that Long turned out a pair of affordable, everyday wines.

There’s Longevity Chardonnay 2018 ($15.99) and its tropical flavors, toasty almond and round mouthfeel. The Lon-

gevity Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ($15.99)

Being a winemaker in Livermore, an area Long said is a “cool, quaint valley” that was “Napa before there was a Napa,” has taught him how to

is an easy drinking wine with flavors of cherry, cedar, cinnamon stick and anise.

To transition from a regional winery to one widely available meant an increase in production – a task for which Long felt well-prepared.

“Going national the way the partnership is structured wasn’t scary, it was exciting,” Long said about pairing with Bronco Wine Co. “It was a way to get to a broader audience. This opportunity doesn’t just happen. It’s been really exciting, and Bronco has treated me like family.”

Whether it’s with customers or visitors to the tasting room, Long has focused on family with Longevity.

While Debra isn’t here to celebrate his latest achievements, her impact on Longevity remains.

“I want to keep her legacy and memory alive,” Long said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without her. It is terrible that she doesn’t benefit from the success. But our kids and grandkids will. I’ll finish what we started, so there’s something for them as well.”

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

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY

3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

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

Shaw Media file photos

The sled dog team will show off its prowess with or without snow.

Watch sled dogs in action at Starved Rock

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com Free Spirit Siberian Rescue will return to Starved Rock State Park on Jan. 17 for the first in a pair of free, socially distant, sled dog demonstrations.

The Harvard-based nonprofit aims to reduce the number of homeless Siberian huskies in Illinois and surrounding states. Since its founding in 1999, Free Spirit has adopted and found homes for more than 3,000 huskies and husky mixes.

In 2006, Free Spirit Siberian Rescue founded its first team of sled dogs. The nonprofit uses the specially trained dog sled team to not only introduce the public to the wonderful world of mushing, but also to promote the work being done at the rescue organization and to pair adoptable huskies with would-be families.

On Sundays, Jan. 17 and Feb. 28, the Free Spirit Sled Demo Team will return to Starved Rock State Park for a fun-filled day of informative outdoor lectures and practical demonstrations, sponsored by Starved Rock Lodge.

On both days, the lineup includes a brief outdoor informative lecture from head musher Jason Hussong

at 9:30 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Hussong will highlight the history of mushing, introduce the dogs, explain all the equipment involved, and answer any questions the audience might have during his half-hour seminar. Unlike prior years, there will be no indoor lecture this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. Face masks and gloves or mittens are required for the event if you want to pet the dogs.

The impressive display will take place in the northwest corner of the Starved Rock Visitor Center parking lot, allowing the dogs ample room to run and plenty of space to spectate.

Best of all, the event isn’t dependent on snow.

Huskies train during the snowless seasons by pulling specially made trikes that mimic sleds. Should there be insufficient snow accumulation, Free Spirit will bring the trikes to show off the impressive pulling power of the sled dog team.

Head to HuskyRescue.org to learn how you can help, volunteer and adopt.

For more information on the Sled Dog Demo Days, visit starvedrocklodge.com/activities. Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center is at 2688 E. 873rd Road, Oglesby.

A child meets a husky puppy at one of the sled dog demonstration events presented by Free Spirit Siberian Rescue.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

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Photo provided

Illusionist Joe Diamond livestreams interactive mind-reading shows Fridays through April.

Diamond to livestream mind-reading shows

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rankly, I need a thesaurus to describe Joe Diamond and his incredible shows. Diamond has been labeled a dream interpreter, mystic, mind reader, illusionist, magician – and he just continues to successfully reinvent himself.

His success and popularity are due to many things, not least of all his sincerity, sense of humor (“Diamond stands for rare and unique, Joe for average”), theatricality and skills. And on top of it all, he’s a very nice man.

Diamond’s home base is Studio 215 at Crystal Lake’s Dole Mansion, but with livestreaming, he’s been seen all over the world.

