Sauk Valley Sun

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Sauk Valley Sun

Petunia Festival Parade photos

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

see page 13

August 2013 | Vol. 1 Issue 5

Bridge the Community 10K/5K Run to be held September 14th

INSIDE

Sterling Schools have a Mentor Program Jerry, together with Janet Freed, The Parent Assets Coordinator, Ken Burns, The Whiteside County Supervisor of Adult Probation, and the leadership in the individual Sterling Schools developed the Sterling Public Schools Mentor Project. see page 19

Outdoor Adventure Fest offers free family fun Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013, the Sterling-Rock falls Family YMCA will be hosting the third annual Outdoor Adventure Fest. see page 25

Courtesy photo

Rock Falls Mayor Bill Wescott (left) and Sterling Mayor Skip Lee on one of the bridges that connect their cities. On September 14 the mayors will join with citizens of both communities to cheer and encourage participants in the 1st Annual Bridge the See page 7 Community 10K-5K Walk-Run.

Illinois Renewable Energy Fair The Illinois Renewable Energy & Sustainable Lifestyle Fair is Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18, in Oregon at the Ogle County Fairgrounds see page 29

Local

Dining

Local

Business

Local

Entertainment

Sauk Valley farming Bartelt family style

Galena Steakhouse-great for steaks, burgers and much more

Illinois Patriot Guard Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall

Dixon girl sells bracelets on Facebook to fund camp expenses

Paint the Town/Harvest Hammer on September 21 in Morrison

Dixon Main Street presents JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound

see page 6

see page 16

(815) 288-3366

see page 9

see page 27

ONE PRICE ONE PLAN ONE GOAL

www.dixonflm.com

see page 4

see page 25

Our best price upfront and displayed on every vehicle every day.

To sell all vehicles without having the pressure of negotiating a price.

To provide a hassle-free vehicle buying experience.

489 Il. Route 2, Dixon, IL

2

Local Tri-City Area Entertainment Calendar

By Jill Horn Weekly Events and Monthly Events Rock Falls Cooler Bar – 331 W 2nd St has open jam from 7 pm – 10 pm every Sun..

There is an 8-ball tournament every Mon. night beginning at 7 pm. Sign up upon arrival.

Every Thurs. night there is a live acoustic show beginning at 8 pm.

Twin City Cruizers and Culver’s Cruise Night, 1901 Harley-Davidson. Drive every second Tues. All vehicles welcome.

Sterling Fourth Fridays, downtown Sterling, IL Sterling Municipal Band performs for free every Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm with the concert season ending Aug. 14th. Concessions available. Grandon Civic Center.

Sterling movies in the park are every Thursday night with the last movie shown Aug. 22. The free movies begin at dusk and concessions are available.

North End Bar – 210 W Miller Street 815-626-2979. Open Mic Night, most Thursdays beginning at 10 pm – 1 pm Dixon Second Saturdays, Downtown Dixon Musical Fridays, noon – 1pm every Fri. through Sept. 27, Dixon Riverfront Franklin Grove – Lincoln Highway Buidling, 136 N Elm Street – 815-456-3030 Third Friday. – open stage for acoustic music from 7 pm – close Other Events - August Fri., Aug. 2 – Blue and Evil –9 pm – close- Champs Sports Bar, 216 Locust Street, Sterling, 815-626-6003 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 3 - Matthew Kinnaman & Peter Buyno–7 pm – 9 pm - Gingko Tree Café, 216 W 1st Street –815-677-9144 Sat., Aug. 3 – Eileen Quest - 7 pm – 9 pm – Books on First, 202 W 1st Street, Dixon 815-285 2665 Sat., Aug. 3 – Snapshot – Coolers Bar – 9 pm - close Sat., Aug. 3 – Pie Filler – Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 3 – “Music in Motion”, 5K Run/Walk; Sterling. 8 am start. Benefit to Sterling Public Schools Orchestra program. Info: www.musicinmotion5k.org Thurs., Aug. 8 – 29th Annual Steak Fry in the Country, 6 pm Sandrock Farms, Rock Falls, Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce Wed., Aug 7., Lowell Harp – Dixon Riverfront – 6 pm – 8 pm Fri., Aug. 9 – Kizmaz - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Fri., Aug. 9 – Gala in the Park, 6-9 pm, Reagan Memorial Park tickets and info: www. reaganhome.org

Aug. 9 – 10 - Simon Says Uncle – Coolers – 9 pm - close Aug. 9 – 10 - “Pippin” at Historic Dixon Theatre. Info www.vivadixonarts.org Sat., Aug. 10 – Lovell Harp – Books on First – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 10 – B Kelly – Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 10 – Kris Hitchcock, Champs Sports Bar – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 10 – C-D 8-ball tournament with $200 added at The Corner Spot, 510 Chicago Avenue, Dixon 815-677-9095 Sat., Aug. 10 – 24th Annual Polo Car, Truck and Tractor Show and Swap Meet, 8-4 pm.

For info (cars/trucks): 815-718-2590; Tractors 815-493-2948. Polo.

Wed., Aug. 14 – Final Summer Concert, Sterling Municipal Symphony Band. Info:www. sterlingmuniciplaband.com Fri., Aug. 16 – Noyz Boyz – Coolers – 9 pm - close Aug. 16-17 – Cal Stage Band - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 17 - Pie Filler – Coolers - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 17 – Eileen Quest - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 17 – Jim Ruch – Books on First - 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 17 – Gardenstock Arts and Music Festival, Distinctive Gardens, 2020 Lowell Park Road, Dixon, IL 815-265-0014 from 11 am – 11 am Fri., Aug. 23 – Rout 38 – Coolers – 9 pm - close Fri., Aug. 23 – The Funnies - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 24 – Pablo & the Rhymics – Coolers – 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 24 – Matthew Smith & Drew Dawson - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 24 – Drew Dawson – Books on First - 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 24th, - Charlie Gall - Beans Coffeehouse and Music Café, 121 E. 3rd Street, Sterling, Illinois 815-590-2752 - 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 24 – Progaganda - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Fri., Aug. 30 – Fifth Fri. – Lincoln Highway Building, Franklin Grove. Advance tickets sold for $10 for 2 shows beginning at 7 pm and 9 pm.

Fri., Aug. 30 – Killbourn - – Coolers – 9 pm - close Fri., Aug. 30 – Righeous Hillbillies - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 31 – preseason 8-ball tournament with $350 added at The Corner Spot Sat., Aug. 31 – Annette Grover - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Aug. 31 – Knuckle Deep - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Aug. 31 – Audiodrive – Coolers – 9 pm - close September Sun., Sept. 1 – Scarletta - Champs Sports Bar - 7 pm – close Fri., Sept. 6 – The Fast Clydes – Coolers – 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 7 – The Wine Festival sponsored by the Crystal Cork will be at Distinctive Gardens – 6pm – close - featuring Olivia Dvorak Sat., Sept. 7 – Jay Von – Books on First – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 7 - Pete Ayling - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 7 – Noyz Boyz - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 7 – Pie Filler – The Corner Spot - 9 pm – 1am Sun., Sept. 8 – Grand Detour Arts Festival 9 am – 4 pm Fri., Sept. 13 – The Next Picture Show, 113 W 1st Street, Dixon, IL 815-285-4924 opening night for Farms and Barns Exhibit. Deadline to submit artwork Aug. 13. Opening night begins with live music.

Fri., Sept. 13 – Cal Stage Band – The Corner Spot - 9 pm – 1am Fri., Sept. 13 – The Dirt Road Rockers – Coolers – 9 pm - close Sat., Sept. 14 – Lojo – Books on First - 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 14 – Wade Buzzard - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 14 – Simon Says Uncle - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 14 – Justin Morrissey – Coolers – 9 pm - close Sept. 14 – 15 – Ride the mechanical bull at The Corner Spot. Open to adults on Sat. and to kids and adults on Sun.. Call for times the bull with be there.

Wed., Sept. 18 – Rock River Valley Barbershop Chorus concert – Centennial Auditorium, 1608 4th Avenue, Sterling at 6:30 pm Sept. 20 – 21 – The Funnies - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Fri., Sept. 20 – The Hitmen – Coolers – 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 21 – Killbourn – Coolers – 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 21- Marty Huntley - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 21 – Dean Morena – Books on First - 7 pm – 9 pm Fri., Sept. 27 – Kindred Kama – Coolers – 9 pm - close Fri., Sept. 27 – Cal Stage Band – 8:30 pm & Chris Cavanaugh 10 pm Champs Sports Bar Sat., Sept. 28 – Cal Stage Band - Champs Sports Bar - 9 pm – close Sat., Sept. 28 – HairDaze – Coolers – 9 pm - close Sat., Sept. 28 – Rowen Derksen – Books on First - 7 pm – 9 pm Sat., Sept. 28 – John McLaughlin - Gingko Tree Café – 7 pm – 9 pm

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Gardenstock Art & Music Festival celebrates original area’s creative culture DIXON IL – They’re rolling in from near and far.

Artists and musicians will convene on August 17; as the fifth annual Gardenstock gears up for another actionpacked day of peace, love and flowers to celebrate unique creative talents and benefit the Sinnissippi Center’s Youth Garden Program.

Featuring special guest Noah Gabriel of Noah's Arcade, a mainstay in the Chicago suburban music scene, Gardenstock '13 will showcase a variety of local, musical performers, bands including, The Acoustic Knuckle Ride, Dirt Simple, The Dirty Beet Brothers, Kris Donaldson and Route 88, Gardenstock's youngest band from last year's festival. With nine bands in all, the musical festival will last from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

In addition to the local, musical talent that will perform, the festival will also feature almost three dozen regional artists, exhibiting a variety of unusual art and fine crafts. It will be packed with veteran Gardenstockers, including Sinnissippi Center Garden Program kids and their handmade, tiedye t-shirts, local jewelers, Kimberly Clark, Heather Houzenga and more. From painters, artisans and ceramists to mixed-media artists and sculptors, the art festival will provide a multitude of great art from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Food vendors will also be present at the festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., allowing you to dine on an assortment of goods while listening to great music and seeing spectacular art and crafts. Enjoy Italian food, barbeques, Mexican and desserts in the festive, family-fun event.

The festival is picnic style, so bring your own cooler, chair and blanket for your comfort. A minimum of $5 for donation is required for

Noah Gabriel of Noah’s Arcade

entry.

Housed at Distinctive Gardens garden center, home to Distinctive Gardens, which serves the northern Illinois region from Chicago suburbs to the Quad Cites and promotes a thriving small-town arts and culture scene, the festival benefits the Sinnissippi Center's Youth Garden Center, which provides valuable hands-on gardening experiences for at risk youth involved with Sinnissippi and is a great tool to open lines of communication. The Gar-

dening Program serves as an add-on to regular services and utilizes both consumers and individuals from the community to raise produce from a vegetable garden that in turn is donated to the Dixon Food Pantry.

For more information, please visit: Website: www. diggersdelight.com/index. php/community/festivals/ gardenstock; Facebook: w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / Gardenstock; or You Tube Gardenstock Preview video: youtu.be/FkCM0LcaSeg

BAND LINE UP 11:00 - 12:00 Nate Gordon 12:15 - 1:15 The Acoustic Knuckle Ride 1:30 - 2:30 Dirt Simple 2:45 - 3:45 The Dirty Beet Brothers 4:00 - 5:00 Kris Donaldson 5:15 - 6:15 Route 88 6:30 - 7:45 Wrong Element 8:00 - 9:30 Noah’s Arcade 9:45 - 11:00 Robbie LeBlanc & the Real Live Show

Local Downtown Happenings with Sterling Main Street Janna Groharing Executive Director, Sterling Main Street As summer winds down and thoughts turn to getting the kids back to school, things are still hopping on Sterling Main Street and throughout the downtown district. Susan Boyd, who has been serving Sterling Main Street as its executive director for the past two years is stepping down, as a job transfer takes her and her family back to the Louisville, Ky. area. While I am sad to see my friend Susan leave, I am excited about things to come as I step into the executive director position. Susan has done a wonderful job for Main Street and left me some mighty big shoes to fill, but I look forward to the opportunity to be able to continue to grow the good seeds she has planted as Sterling’s downtown continues to thrive.

Hot Dog Day! – August 2 Friday, August 2, is the Downtown Merchants annual Hot Dog Day and Sidewalk Sales. For just a quarter each, grab a hot dog and a soda from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and enjoy sidewalk

sales at many of our downtown merchants.

Shop Small Saturday – August 3 Saturday, August 3, marks another Shop Small Saturday brought to us by the folks at Sauk Valley Shop Small. Visit www.saukvalleyshopsmall.com or the organization’s Facebook page for details. Get out those blue buttons for this fun-filled day of “cultural shopping,” showcasing many of the community’s independent merchants.

Fiesta Days! – September 7-15 Fiesta Days return to the Sauk Valley this September.

The Second Annual Taste of Fiesta will be held on Saturday, September 7, at the Grandon Civic Center at Central Park in the heart of Sterling. Festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with a resource fair. Vendors and area organizations will be set up throughout the park. Music begins at 1 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. This free event is sure to be a great day for the entire family! The Fiesta Parade returns to cross the First Avenue Bridge on Saturday, September 14. The parade steps off in

Rock Falls at noon and will end on the Sterling side. For additional information on becoming a vendor at the Taste of Fiesta or having an entry in the parade, you may contact the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce at 815-625-2400 or visit its Facebook page.

Bridge the Community 10K/5K Run – September 14 Sterling Main Street is proud to partner with the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls, along with the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce, Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sterling Development Corporation and Rock Falls Community Development Corporation to bring you Bridge the Community on Saturday, September 14.

Bridge the Community is a 10K and 5K run/walk event, along with a Bridge Dash for the kids. The race will benefit riverfront development projects on both sides of the bridge. More information on this event may be found at www.BridgeTheCommunity.webs.com.

Follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date on these Sterling Main Street activities and more.

Don’s Seafood & Chicken Phone: 815-622-0258 1501 W. 4th St., Sterling

Hours: Mon-Thurs 10:30am - 8pm Friday 10:30am - 9pm • Saturday 2pm - 9pm • Closed Sunday

More Cluck ...

... For Your Buck!

Come & Get It Coupon Buy 1st Dinner or Lunch Get 2nd of Equal or Lesser Value

1/2 OFF!

Exp. Sept. 7, 2013. Please present coupon at time of order.

Dine in or carry out only. Don’s Seafood & Chicken

4

Local

Paint the Town/Harvest Hammer on September 21 in Morrison

By Jill Horn The 19th annual Paint the Town, a much beloved town tradition, returns to Morrison on Sept. 21, and many people are thrilled.

Morrison resident, Joel Horn, loves Paint the Town, “It’s my favorite day of the year.” His children have participated every year they’ve lived in Morrison, and the event has never been rained out, but if you think this event is just for kids, you’d

be wrong.

People of all ages come and paint a 5’ X 5’ square on and around Main Street, from Madison to Orange Street. There is also live music, a food court and a bags tournament. Painting begins around noon and lasts until evening.

The streets are blocked off early in the morning when volunteers paint the boundaries for the squares before it’s even light out.

Every year, they seem to

add more squares. People who grew up in Morrison and have since moved away come back and bring their kids to paint squares. The streets remain blocked off on Sunday. People can walk through the streets and see all the artwork.

It’s best to register groups at the same time before the event so the group can be in the same area. To register online, one must purchase squares by 4 p.m.

Thursday, September 13.

Alison Pinion of Sterling

The cost of one square is $13 in person or $14 online. Registration is $18 to register on the day of the event. For more information about the event, visit www. paintthetownmorrison.com.

The Harvest Hammer in Morrison is the same day as Paint the Town. This year will be the 26th year Morrison has had the race.

There are several events that morning, starting with 1/2 Mile Fun Run and 1/3 Mile Wee Run (reserved for children in 5th grade and under) and then the 1 Mile Challenge Run (especially for 5th through 8th graders) are before the main event.

The Decathlon – 5k run/21mile bike ride for individuals or teams and the 5k Run/ Walk begin at the same time.

Medals are awarded to first, second and third places.

Karmie Rapp of Sterling with her bike as she gets ready for the Harvest Hammer.

This event is for the whole family. I saw three generations participating last year in the same event. The grandson and his grandfather were a team in the decathlon, and the father was in the 5K. There were also whole families who participated in all the events that day. It is for people

who are competitive and for people who are just having fun. In the decathlon, there are professionals, such as Bryce Mead, and others who have no fancy equipment, just a mountain bike, who also enjoy the events that day. For more information and to register, visit www. harvesthammer.org.

Car wash to help Home of Hope August 10 The area schools’ B.L.I.N.D. programs, along with Harkness Auto Group, will be helping out with a Home of Hope event “Creating Hope with every Car Wash” on Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be three locations for the event: Harkness Cheverolet on the corner of Lynn Blvd and Locust St Sterling, former Bollman Motors in Rock Falls on Rt. 30 and Harkness Auto in Morrison on Rt. 30.

All Donations will benefit Home of Hope Cancer Wellness Center, supporting those touched by cancer.

Please come and support this local organization!

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Saturday, September 14, 2013 8:30 a.m. - Kids’ Bridge Dash 9:00 a.m. - 5K and 10K start time

Pre-registration required for all races 10K - $30 5K - $20 Kids’ Bridge Dash - Free Awards:  Top Male & Female 10K  Top Male & Female 5K  Overall Masters Male and Female  (Masters 40 & over) 

Online Registration until September 9th at www.BridgeTheCommunity.webs.com



Downloadable registration forms at www.BridgeTheCommunity.webs.com



Pick up registration forms at Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce, Rock Falls Community Development Corporation and Jack Spencer State Farm



Race Day Sign-Up 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Proudly Brought to you through the Partnership of:

       

Run begins and ends at the RB&W District on the Rock Falls Riverfront Run takes you over the bridge into Sterling and over the Pedestrian Walking Bridge back into Rock Falls Run will be held rain or shine Stick around after the race and enjoy the Fiesta Day Parade and activities throughout the Twin Cities Timing and Finish will be managed by Rock River Road Runners Water Stations Traffic Control Please no strollers or pets

Need help to prepare for the run?

Ready2Run Discover the runner in you.

Aug 6th-Sept 10th Tuesdays 5:30-7 at the YMCA Register in advance at 2505 YMCA Way in Sterling to secure your place in class or call the Y at 815.535.9622 for more information.

Registration for this class, includes your race registration fees.