Before COVID, he was a regular at the Chicago Magic Lounge, Maxwell Mansion, Tristan Crist Magic Theatre, Red Oak, and who can forget those infamous blindfolded car drives around the Woodstock Square? Diamond was even contacted by the Pentagon after

REVIEWS Regina M. Belt-Daniels unlocking an iPhone password live on air on 95 WIIL Rock radio. (And Diamond has a great story to share about that in his show.)

With Diamond’s new show, “Para/ Psychology: An Interactive Psychic Experience,” you are sent an explanatory email with a list of things you’ll need for the virtual event – simple items including pen, sheet of paper, smart phone, pendulum (weight at the end of a cord), a paperback book, and a deck of cards with no jokers. And each performance is limited to 13 participants total.

If you sign in early (and I hope you do), you’ll be treated to bonus video footage and some tongue-in-cheek

IF YOU GO ■■ WHAT: Joe Diamond’s virtual “Para/

Psychology: An Interactive Psychic Experience” ■■ WHEN: 7 p.m. every Friday through April ■■ COST: $25 per household; recommended for ages 10 and older; limited to 13 participants per show ■■ INFORMATION: Joe@joediamondlive. com music (“I can read your mind – eye in the sky”). But then Diamond appears with some housekeeping tips and after nine months on Zoom, he’s got it all down to a T, which makes it easy for all participants no matter your Zoom expertise.

The show is a well-paced, professional, absorbing, totally engaging one

hour. There are roughly 11 illusions or experiences; some events Diamond picks a participant for, others the entire audience is involved with. I naturally have my favorites: the paperback book word mind read, anything with the playing cards, and, of course, the iPhone pin code mystery – but it’s all pretty amazing.

Although an in-person, live show/ live audience experience is missing, one of the advantages to the 13-participant screens is the ability to be up close and personal, and to see the immediate reactions of everyone from Wonder Lake to Louisville – and it’s mostly of incredulity. I’m under Diamond’s spell, and I predict you will be, too.

• Regina Belt-Daniels hopes 2021 brings a return to all the things she loves best: acting, directing, teaching, traveling with her husband, reviewing, and continued theater board work.

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Photo provided

Shake out your sillies at these 11 adventure parks

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By CHRIS WALKER For Shaw Media

on’t let winter days leave you frozen at home. Look into these indoor (or heated) options – they’re sure to bring smiles to everyone in the family. Check for the latest status in light of changing pandemic regulations.

ENCHANTED CASTLE 1103 S. Main St., Lombard 630-953-7860 www.enchanted.com Specializing in family fun, birthday parties, group celebrations and events for all occasions and ages, Enchanted Castle offers laser tag, indoor go-karts, bumper cars, the Catapult ride, laser maze, mini bowling, mini golf and a game room with over 200 sports, video and redemption games.

EPIC AIR TRAMPOLINE PARK 1675 N. Lancaster Road, South Elgin 847-608-0600 www.epicairpark.com Who could’ve imagined that simply putting down your phone, disconnecting and getting off the couch and on your way to South Elgin would be epic? This 30,000-squarefoot trampoline park will have you and your kids jumping down trampoline tracks, leaping majestically into a pool of foam cubes, nailing your pals with dodge balls, or posterizing your buds like MJ. Jump up and jump around here. Oh, and there’s great food and drinks when you’re jumped out.

FUNWAY 1335 S. River St., Batavia 630-879-8717 www.funway.com

MIND TRAP ESCAPE ROOMS 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery 630-216-9609 www.mindtrapescaperooms.com

The Windmill City is also home to Illinois’ largest family entertainment center, which features an arcade with video games, Skee-Ball, pinball machines and more; laser tag; bumper cars; bowling; and roller skating. Bring the whole family, the Scout group, office coworkers, kids sports team or neighborhood friends, and make it a night out for group fun.

The clock will be ticking throughout the winter for those who challenge their group to work together to try to escape Storm Surge, Locked-up Supermax, The Collector, Doctor Death or Pharaoh’s Chamber. These five, real-life, escape games are based on the popular computer and mobile phone escape game. Most games are for two to 10 players, and you have just an hour to escape.