For more information and online registration visit us on Facebook or at www.BridgeTheCommunity.webs.com

6

Local

Sauk Valley farming Bartelt family style

By Dr. Don Lewis Special to the Sauk Valley Sun Shirley Bartelt is no typical farmer’s wife. She is just as much a farmer as her husband Duane Bartelt, and together, they have farmed in rural Polo since the 1980s. They call their farm a little bit of paradise, but paradise takes a good bit of hard work, a lot of “horse sense” and requires being tech savvy.

Duane always wanted to

be a farmer and began in 1973. He worked with his family in Batavia, until the family farm was bought out for FermiLab in 1969, causing them to move west to the current area.

Shirley, on the other hand, was a local farm girl, but left that life for college, where she learned to practice accounting in a variety of locations as far away as Florida.

By 1981, she discovered that she didn’t like always being indoors, so she moved back

to the area, got her own place and farmed with her parents.

Duane and Shirley met at a farm sale, and the adventure really began. In time they purchased her family’s land, as well as land from his parents, and a few additional parcels. Now they farm 720 acres of corn and beans.

Only a small additional amount yields hay, which is harvested and used by a neighbor.

They no longer have any

Hot Dog y, Frida st 2 Augu Cooking from 11am-2pm at:

Day

Hosted by Sterling Merchants

Sidewalk Sales at these participating locations:

Air Play Sports 115 East 3rd St. Grummert’s Hardware 424 Locust St. Golden Key 702 West 4th St. Main Street Wine Cellar 1 East 3rd St. Showplace Antiques 307 1st Ave.

& Espresso

Building Futures... Realizing Dreams

BUY YOUR HOME GROW YOUR BUSINESS ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS 2403 N. Locust Sterling, IL (815) 625-1860

1609 1st Ave. Rock Falls, IL (815) 626-5626

livestock, as small-scale operations for cattle and hogs are no longer profitable for them since EPA regulations are onerous and animals mean chores at least twice daily.

Without livestock, the expensive and time-consuming problem of fence erection and maintenance, a two-person job, can be mostly avoided. However, eliminating livestock means that the couple lacks diversification, which can make a bad crop especially disastrous.

This is where crop insurance comes in. Costing more than a couple thousand dollars, this is necessary precaution, and the farming couple have carried it since right after the drought of 1988. But taxes increase yearly, as land which sold for $3,000/acre not so very long ago is now valued at three to four times that much. Since they began farming, they have seen yields increase dramatically, with corn yields growing from about 100 bushels per acre in the 1960s to over 200 nowadays.

There is a pressing need to be accurate with the application of fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers. The advent of GPS technology has aided them here, whereby, with their state-of-the-art John Deere tractors, they can monitor their soil and put what they want exactly where they want it in precise amounts. Now they have new tractors with heat and air conditioning, a far cry from their earliest ones.

However, despite better technology and larger crops, challenges continue to make farming a hard industry.

This year the Bartelts ended up planting 10-12 days late, due to the heavy rains that finished in mid-May. The crops look healthy now and will continue to thrive as long as timely rains continue. However, it is never a sure thing. Prayers continue.

They are faithful people.

Increasing regulations can also make things more difficult for the family, since they must now report all planting and pesticide application data, deal with the local Farm Service Agency and cooperate with the National Resource Conservation Service. Shirley says that the physical labor may have decreased over time, but the mental effort seems to grow yearly. Fortunately, they keep superb computerized records going back a generation on many of these fields. With some fields, they can even look back to data to 1882. Looking at satellite images of their farm and detailed information of rainfall, water flow

Lassie-like Heather, a blondish dog, seems to be a constant companion for Shirley and Duane Bartelt on their modern farm.

A pastoral view of some of the Bartelts' 720 acre farm.

The farming couple met at a farm sale.

Front and center and ready to go, Duane is in "his" tractor on the Bartelt farm near Polo.

Ann Lewis photos

The seemingly huge tractor is "just the right size" for Shirley Bartelt. The couple have "his" and "her" tractors as they farm 720 acres near Polo.

and yields are impressive.

They are on top of it all, but it does take a great deal of effort to be sure.

Asked about what the future is for family farms, Shirley and Duane say that family farms with multiple generations working together, with pooled acreage and pooled equipment resources are likely to be around for a long time. Single generation farms with under 100 acres

are likely to increasingly struggle. For them, the future is bright, but they work hard every day to keep it that way. They like the rugged independence required of farming, not that they lack for good friends and support. The two just enjoy working outside, working with machinery, being selfemployed, and, of course, doing it together in their little bit of paradise.

7

Local

Bridge the Community 10K/5K Run to be held September 14th

Rock Falls Mayor Bill Wescott (right) and Sterling Mayor Skip Lee on one of the bridges that connect their cities. On September 14 the mayors will join with citizens of both communities to cheer and encourage participants in the 1st Annual Bridge the Courtesy photo Community 10K-5K Walk-Run.

Janna Groharing, Sterling Main Street Bridge the Community Committee The cities of Sterling and Rock Falls, along with the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce, Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sterling Development Corporation, Rock Falls Community Development Corporation and Sterling Main Street are all teaming up to bring you Bridge the Community on Saturday, September 14th.

Bridge the Community is a 10K and 5K run/walk event, along with a Bridge Dash for the kids. The festivities kick off with the Bridge Dash at 8:30 a.m.

and a 9 a.m. start time for the 5 and 10K runs.

It’s not just a running event; it’s a community event, and proceeds from the September run will be used to fund riverfront development projects for both Rock Falls and Sterling.

The course begins along the Rock Falls Riverfront in the River Bike and Walk District and will take you across the bridge, through Sterling, to the Dillon Home and back across the Rock River via the pedestrian bridge at Martin’s Landing.

The route continues along the Hennepin Canal to Centennial Park and back to the finish line where the race began. Stick around after the race for the Fiesta parade!

Registration forms for this inaugural event may be picked up at the Sauk Valley Area and Rock Falls Chambers of Commerce, Rock Falls Community Development Corp., Jack Spencer State Farm or by visiting the website www.

BridgeTheCommunity. webs.com. Online registration links are also available on the website.

In addition to runners and walkers, the group is currently soliciting event sponsors and volunteers to help with race-day activities. For more information on getting involved with Bridge the Community, please contact Gayla at the RFCDC at 815626-8053, visit the website, or find it on Facebook.

Taste of Dixon explores Culinary Tourism options and opportunities

Dixon Mayor Jim Burke, Mili Dalipi from Basil Tree Ristorante, Mark Framke from Orom and Bud LeFevre from Distinctive Gardens discuss how they have supported the community through culinary tourism initiatives.

Courtesy photo

On a recent evening Dixon restaurants collaborated on a “moveable feast” as each prepared food for a dinner that had guests walking from course to course along 1st Avenue. Participating restaurants and a bakery included Touch of Thai, Ginkgo Tree Café, Timber Creek, Galena Steak House, Salamandra’s and Baker’s Street.

This event preceded the next day’s workshop “The Experience of Culinary Tourism” presented by Chicago and Beyond, a division of Illinois Tourism and local tourism organizations in-

cluding Dixon Tourism, Lee County Tourism, Blackhawk Waterways, and Chicago And Beyond Regional Tourism Office.

After a warm welcome

by Mayor James Burke, attendees were presented an opportunity to envision how an increased focus on culinary activities could increase tourism, bring destination status to Dixon and surrounding areas plus increase tax revenues which flow to the city from overnight guests.

Bud LeFevre, Distinctive Gardens; Mark Framke,

Orom Restaurant and Mili Dalipi, Basil Tree Ristorante participated in a panel which focused on how each had made a commitment to the community, were partnering with local food growers and creating media/internet awareness through focused and targeted efforts.

An open forum sparked a lively exchange of ideas, situations and solutions for community leaders to move forward in creating an area of the Tri-Cities to be known for its culinary creativity, diversity and use of locally produced foods.

Publisher’s Note Appreciation, admiration, affection, affirmation and acceptance go a long way toward making each day better for each person in our Tri-Cities.

When you have a good meal, enjoy a good game of golf, watch movies at the local (historic) Midway Drivein and have good service at a local coffee shop, it may be a good practice to thank those involved. Each is likely giving you their best that day.

Sometimes all it takes is a sincere thank you. Sometimes you can even write a thank you note. Sometimes it is telling the supervisor what wonderful people work in that business.

Sometimes it is being accepting of a situation…. maybe it’s a slow moving

farm vehicle…and simply deciding to be calm and grateful that we live in an area that is literally part of the world’s breadbasket.

When you shop locally you are affirming that a particular business is providing products and services you need as they provide for themselves and their families. As you give to various organizations you show appreciation for the goodness and value of their social missions.

What might appreciation, admiration, affection, affirmation and acceptance do for you?

It may create a better day… emotionally, socially, physically, spiritually and mentally. It would seem it is truly a win-win way of being.

So the Sauk Valley Sun

sends you a “thank you note”: We are appreciative of your kind and encouraging words.

We admire and will support the visions that leaders of our Tri-Cities share with us. We have respect and affection for our local businesses as our mission is to help them grow and prosper. We affirm the goodness of our communities.

And we accept the precious gift of freedom that provides opportunities beyond measure to live lives of significance, contribution and legacy. Let us never forget that freedom is never free! So we honor veterans who have served and those who protect us this very day.

Judy Bell Publisher

Centerstage Dance celebrates 25 years with recital Centerstage Dance Studio of Dixon recently celebrated 25 years in the dancing industry with their annual recital. This year’s theme was “Move,” attributed to the recent move of the studio from its previous location in downtown Dixon to its new home at 1701 Eyelet Road in Dixon. Attendees were treated to dozens of dances performed by teachers, rec-

reational and team dancers.

Students prepare for this annual event by attending classes each week starting in August.

Centerstage is owned by Cheryl Moeller and offers an intensive competitive program and a plethora of recreational dance classes, including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical, tumbling as well as fitness classes. Staff

members are professionally trained and have a tremendous love of dance.

Now enrolling for fall classes. Classes begin the week of August 19th and are open to any age.

Vi s i t C e n t e r s t a g e ‘ s w e b s i t e a t w w w. centerstagedixon.com , email centerstagedixon@ comcast.net or call 815284-6489.

8

Local

Man Behind the Badge – Acting Assistant Police Chief Brad Sibley

By Jill Horn In Dixon Police Chief Danny Langloss is the acting city manager and Lt. Brad Sibley is the acting assistant police chief. Acting City Manager Langloss is part of a team to make changes in the city government. In the meantime, Sibley must do his duties as a lieutenant and also additional duties as acting assistant police chief. The city manager will be chosen in the next few months.

Sibley graduated from Prophetstown High School in 1988 and then started at Western Illinois University not knowing what he wanted to do. He took a law enforcement class and liked it, then took another until he decided to make a career out of law enforcement. He began as an intern in Rockford at the Chrysler plant as a security officer and then obtained a position there.

At the same time he applied and took the tests for several different police forces

and ended up in Dixon in 1993. He was promoted to detective, to sergeant, and then to lieutenant in 2003.

At that time, there were several officers retiring so he was fortunate to move up the ranks when he did.

Sibley said, “I got promoted because of good timing.”

“I’m not sure if I want to be the police chief,” he continued to say.

He lives right outside the city limits and would have to live inside the city limits if he was to be the Dixon police chief. Dixon police officers must live within 12.5 miles of the city limits.

Only the police chief must live within the city limits.

He said he can retire this year since he will have 20 years with Dixon Police Department but is undecided about what he will do. He may go back to school or he may decide to be a police chief somewhere else, or in Dixon if the position becomes open or continue doing what he does.

Being a police officer can

Brad Sibley

be very stressful. Sibley feels it’s more stressful for officers than it is for him since he is in a managerial position now and works during the day. Officers work 6a.m – 6p.m or 6p.m – 6a.m

Courtesy photo

four days a week so they miss family activities. He can plan to be at his kid’s games and other activities.

He is a baseball assistant coach and football coach for his son’s teams who attends

Reagan Middle School.

When he’s not at work, he’s usually with his family. He also has a very supportive wife.

In Dixon, there are several programs sponsored by local law enforcement agencies.

The Dixon Police Department does partner with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department in some of these activities, like Shop with a Cop. In 2012, local law enforcement officers took 115 children shopping and helped purchase Christmas gifts for the family members of the children and some gifts for the children as well. Walmart also donates some money and gifts to this program. The department also provided Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for 25 families in Dixon. Clothes for Kids is another program the Dixon Police Department sponsors for children in the community who are in need. This program provided each child with $100 to shop for clothes, shoes and other items needed for

school. The annual Cops and Bobbers fishing derby is held in August annually.

Last year 42 children participated. These are only some of the programs offered by the local law enforcement in the community. There are others that are offered at the school as well.

Sibley believes in trust between himself and his officers as well as trust between the community and the police department is the most important part of police work. He sees this trust in Dixon and believes this is why there are fewer problems in the community than some other communities of the same size. He also believes having empathy for the people he is serving is important and can be difficult. He strives to maintain empathy.

Sibley helps to make Dixon a safe place to live along with the rest of the police department.

Unsung hero, Dr. Geoff Wright: “He helped me rise up and walk!”

Dr. Geoff Wright

Tim walks as Dr. Wright observes

By Jeff Coester A motorcycle crash in 1982 left Tim Sulouff in a coma with brain swelling for seven weeks. The railroad tracks had been unforgiving when he hit his head. When Tim awoke his muscle memory was gone. Simple things like rolling over had to be relearned. Life would be a challenge forever.

For nine years Tim walked short distances with a cane in each hand. Even those skills diminished over time. Tim would spend his time in a wheel chair.

Tim began seeing Dr. Shawn Hanlon, an orthopedic surgeon at CGH Medical Center who strength tested his legs and who, in Tim’s words, decided to make a project of him. Dr. Hanlon set Tim

Jeff Coester photos

up with Dr. Geoff Wright, a physical therapist at the CGH Locust Street Health Center.

Wright began to assess Tim in hope of making activities like the transfer from the wheelchair to a van easier.

He was struck by Tim’s happy demeanor and his acceptance of his circumstances. Working and laughing together they lit a fire that helped Tim regain more mobility than he imagined.

Change came slowly. One month was spent doing only exercises while seated, then standing with support. As Tim gained strength he could stand for six minutes. Now three steps with rest were accompanied by Tim’s growing confidence and enthusiasm.

To create a sense of safety, Wright placed the walker inside the parallel bars and the

progress continued.

They describe their first meeting as a discussion of simple goals. Tim said Wright made him feel safe to keep an open mind and consider the possibilities. “Now, there are no words to explain how I feel over the progress I have made.”

As the exercises became a challenge to Tim’s limits, he describes, “the calm voice at the end of the wire”, which Wright was gently and patiently counting reps to push Tim and help him redefine the limits he had too easily accepted.

Tim also describes the restoration of his dignity as a person. “I wasn’t just a patient. I got to be myself,” he said.

When Tim was playful or struggling, Wright and the staff stayed engaged with him. Wright enthusiastically points to their success as being the result of the overall environment. It begins with quality receptionists who greet people comfortably.

Therapy aids help with transport and paperwork, assistants treat and all of the therapists are caring to the patients.

Wright indicated that teamwork creates comfort for the patient. Everyone benefits from good teamwork. He credits the outpatient manager Jeff Dyke for quality management of the team.

The work for Tim continues. He can now walk 52 feet with a standard walker.

Corners, turns, the avoidance of obstacles, once difficult to impossible are now habit.

Quality of life has changed.

Tim has regained a sense of belonging in social settings, restaurants and churches. His

mother Betty felt that others had set expectations for Tim that he accepted. Now she is thrilled to see his progress and sense of optimism going forward. “This has been a miracle from the beginning.

This is a fresh start. It is very good,” she said.

Wright is an unsung hero, though Tim joked that he does not want to make him look good, all the while speaking of Wright in superlatives.

Tim laughingly compares their relationship to Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller

Sudoku Puzzle

because Wright has needed to be wise for the sake of his physically-challenged and difficult patient. Tim jokes, “Dr. Wright deserves a raise, just for working with me”.

Wright downplays his role and introduces Lori who worked with Tim 30 years before. He then declares, “We anticipate further improvement. I am in this for the long haul.”

Write to Jeff Coester with suggestions for the Unsung Hero column at hardhat1@ juno.com.

By Jill Horn

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. Answer key is found on page 24

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2 2 5

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Local

Illinois Patriot Guard Fallen Heroes Traveling Memorial Wall

Kaytee and Thomas from Kewanee found their hero on the wall.

Carol Chandler I attended the display of the wall at the Veterans’ Park in Dixon on July 6 and celebrated the memory of our fallen heroes who gave their lives for us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some still fought their battles after their return home. I was very deeply affected to observe the many pictures of our young men and women who have given their lives to protect not only our freedoms and rights, but those of our children and grandchildren. There are four fallen heroes from our area: Justice Bartelt from Polo, Scott Tyrrell from Sterling, Timothy Bowman from Rock Falls and Thomas

Hull from Princeton. I also met parents of some of these young soldiers whose pictures appeared on the wall; they are the Gold Star Families. I spoke with Mike Cecchetti, Jerry Ludwig and Randy Hardin who patiently explained the workings of the Patriot Guard and the park to me. Mike is a veteran of the Army, Jerry is a veteran of the Marine Corp and Randy is a veteran of the Navy. I also spoke with Don Pannier who is the caretaker for the exhibit. Our area belongs to Region Two of the Illinois Patriot Guard Riders which is comprised of Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, Carroll, Jo Daviess and Winnebago counties.

This whole idea was start-

Erin from St. Louis shows baby Braden the flags.

The McGrain family from Waukesha, Wisconsin checking Carol Chandler photos out the Anchor.

ed by a Gold Star grandfather who wanted to make sure that his grandson, as well as all our soldiers from Illinois, would not be forgotten. After compiling all the pictures and information on our heroes, it was decided that a wall should be built displaying their information for all to honor. The Patriot Guard initiated and planned the wall and the Gold Star Families joined in. The whole idea of the wall was in response to the antics of the Westboro Baptist Church and their disrespect of those very soldiers who gave their lives to guarantee their right to free speech.

The Patriots and Gold Star families form processions to welcome our soldiers home

How we take our freedom and rights for granted. It brings the reality of their sacrifice abruptly into our world.