HAUNTED TRAILS FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 1423 N. Broadway St., Joliet 815-722-7800 www.hauntedtrailsjoliet.com

PARAMOUNT SKATING ARENA 1511 Chestnut St., Ottawa 815-433-9463 www.paramountskatingarena.com

Want to hear some great news?

The Monster’s Tomb Game Room is open all year long. While some of the themed attractions sort of hibernate during the winter, guests will have no problem exploring the many options in the game room. Outdoor attractions and the Golfside Mini-Arcade will resume operations in April.

IFLY 1752 Freedom Drive, Naperville 779-456-4359 www.iflyworld.com/chicago-naperville If you feel the need, the need for speed, iFLY offers an experience of the freedom and thrill of flying in its indoor skydiving facilities. Its state of-the-art wind tunnels are open to kids as young as 3 and folks who are as young as 103. The family that flies together shares time together.

Celebrating 40 years in 2021, this skating rink and roller derby arena serve the Ottawa, Morris, Seneca and neighboring areas with skating, roller derby, youth hockey, fundraisers and more. It also features a concession stand with burgers, hot dogs, pizza and other good stuff.

PLUM HOLLOW FAMILY CENTER 1933 Illinois 26, Dixon 815-271-4101 www.bowldixon.com

There are fun activities to do for the entire family here with regular and cosmic bowling, mini golf, laser tag, sand volleyball, an arcade, party rooms and other attractions.

SPLINTERS AXE THROWING 1519 E. Main St., Unit 1100, St. Charles 630-231-2955 www.splintershangout.com

Looking to do that something you haven’t done before for your next family fun night, date, birthday party, corporate team-building event or bachelor/bachelorette party? Nothing will beat the fun and adrenaline you get by throwing axes in this thrilling target sport. This is big kid fun for ages 14 and older only.

TOP GOLF 3211 Odyssey Court, Naperville 630-596-1000 www.topgolf.com/us/naperville Regardless if you swing it like Tiger Woods, Happy Gilmore or Al Czervik, you’ll find pleasure playing this unusual take on golf with family and friends. And the cool thing is you get to do it outdoors – but in the comfort of climate-controlled bays – while indulging in delicious food and drinks that are brought to you while you play. Grip and rip? Fore sure!

URBAN AIR ADVENTURE PARK 1955 Glacier Park Ave., Naperville 2732 E. Main St., St. Charles 140 E. Lake St., Bloomingdale 220 Exchange Drive, Unit F, Crystal Lake www.urbanairtrampolinepark.com The self-coined “ultimate indoor adventure park” has four locations in the suburbs and about 175 nationwide, so folks are flocking toward its trampolines and added activities.

While attractions vary by park, thrill seekers of all ages are in for a one-ofa-kind experience with trampolines, dodge-ball courts, obstacle courses, bumper cars, climbing walls, go-karts, indoor skydiving, bowling, foam pit, laser tag and arcade.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

INDOOR FUN

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

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6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND

Morgan Wallen, tiger cubs, ‘Herself’ on tap

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Here’s a collection of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

Vanessa Kirby, whom many came to admire for her outstanding portrayal of Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of “The Crown,” gives another stellar (but very different) performance in “Pieces of a Woman.”

In the film on Netflix, Kirby plays a woman grappling with the loss of her first child during a home birth. It’s the English-language debut of Hungarian film director Kornél Mundruczó. Shia LaBeouf co-stars as her partner, and Ellen Burstyn gets a meaty supporting role as her mother.

Pete Davidson may surprise you with his nuanced turn in Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island,” in which the “Saturday Night Live” star plays a man still reeling from the loss of his firefighter father on 9/11, and drifting through his 20s without much of a plan. It’s loosely based on Davidson’s own life and childhood loss, and the comedian gets a co-writing credit,

too. The film has been available to rent and watch at home since June, but if you had been holding out for streaming, good news: It will finally be free starting Saturday for HBO Max subscribers.

A woman (Clare Dunne) with two young daughters must escape from an abusive living situation in the Irish drama “Herself.” Teetering on poverty and unable to secure appropriate housing from the local council, Sandra endeavors to build herself and her girls a home fit for a family with the help of the community. The film, from “Mamma Mia!” and “The Iron Lady” director Phyllida Lloyd, received great reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival and is on Amazon Prime Video.

– Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

Music

In just a few short years, Morgan Wallen has dominated the country mu-

sic charts and even crossed over into the pop world, launching six Top 40 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. It adds to the anticipation of his sophomore album, “Dangerous: The Double Album,” released Friday. It’s the followup to the platinum-selling “If I Know Me” and includes 30 tracks,

including the hits “7 Summers” and “More Than My Hometown.”

On what would have been his son’s 39th birthday, Steve Earle is releasing a new album in tribute to Justin Townes Earle, who died in August. Steve Earle & The Dukes cover 10 songs from Justin’s catalog on “J.T.” The album was released Monday, and 100% of the artist advances and royalties will be donated to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, the 3-year-old daughter of Justin and Jenn Earle.

– Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

Television

Here’s a rerun worth revisiting:

“Underground,” which ran for two

seasons on WGN and is being reintroduced on OWN with new material.

Aldis Hodge and Jurnee Smollett star in the drama of African Americans seeking to escape slavery along the Underground Railroad – a 19th-century network of secret “safe houses.”

The series will include introductions by cast members and previously unseen footage.

“PBS American Portrait,” a four-part docuseries that debuted Tuesday (check local listings for time), has

an ambitious goal: Discover what it means to be an American today and help foster ways of better understanding each other. Drawing on 11,000-plus stories submitted online by people nationwide, the series offers what PBS calls “a chorus of voices sharing both common and unique experiences.”

The hour-long episodes are divided thematically, starting with how we pursue the American Dream, followed by the value and challenges of work; traditions and values; and efforts to create a society that rejects racism.

Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller’s series on black markets turns to the smuggling of tigers – and tiger parts – in the episode that aired Wednesday on National Geographic channel. Van Zeller’s risky investigations into “underground economies,” including drug, gun and animal smuggling, brought her into contact with criminals, those tracking them and locals caught in the middle. The goal of “Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller” is to provide a comprehensive view of trafficking networks and the people who are pulled into the criminal enterprises, the channel said.

– Television Writer Lynn Elber

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By PAM OTTO

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

Keep a lookout for returning snowy owls

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ot only do I remember where I saw my first white owl, I also remember when. I was 4 years old, poking around my grandparents’ basement on a fine winter’s afternoon, when I spotted it on a shelf next to the coal bin. Both wise and droll, it stared out at me from the inside lid of a propped-open cigar box as it presided over grandpa’s collection of hardware odds and ends.

I was more than a little surprised to see it there, since all the other boxes were Dutch Masters and Muriel – brands I felt I knew. (Let’s just say, even at that tender age, I’d had more than a few puffs on my uncles’ cigars. But that’s another story for another time.) Suffice it to say, that White Owl really threw me for a loop.

Little did I know that a scant 50-some years later, I’d again be loopy over a white owl. But this one’s not on a box. It’s Bubo scandiacus, the snowy owl.

Besides cigar boxes and Harry Potter movies, snowy owls most reliably can be found up north. And by north I’m not talking the Northwoods of Wisconsin or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or even Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. No sirree. These are birds of the extreme north, as in the Arctic Circle. Their summer breeding grounds are in the treeless tundra, where the availability of their No. 1 prey animal – lemmings – determines whether the owls reproduce in high numbers, low numbers or not at all.

I know what you’re thinking. Northern Illinois might be up north to residents of, say, St. Louis, but even on its coldest days, our area is nowhere near being tundra. Why is it then that I’m so hopped up about snowy owls?

Well, it turns out that even though they are animals of the Arctic, snowies do make fairly regular appearances in our area once the cooler weather sets in. The first reports usually start rolling in around Thanksgiving and continue throughout the winter months. This season, we’ve had sightings along the Chicago lakeshore, most notably at Waukegan Harbor and the South Shore area, but also in Will, DeKalb and Lee counties.

From time to time, major influxes called irruptions occur on a schedule of sorts that repeats about every four years – a timetable that seems to follow the boom-and-bust nature of Arctic lemming populations. When lemming numbers boom, so to speak, every three or four years, the animals that feed on them see a similar uptick and many snowies – typically young of the year – hit the skies for points south.