The Guard is a non-profit, 501(c)( 3) organization that is funded entirely by donations. The wall began its never-ending journey in 2012 and has traveled over 30,000 miles to 60 different locations throughout Illinois in the last nine months. If you would like to make a donation to help cover the cost

Annual Touch A Truck Aug. 10 in Rock Falls Children of all ages are invited to climb aboard a fire engine and take a limo ride at the Third Annual Touch A Truck on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013, in Rock Falls.

Touch a Truck is a free family event provided by the Optimist Club of Rock Falls, which will happen from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rock Falls Riverfront Patio, on Second Street and Avenue A. The club will be selling hot dogs, pork chops, sandwiches and all you can eat Selmi’s sweet corn.

Proceeds raised will be used to support local youth programs.

There will be many vehicles for children to see, touch and climb all over.

The vehicles scheduled to attend are from the Rock Falls and Sterling Fire and Police Departments, CGH

Take a look inside an ambulance at the Third Annual Foster Coach photo Touch a Truck event in Rock Falls.

Ambulance, the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department K9 vehicle, a mail truck from the United States Postal Service, a garbage truck from Moring Disposal, Walmart Transportation, Red Carpet Limousine, National Guard, Jeff Bright RV, vehicles from Pete Harkness

Auto Group and Sterling Chevrolet and Slim and Hanks Towing.

Happy Tails will have an adoption booth, Red Carpet Limousine will offer Limo rides, Firehouse Ministries will offer truck rides and games and CAT AG will have a display.

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and to escort those who come home covered with a flag. Anyone who would like to participate is welcome to join in this welcome home to those who have put their lives on the line for this country. You are welcome to join in their homecoming and if you have lost a child in Iraq or Afghanistan, you are automatically considered a Gold Star member.

Looking at this wall of pictures of young faces brought tears to my eyes.

of the travel, please contact www.ilpgmemorial.com or send a check to Illinois Patriot Guard, P.O. Box 14, Oneida, IL 61467. Please note on your check that your donation is to the Traveling Memorial Wall Fund. No donation is too small.

“HONOR THEIR SERVICE, REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICE, CELEBRATE THEIR LIVES AND NEVER FORGET.”

Title IX and local Sterling native

By Jill Straw Pat McKinzie gave a presentation of her book Home Sweet Hardwood at the Sterling Public Library on Monday, July 1, 2013.

She shared how Sterling High School was ahead of its time by having a girls’ basketball team after Title IX passed in 1972. Her father, Sterling High School basketball coach at that time, was an important part of that decision. Pat said, “No one understood what Title IX would do.” She has had women who grew up in neighboring towns approach her and share that it took a number of years before Title IX changed their schools.

“No matter where I wandered, I knew who I was. I was a McKinzie.”

That legacy meant she was the daughter of James McKinzie, Sterling High

School’s basketball coach, and granddaughter of Ralph McKinzie, football coach at Eureka College. Her journeys led her to Illinois State University, where she won the first basketball scholarship awarded to a female student, and to the first Women’s Professional Basketball League. She was recruited to play basketball in France. After non-Europeans were not allowed to play in Paris, Pat moved to Germany where she found her dream team.

After a car accident, her career was over. Pat told the crowd at the Sterling Library, “The day the athlete in me died, a coach was born.”

She now coaches “sons and daughters of diplomats, ambassadors, and world leaders.” For twenty years, Pat also wrote a column for the Sterling Gazette about life abroad.

Pat McKinzie Jill Straw photo

Many of the people who had their books autographed at the library and at Northland Mall on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 knew Pat personally or had read her column in the past. Pat continues to write, sharing stories on-line on her blog www.pattymackz.com. Sign up for free and continue to read about her adventures.

Copies of her book are also for sale at this website.

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Local Determined With The Disc Cody Cutter Before anyone thinks about taking a metal disc golf hole at Sterling’s Sinnissippi Park and moving it slightly, just remember that you’re still not going to throw off Ryan Padilla.

Padilla, 24, of Sterling, has become one of the area’s leading performers in the disc golf scene since becoming a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) in 2010.

“I’ve pretty much been hooked ever since,” Padilla said.

Punctuating his career was a recent advanced-division win at the Sinnissippi Open on June 23. Competing against 44 other players in the advanced division, Padilla threw a 12-under-par 132 with equal rounds of 66, four tosses ahead of the runner-up.

The win was Padilla’s first of the year, complimenting a quartet of top 10 finishes at PDGA-sanctioned events already.

“It’s my first advanced win,” Padilla said. “It felt really good. I came out here with a game plan and executed it the way I wanted to.”

Padilla’s 66 in the first round was four ahead of the runner-up, and about 10 throws fewer than the average of the rest of the field. The rest of the field improved, and while the second round of 66 was not the best among the field, it was still low enough to hold on for the win.

“I was trying to play safe and conservative, and get as many birdies as I could,” Padilla said of his first round.

“I felt pretty good. I started off a birdie and a good 3 on a long (hole) 16, which is pretty much a birdie.

Throughout the rest of the round I just kept getting birdies. I only took one 4 for the whole round.”

Growing up with a disc golf course in your home-

Quitting Not An Option For Sterling Softball Cody Cutter

Sterling’s Ryan Padilla has become one of the area’s leading disc golfers on the PDGA circuit. Cody Cutter photo

town is enough to make anyone want to play. Sinnissippi’s course, put together in 1982, is noted as one of the finest and challenging courses in Illinois. What makes the course challenging is its abundance of trees and a couple of interesting quirks, such as a fairway with a sharp downward hill as well as a hole across a creek.

As part of the Illinois Open Series, the Sinnissippi Open is one of the few events which take place in the northwest part of the State. Tournament Director Mike Krupica says that Sinnissippi is a great and unique course.

“There’s a terrain factor since you’re by the river.

You get some of the upand-down and have to shape your shots,” Krupica said.

“The big trees add something to it. Some of these holes are long. They’re hard to throw. This place makes you throw shots that you don’t normally throw at other courses, so it pushes people’s game to another level.”

The natural challenges are then added to with a significant man-made challenge.

Some of the holes were moved from its usual spots, for sure adding in more tree obstacles in the mix.

“For 19 of the holes, it’s a different shot than the other

round,” Krupica said. “You can’t really learn something from the first round because you’re doing something different in the second round.

This is like dropping a new hole in-between rounds.”

Moving them didn’t effect Padilla too much, as his score didn’t worsen with this challenge.

“This is my home course, so I got a feel for almost every position,” Padilla said.

“I already know what disc to use.”

How about blindfolded?

“With the muscle memory, possibly.”

In three years of playing in the PDGA, Padilla has amassed a rating of 968.

On the day before his win, the Sinnissippi Open held a series of competition which included professional players such as Dana Vicich of Ottawa. Vicich, who has a rating of 1,007, won one of the events.

Reaching that four-digit mark is an often sought after goal for disc golf players, and is likewise for Padilla.

“A thousand-rating is a really hard goal to reach,” Padilla said. “You have to play really consistent and solid. You’re pretty much a professional when you hit 1,000. It’s actually one of my goals. Maybe within the next couple of years I’ll be playing at the professional level.”

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Big plays might make sports games seem insurmountable at certain points.

However, the finishes are almost always at a predetermined period of time down the road. Leading up to that ending, a trailing team’s challenge of coming back when time is short begins to take shape.

The Sterling High School varsity softball team understood that situation when time was short during the final inning of its sectional final game against Marengo on June 1.

Down 5-1 with two outs in the seventh inning, the Golden Warriors’ last breath brought new life into the team. They were able to score five runs without getting that fatal out to win the sectional championship and later advance to the IHSA Class 3A State Finals at EastSide Centre in East Peoria on June 6-7.

Sterling brought to East Peoria the knowledge of what it is like to have backs against the wall and to get themselves out of it.

Head coach Rick Henderson attributes this to attitude – a popular motto within the program.

Sterling’s first game at State was against Marquette High School of Alton, Ill. The Golden Warriors were unable to win the game, falling 3-2 to try for either third or fourth place in Class 3A. Much of the troubles came against Marquette pitcher Alexis Silkwood, one of Illinois’s top pitchers.

“We’ve had attitude shirts that we’ve bought for the past five years. We try to preach attitude, attitude, attitude,” Henderson said after the game. “They took that right into the batter’s box today against one of the best pitchers you’re going to see in a while. Every single player stepped in there with an attitude, with a belief, with something on their

The Sterling Golden Warrior Softball team took fourth place in the IHSA Class 3A State Finals in June. Cody Cutter photo

mind that they could do to help this team. I saw no one quit. All season, let alone today.”

Marquette posted a 3-0 lead in the third inning and the Golden Warriors were only able to tally up on before the bottom of the seventh inning. That’s when Sterling junior Karlie Mellott banged out a leadoff homerun off Silkwood past the right field fence. That momentum shift brought back the feeling of fighting with time running out, although coming up short in the end.

“We never quit,” Mellott said. “We never quit. All the way down the stretch getting here, with the tough game in the sectional, we never give up. We’re all in the dugout yelling, cheering everybody else on, picking everybody else up. You can’t teach that.

As a team, that’s so great to see.”

“We never let up. Every time we’re in the dugout, we’re always constantly cheering and making sure that we have each others backs,” said fellow junior Darien Bardoner. “You can see on the field when one of us strikes out, the next one does something to pull each other up. We’ve always had each other, and that’s how we’ve been since we were little. It paid off for a

sectional championship, but we were so close this time.”

Now having to face off against Tinley Park High School in the consolation game, this would be the team’s last showing of the season. Despite posting a 4-2 lead after five innings, Tinley Park came back to go up 5-4 before the bottom of the seventh, and the backs against the walls again.

Mellott, leading off once more, doubled to left field and later came to third on a sacrifice. With the tying run 90 feet away, a grounder to the shortstop ended the second comeback run in a 24-hour span.

Despite being an all too familiar feeling, Sterling’s dugout appeared cheerful and determined once more during that seventh inning.

“Although we didn’t come out winning any games, it’s still a great experience to be here,” said Sterling senior Stephanie Kester, who pitched both games for her team. “It takes a good team to be here, and we did that.”

It is safe to say that the fourth-place finish was made possible by the team’s attitude.

“People are going to ask them questions not about how you lost, but about how in the world you keep fighting like you do,” concluded Henderson.

Discover the runner in you!

Discover the runner in you with this informative Ready2Run class for beginning runners and fitness walkers of all ages. Learn how to avoid injury, run correctly, develop a consistent running program and achieve your goals in preparation for the Bridge the Community race on September 14th.

In this supportive, noncompetitive environment, you will meet fellow new runners, gain confidence, have fun and, best of all, learn to enjoy running.

Ready2Run is a six-week

class led my YMCA personal training staff. Class starts On Aug 6th and meets every Tuesday from 5:30 –7 p.m. at the YMCA. Class registration is $40 for current YMCA members and $50 non-members. The fee includes instruction, guidance, professional guest speakers, free Wee Care for children of class par-

ticipants, free access to the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA for the six-week duration of the class and your registration for the Bridge to Community 5K race.

Register in advance at 2505 YMCA Way in Sterling to secure your place in class, or call us at 815.535.9622 for more information.

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Local Summer in the Sauk Valley

Olivia Schauff, 2, takes a break from the heat. The toddler found a cool reprieve in a fountain at the riverfront in Dixon.

Dancing in the street, Renee Vaessen, 15, of Sublette joins Len Levinson, 78, of Mt. Morris. He danced to every song as Tristan Bushman & the UncleBroDaddies played the riverfront stage during Dixon’s Petunia Festival. Levinson who suffered a heart attack last year said nothing will slow him down from his love of music.

Courtesy photos

Sponsored by Community State Bank and Dixon Main Street, Musical Fridays drew a large crowd July 11.

Musician Drew Dawson preformed many hits songs as well as a few of her own. She also played keyboards and guitar. Dixon Riverfront will feature various artists every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. through September 27.

Resembling a huge crack in the center of Hennepin Ave., the 3-D chalk design shows what it may look like beneath the layers of shattered pavement, complete with broken water pipes and running water. The design was created

by Kris Meyers who along with Kitto, Philip Atilano and Tristan Young completed in two days.

Gabrielle Sarno, 2, of Dixon, parades around the courthouse lawn in between bites of ice cream. Waiting for the Dixon Municipal Band to begin playing, she and her family enjoyed the Dixon Wonder Workers’ sponsored ice cream social on on July5.

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Local Petunia Festival Parade

Bagpipers

Civil Air Patrol

Dixon American Leagion float

Dixon Junior Tackle football players

Dixon Junior Tackle football cheerleaders

Petunia Festival court members Lexy Duncan and Alexis Plum

Courtesy photos

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Local

Honoring Our Heroes

Damaged American Legion medallion

By Carol Chandler First of all - what is a “hero?” According to Webster, “a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength; someone who fights for a cause.” However, there were some “heroines” here too. My story today is about honoring our soldiers who fought for our rights and freedoms from the Civil War up through the Korean War. Pat Gorman, former president of the Lee County Genealogical Society and current president of the Lee County Historical Society, has engaged himself in just

Courtesy photos

such a cause in order that our heroes are not forgotten. Many of the soldiers who fought in these wars had some sort of recognition of their valor placed on their graves. In Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon, this was frequently in the form of a star or circular medallion on a stake. The older medallions are made of cast iron, but some of the more recent ones are made of aluminum or bronze. However, through the years, some of these have been removed or damaged by mowers or vandalism. He noticed during the Cemetery Walk in 2011, that some of these

Restored American War Mothers medallion

This star was found on the grave of Ralph Joynt but was supposed to be on the grave of H. B. Smith.

memorials were missing and felt that they needed to be repaired or replaced.

He sought information in several places, but found nothing. He checked the books on the Civil War at the Lee County Genealogical Library. He came across a booklet from Memorial Day in May of 1940 that listed all the deceased soldiers and their stake numbers and indicated the order in which they had died from #1 to #317. Sadly in Oakwood, 184 medallions were present, but 138 were missing!

Pat researched extensively and took pictures of each gravesite before the medal-

came from Scotland but fought for his new country.

He too was missing a gravestone - one was purchased for him.

The process of replacing the medallions is rather lengthy. First the medallions are collected and taken to Pat’s home where he verifies the correct name and number (MANY hours of research!). Members of our area have stepped up to remedy the loss - Haldane Custom Paint and Body in Polo sandblasts the iron medallions while Pat cleans the more modern ones at his home. Raynor Garage Doors donates a powder coating.

lion was removed to assist in replacing them correctly.

However, he found that some were on the wrong graves. In one instance, the remains of George Grohens were never found so an IMO marker was placed on his grave lot which stands for “In Memory Of.” There are sixteen grave sites by the mausoleum in the “American Legion Plot.” Some are marked only “American Legion.” In this plot lies buried Moses Sample who served in WWI - unmarked.

Fred Walters and Horace Hill were Civil War veterans who also have no gravestones. William J. Wilson

All of this is done free of charge! Then, Pat takes them back to his home and welds new stakes on them if they are needed. At last they are ready to be replaced to honor these brave men and women who gave their all to protect our rights and freedoms. Some expenses are paid for from donations. If you would like to donate, please contact the Lee County Genealogical Society at 815/288-6702 or the Lee County Historical Society at 815/284-1134.

The work continues lest we forget. Photos of the gravesites will be on record at LCGS and LCHS.

Annual Reagan Trail Days set for Aug. 6-11 in Dixon, Il The hometown of President Ronald Reagan is gearing up for another eventful Reagan Trail Days on Aug. 6 -11.

The week of events features events on the beautiful downtown Dixon Riverfront, Lowell Park, The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home

and Page Park in Dixon, IL. “Reagan Trail Days has become a wonderful event for the city of Dixon, and we are delighted to bring a full slate of activities back again this year,” said Josh Albrecht, executive director of Dixon Main Street.

The week is highlighted

by the annual Friday night dinner and themed Gala in the park. This year, the annual wine tasting reception and the Gala are joined for one big event at the Boyhood Home, featuring music

by Chameleon and Jimmy Jack Whitaker, elegant food

by Basil Tree and wine tast-

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The evening will feature the annual awards ceremony as we honor State Senator Tim Bivins, Courtney Fassler and Peter Nichols. Tickets are $35 per person and includes a commemorative wine glass and two wine tasting tickets. Tickets available at the Boyhood Home Visitor’s Center or online at www. reaganhome.com.

“The Gala is always a wonderful event that we look forward to,” Albrecht said. “Getting to honor Dixonites for the great work they have done is always special. And this year will be the first year that the event has been held at the Boyhood home.”

The first day of the festivities on Tuesday, August 6, will kick off with the family-friendly Cowboy Randy Show on the Riverfront. This show will feature trick roping, yodeling, cowboy stories and much more.

Cowboy Randy has done voice work for Disney’s Home on the Range, as well as for performances at many

prestigious shows. The show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free and sponsored by the Dixon Public Library Wednesday, Aug. 7, is the Ice Cream Social on the Riverfront, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. and feature free Culver’s custard and live music by Lowell Harp and Friends.

Thursday, Aug. 8, is the old-fashioned Community Picnic at Lowell Park, where Reagan once saved 77 lives as a lifeguard. The picnic will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and offer many opportunities for free pontoon boat rides and to listen to more live music. Dinner is $3 for adults and free for children under 18.

Friday, Aug. 9, is Musical Fridays on the Riverfront.

There will be a free concert at noon, sponsored by Community State Bank.Then at night, from 6 to 10 p.m is the Gala in the park at the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, the Alzheimer’s Association annual Duck Races will take place on the Rock River at

10 a.m. Come down to the Riverfront and watch hundreds of rubber duckies race along the Rock River, and join the fundraising effort by sponsoring a duck for just $5. Tickets are available at the Alzheimer’s Association office at 93 S. Hennepin Ave. or call 285-1100.

The festivities will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 11, with the RTD Dixon Municipal Band Concert at 2 pm. at the Page Park Band Shell. This year’s program will feature “Music for Presidents,” highlighted by “George Washington BiCentennial March”-John Philip Sousa, “Elegy for a Young American”-Ronald Lo Presti (in honor of JFK), “Lincoln Portrait”-Aaron Copland (Paul Katner-narrator), “Selections from Porgy and Bess”-George and Ira Gershwin (Dwight Eisenhower’s favorite operetta), “Heartbreak Hotel”-Elvis Presley (Bill Clinton’s favorite song to play tenor sax too) and “Reagan of Illinois Part 1”-David Holsinger (Paul Katner-narrator).