The winters of 2013-14 and 2017-18 were big years for snowies in our area, and, if my math is correct, next winter we’ll be due for another flurry of snowies. But if you don’t want to wait until then – I know I don’t – here are a few tips for increasing your chances of spotting one this winter.

First and foremost, try to think like a snowy. As an Arctic animal, you’re going to seek out places that seem familiar to you. We’ve already established that Illinois isn’t tundra country, but it does offer miles and miles of flat, tundra-like expanses of farmland.

As we continue this line of thought, what is it that you, er, snowies, like to eat? Oh yeah – lemmings. Illinois’ lemming population is pretty much

Morguefile

It’s snowy owl season once again. Look for this regal visitor from the north in farm country, atop fence posts and utility poles. zero, but you know what we have a lot of? Voles.

Round, chunky and chock-full of nutrients, voles are close cousins to lemmings and make for a filling winter repast.

So heading out to farm country, where fallen grain and therefore voles are plentiful, is a great way to start your snowy search. Most of us, I’d wager, live within an hour’s drive of this sort of habitat.

We also know that variety is the spice of life, and our substitute tundra here in Illinois offers a couple of nice amenities snowies might not have in the Arctic but do make good use of here: utility poles and fence posts. Both offer the owls the advantage of elevation, where they can survey the surrounding area both for prey as well as potential threats – namely other raptors also seeking prey.

The takeaway here: As you drive those country back roads, surveying the snow-covered fields, be sure and look up on those poles whizzing past.

We probably also should make note of exactly what it is you’re looking for. If your only reference is a cigar box, you could very well miss out. The bird on the White Owl label is a male snowy and, as such, is almost pure white. But female and immature birds actually have a good deal of dark barring across the breast, back and wings. Contrary to what you might think, these dark markings actually help the bird blend in against a background that might include not only snow but also soil and shadows.

In fact, it’s young birds that we most often see in

this area, which makes this last point all the more important. Even though seeing a snowy owl might be the most important thing on your New Year’s ToDo List, please, please, please be respectful of these birds. Many of them are inexperienced and stressed; the last thing they need is a raucous human pointing out their presence.

Should you spot one, don’t make any sudden moves or loud noises. Take a picture if you’d like, but use your biggest telephoto lens or maximum zoom so you can keep your distance. Any time these birds have to take flight, they will be burning hardearned calories that most can’t afford to lose.

One other thing you can do, as a help to fellow birders and researchers alike, is to report your sighting. The website www.ebird.org, maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, welcomes reports from across the country. On a local level, you can let me know via phone or email. I’ll add your information to the informal database we maintain here at Good Natured World Headquarters, and maybe even celebrate with a cigar.

Here’s hoping at least some of us find a snowy owl in this new year. Good luck, good birding, and happy 2021!

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-5134346 or potto@stcparks.org.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

GOOD NATURED

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 9, 2021

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WOODHAVEN LAKES Private Recreational Campground

So Much to See. So Much to Do.

Hiking Trails. Woodlands. Nature. Lakes. WiFi. Pools. Crafts. Movies. Fitness Center. Prairie. Deer. Pavilions. Arcade. Mini Golf.

Day Camp. Tennis. Basketball. Live Music. Theme Activities. Fireworks. Painting Parties. Open Markets. Social Events. Volleyball.

Shuffleboard. Teen Dances. Car Show. Paddleboats. Sledding. Farmers Markets. Night Hikes. Campfires. Fishing. Tournaments.

Pickleball. Acoustic Nights. Wine & Cheese Social. Road Rally. Golf Outing. 5K/3K. Haunted House. Canoing. Anything That Floats.

Horseshoes. Petting Zoo. Wagon Rides. Aqua Zumba. Playgrounds. Karaoke. Family Fun Night. Coffee Hour. Clubs. DJs. Scavenger Hunts. Kayaking. Tug of War. Food Fairs. Picnics.

Sublette IL | 815-849-5209

www.woodhavenassociation.com

Call us for a tour!