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Dining

Galena Steakhouse-great for steaks, burgers and much more

A great steak tastes great no matter how it’s made. This 16 oz. boneless, marinated New York Strip is called Mike’s Steak, and was juicy even when well done.

By Spencer Schein A great place for family, a great place for a business meeting, and a great gathering place for friends. Where are all these great places?

You can do all of the above at the Galena Steakhouse, a restaurant that serves great steaks, tasty hamburgers and offers one of the best soup and salad bars in the area.

Recently a friend and I dined for lunch at the Galena Steakhouse, 1101 N. Galena Ave., with a mission: We wanted to find out if the Steakhouse could fit both our needs, having a fine

steak and eating on a budget.

Both were met and were a stupendous success.

My friend doesn’t normally eat steak at home, and like

others, it is more of a luxury of sorts, making it worth spending a little more for a great cut of steak. Looking over the menu, the choice was to order a Mike’s Steak, a 16-oz boneless, marinated New York Strip steak, ordered well done.

This meal came with choice of potato as well as the soup and salad bar.

Not feeling so hungry, I went with the special of the day, a cheeseburger and cup of New England Clam Chowder. Steak fries were extra.

Our waitress asked me if I wanted to order the salad bar. At first I said no, but before she left, I inquired about the extra cost. I agreed with her that it made sense, and went ahead with the salad bar.

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has large and small tables spread out in a dining area, and a nice-sized bar with a few tall-tables.

What a great place to go, whether it’s for an anniversary, a meeting among old friends, a family outing or place to eat over a business meeting.

Anyway you put it; the Galena Steakhouse is a great place to dine.

The Galena Steakhouse is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Dine in or carry out. For more information, call the Galena Steakhouse at (815) 285-1625 or go online at galenasteakhouse.com.

La Laguna – Hidden Mexican restaurant is a great find

Pictured from left to right are beef, chicken and chorizo tacos, served with lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese, with a lime for garnish. They may look small, but each taco is piled high, and three are more than enough to Spencer Schein photo satisfy anyone’s appetite.

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with fried onions, a couple orange slices and a warm cup of the steak marinade.

After a few bites, my friend put his fork down, took a moment, and said the steak was on par with the best steaks he has ever had. The steak was tender, tasty, and even though ordered well done, had enough steak juices left to make it a delight to eat.

My cheeseburger came with lettuce and a slice of tomato with steak fries piled high. Normally I would douse my burger with mustard or ketchup, but that was not necessary this time. The hamburger was juicy and tasty and didn’t need extra condiments.

The Galena Steakhouse

The Galena Steakhouse is open daily for dine-in and carryout, at 1101 N. Galena Ave., Dixon Spencer Schein photos

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What a good choice. The salad bar at Galena Steakhouse has fresh salad and all the usual toppings, as well as a great tasting potato salad and cold pasta salad. Ken’s Salad Dressings are available in six varieties. One of the best parts of the salad bar is the fresh cut fruit at the end, which can make for a great dessert, or if you want, try a slice of cake available in their cooler.

The soup of the day was made to perfection with a great balance of clams, potatoes and a creamy broth. I could have eaten two cups of the soup.

Our meals were served in about the time it took us to finish our salads and soup.

My friend received his steak

In order to find a great Mexican restaurant in town, you have to know where to go.

No GPS or map or signs will point to this restaurant, which is hidden in the back of La Laguna Market, a Mexican grocery store at 301 Ave G, Sterling.

Even after stepping inside the grocery, there is little sign of the eatery. If you don’t know, you have to ask where the restaurant is located, as this reviewer did.

“The restaurant is in back,” said the man behind the front counter.

My friend and I had already walked through the grocery store and didn’t find any indication of a restaurant. We learned we hadn’t walked far enough.

“You have to search around to find the eatery within the market, which is tempting for the restaurant hopper that looks for something positioned out of the ordinary,” my friend said.

We walked past the aisles of groceries, past the bins of fruits and vegetables and past the meat counter and

through an open doorway to find the La Laguna Market restaurant, a large open area with two booths, many tabletops and a counter.

The waiter/cook/cashier was dining when my friend and I entered. We got sodas from the nearby cooler – a strawberry Jarritos for him and a grapefruit Jarritos for me. We showed up just after the lunch hour and the restaurant started filling up after we received our orders, which was good, as depending on the orders and how many people are present, it could take awhile to get them filled.

The restaurant is not flashy, according to my friend, “but it is still nice to have a bite to eat and take in a soccer match on the television - on ESPN Deportes” which was playing that day.

A combination of traditional Mexican music played in the background from the sounds from the broadcasters of the fútbol match.

Sea salt chips were on the table with two types of green salsa; the lighter color was spicier, and the darker color was mild.

The waiter was helpful

in explaining some of the items and didn’t just take our orders and leave.

Among the posted menu items were tacos, gringas, fajitas, tostas, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and more. We were in the mood for tacos.

Each of us had three tacos. I ordered one with beef, one with chicken and one with chorizo, while my friend ordered one with beef, one with chicken and one with pork.

We both thought the tacos appeared small – they were about 3-inches in diameter – but they were piled high with toppings.

The cook made the food to order, and our tacos were served piping hot, some with the shredded American cheese starting to melt.

Tacos were served with the cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes or to order.

“At first, the tacos looked small, but when it was all done, I did wind up full,” my dining companion said. “Finishing it made me wonder about some of the other items on the menu, and I am tempted to go back to try them out.”

I agree. The restaurant is very tempting. I particularly like restaurants that do not have flash and, instead, concentrate on the food.

The tacos were served on small soft taco shells.

They were very filling, with fresh ingredients and seasoned and freshly grilled meat. Three was more than enough.

Now that you know where it is, try La Laguna Market’s restaurant for yourself.

La Laguna Market’s restaurant, located at 301 Ave G, Sterling, is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Dine-in or carry out. Call 815-625-6183.

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Education

Morrison Institute of Technology: providing bright futures

Don Porter of Rock Falls

Courtesy photos

By Jill Horn Morrison Tech, also known as Morrison Institute of Technology, a small two-year technical school located at 701 Portland Ave in Morrison, has been around since 1973 and even before that as the Institute of Drafting and Technology.

Originally the college had two areas of concentration, Construction Technology and Computer Aided Drafting & Design, but added Network Administration about five years ago. The enrollment is evenly divided between these three areas.

Students obtain an Associates of Applied Science upon graduation.

The construction option

includes classes in Architectural Computer Aided Design (CAD), Soil and Materials Testing, AutoCad and Microstation CAD and surveying, along with math, physics and general studies classes. Students who pursue the CAD & Design option will have courses in AutoCad, Unigraphics CAD and material properties, along with math, physics and general studies classes. Network administrators design, setup, support and troubleshoot the computer networks of an organization. They also train and support system users and install hardware and software. In addition, they monitor existing networks to ensure the network, soft-

Cousins Ryan and Louis Renkes of Morrison

ware and computer work together properly. These students have coursework in computer operations, LAN based networks, troubleshooting, Internet fundamentals, math and general studies, just to name a few.

Since Morrison Tech is so specialized, most students graduate in exactly two years. This is unusual at a two-year school and will be more important as financial aid for students at two-year colleges will cease after three years.

Small class size is one aspect of the college that makes it unique. Usually all twelve teachers know all the students in the school.

The graduates also have very high job placement.

There are employers who are very familiar with the kind of quality work the graduates are able to do, and they come to campus every spring and interview the graduates and offer them jobs. Morrison Tech is also accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Morrison Tech is one of the only two-year colleges in the country to obtain this accreditation.

Recently the college switched to a four-day week. Classes are MondayThursday. The students and teachers always have a three-day weekend. There are also apartment style dorms on campus for those who don’t live close enough

to commute each day. The college is on the semester system and has classes from August – April. There are no summer classes.

I had the opportunity to interview a few of the graduates. Louis Renkes of Morrison started in 1998 and graduated in 2000. He works as an engineer technician for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in Dixon, along with fellow graduate from Morrison Ryan Renkes, who graduated in 2002.

Ryan, Louis’s cousin, started at Morrison Tech in 2001 and finished in a year since he’d already taken classes at Sauk Valley Community College. Ryan and Louis do CAD work, creating plans for roadway projects. Kurt Glazier, 1987 graduate of Morrison Institute of Technology, also started out as an engineer technician when he started working at IDOT 24 years ago, but now he is a traffic operations technician. He cares for the state highways in our area. This includes maintaining all the signs and striping of the state highways. He also is responsible for contacting utility companies whenever IDOT has to dig somewhere to put up a sign or any proj-

ect that involves digging.

I also interviewed Don Porter of Rock Falls who went to Morrison Tech after he had an accident that left him paralyzed. He was replaced at Northwestern Steel and Wire since he was off for a few years but was still able to bid on jobs at the steel mill when he was ready to work again. He found he needed an education to get those jobs. He chose construction design at Morrison Tech since he liked to build things and thought it was something he could easily find a job doing. He has his own CAD business called Resolution Drafting.

Jodie Eaker, Admissions Coordinator, stated, “We’ve grown every year since I started six years ago.”

They are currently adding more teachers to support the growing enrollment. They have also recently completed some remodeling of the campus and updating of the classrooms. To visit the campus, call the college at 815-772-7218 or visit during an Open House event or on Campus Visit Day. For more information, visit www.morrisontech.edu and get started on a new career today.

Need increases for Tools for School program DIXON — In a struggling economy, need is evident.

For children going back to school, obtaining items on supply lists can be difficult financially for their parents.

Tools for School, a grassroots organization, providing backpacks and school supplies to lessen the burden, has grown tenfold since its inception because of that growing need.

It is funded solely through donations from area business owners, civic and faith-based organizations, plus members of the community.

Last year 650 students

in Dixon were helped, and that is primarily grades K through 8. Offered up to 12th grade, high school students haven’t really jumped on the bandwagon much, said the program’s director, Pam Short Tourtillott.

To really grasp the magnitude of need, in order to serve at least the same number of students as last year, Tourtillott said 1,762 glue sticks, are needed.

That is only one in a laundry list of supplies.

“It’s about a dollar for a two-pack,” she said, “If one community member didn’t

think two packs of glue sticks wouldn’t make a difference, they are wrong. Every single donation helps.”

Other items include notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, binders, loose leaf paper, crayons, colored pencils, bottled glue and big pink erasers, to name a few.

Diane Kurten of Grand Detour, said the supply lists are lengthy and add up quickly. Taking her granddaughter Madelyn Ryan, 11, shopping at various stores to lessen the expense on her daughter, she said for two children it will cost her about $175.

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Soon to be a Morrison third-grader, Grace Onken who was shopping with her mom, Karen McKee said, “I really wish all the kids could afford the school supplies they need.”

Her mother said, “It definitely puts a dent in your budget. I feel the program is wonderful and really kind of sad when you see the need.

It’s heartbreaking and eye opening.”

Any student who qualifies for the free or reduced lunch program automatically is eligible for the TFS program.

Students will pick up their filled backpacks at Reagan Middle School.

Although the program founder Amy Kalebaugh is no longer with TFS, she had the vision, Tourtillott said.

“It had to be put in front of me to realize it was a great need for us. This year I have great partnerships.”

Donations are steadily coming in. A local bank has stepped forward, donating a dollar per child. The Leydig Center is another dedicated donor, and the first business this year to contact Tourtillott with a $1,000 check.

“Some have more to give, but every little bit helps,” Tourtillott said. “And that is how it becomes a part of the community, everyone contributes what they can.”

Her personal contribution

Mother and daughter Karen McKee and Grace Onken, 8 who is headed to third grade in Morrison shop for school Courtesy photo supplies at ShopKo.

is not as the president of the school board, or as the manager at ShopKo. She said, “This is about c o m m u n i t y. T h e r e a r e enough stresses and expenses on our families. Last thing

we want to do is to have to worry, ‘Will my children have what they need the first day they walk into class?’ We want them to have the same excitement as any child.”

Monetary donations can be made payable to “Tools for School” and can be mailed to the Dixon Public School District Office, 1335 Franklin Grove Rd., Dixon or to Sauk Valley Bank, at 300 Walton Drive, Dixon with “TFS” written in the memo.

More information will be provided at registration, and information about distribution process will also be given at that time.

A complete wish list can be found at www.dixonschools.org.

Supplies can be drop-off in the Tools for School display barrels until August 11, at area businesses including Shopko, 1350 N. Galena Ave. and Walmart.

Dixon Public Schools District 170 has partnered with Tools for School giving it a home base. For any further questions, to volunteer or donate, please contact Pam Short Tourtillott, TFS Director by email at ptourtillott@ comcast.net, or the district office at 815-284-7722.

19

Education Getting Ready for School

by Jeff Coester You may go to your school web sites for lists of supplies your children need.

You may plan on communicating with teachers by email. Your children may work with technology that is completely over your head when it comes to computers, smart phones and other gadgets previous generations only experienced in science fiction. Even so, getting your child ready for school is not much different than it has ever been.

In the summer they lose some of what they learned the previous year. Reading with them and having conversations about the things they have learned is a hedge against this decline. Interaction with adults boosts their confidence even when they act like you are an odd relic from a bygone day. If you catch them in a weaker moment they may admit they like it.

Talk with children about succeeding in life. Introduce them to stories of individuals who have accomplished good things. The library or internet can help you find people who accomplish in areas where they have interests. If your child loves

skateboarding, be talking about “The Birdman” Tony Hawk, to get them thinking about his habits of success.

Be careful not to overdo it. If you have successful people in your life, invite them to cook out. Children love to hear the conversation and benefit from the stories they hear.

Find out how you can be constructively involved with your child’s school. Learn the access codes to stay current on their homework.

This will increase accountability and performance.

This computer access, available from third grade up in most cases will provide you with assignment, lunch account balances, and their grades.

Teachers want to engage parents and are passionate about helping your child.

The teacher who hates your child is a “made for TV movie” but not something you experience often in life. People teach because they have passion and are energized when parent and teacher have a true partnership.

Plan to attend your school’s Back to School Night. Be a regular at Parent Teacher conferences.

Regular planned contact is

always more helpful than crisis contact. Teachers would like your e-mail, and hope to be welcomed when they call. School news letters are full of information. Sterlingschools. org keeps the calendar current, providing information on Early Out Wednesdays, and other events Establishing changes in schedule and habits now will help your student.

Regular bedtimes, limited time with the TV, internet and fresh air activities are all proven ingredients in a recipe to help children succeed. If your child is shy help them plan involvement in extracurricular activities.

These build skills, memories and confidence students value for a lifetime.

Many programs are low cost or no cost to families.

The Imagine Learning Mentoring and after school programs along with activities provided by the YMCA and the Township, offer a wealth of experiences to your child.

You can even start your day with breakfast at school.

School is a tool. Teachers and Staff are true artisans.

School is a priority, but our homes and our relationships provide our greatest hope for success.

The Sterling Schools have a Mentor Program

By Jeff Coester

This month I want to thank the many volunteer organizations that do so much behind the scenes to bring about various events throughout our community and also to tell you some dates to mark on your calendar for some upcoming events that you will not want to miss.

First, to the Rock Falls Little League organization: outstanding job on hosting the Illinois State 11-12 year old Little League Softball State Championships. Rocket Park was the location, with the tournament running July 13-16. Teams from Freeport, Melrose Park, Beardstown and Evergreen Park participated, hoping to advance to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Central Region Tournament.

Congratulations to the team from Freeport, and best of luck as you represent the state.

Secondly, the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce host-

take part in over the years.

The 10K and 5K races will start on the Riverfront in Rock Falls at 9 a.m., cross the 1st Avenue Bridge into Sterling and run on routes through the city. Both races’ paths will eventually lead to the Dillon Home and onto Martin Landing. All runners will cross the Upper Dam Walk Path between our two communities, with the 5K runners turning right off the bridge and down 2nd Street to the Riverfront finish line.

The 10K runners will leave the Walk Path, go down the canal to Centennial Park. The course will take them through the park, exit onto 11th Street to Avenue A and the final sprint back to the finish line on the Riverfront.

Proceeding the race at 8:30 a.m., there will be a kid’s race on the bridge itself. This event is being worked on by a large volunteer group of people from Rock Falls and Sterling, working together.

Many more volunteers will be needed to help along the race routes. If you or your organization wants to get involved, call the Rock Falls Community Development Office at 815-626-8053 and speak to Gayle Kolb.

Bottom line: you do not have to leave town to find great activities to participate in. Help us make this a better community: get involved.

A message from Jim Burke

Jim Burke Mayor of Dixon When I first read one of the Sauk Valley Sun editions, I noticed every guest

contributor had a positive, upbeat article. As I read on, I kept looking for negative stories with a complaint. I kept turning the page and thinking there has to be some negative articles but to no avail. Every story was about something positive happening in the Sauk Valley.

Most of the printed and visual news is negative, so I’m conditioned, as you probably are, to expect bad news in any news publication. Not so with Sauk Valley Sun. It’s as though negative stories are not allowed.

Now we are not living in a

Pollyanna world. Bad news and negative events are part of life and must be reported.

However, a daily drumbeat of bad news has to take a toll on our attitudes.

It is so refreshing and uplifting to read nothing but good and positive news in the Sauk Valley Sun. It is the equivalent of vitamins for good mental health. I am honored to be a regular contributor to the paper about all the good things going on in the Dixon area, and there will be plenty to inform you about in the weeks ahead.

Thank you for your time.

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ed the annual Summer Splash on the Riverfront on July 11-12. Lots of volunteers and exhibitors brought good food and entertainment, leading to a highly successful event.

Thirdly, please attend and participate in the National Night Out, scheduled for August 6th at Centennial Park, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This year marks the 30th Anniversary. The folks at the Rock Falls Christian Church are heading up this event. The event is to inform the community of the services within their community and to help the authorities make the communities safer and to bring awareness to neighborhoods.

Fourthly, The Rock Falls Optimist Club will be hosting their annual Touch –A–Truck event at the Rock Falls Riverfront on Saturday, August 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is a great family event where you can explore with the kids more than 20 vehicles that will be available to touch, watch operations and take pictures of. While you are there, you can visit the food tent, which will feature allyou-can-eat sweet corn from Selmi Farms.

Finally, mark your calendars for Saturday, September 14. This will be the Bridge the Communities 10 K – 5K and kids races. We hope that this run will become an annual event and a fun tradition to

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DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

the parents have placed in us and the Mentors is being rewarded.”

An end of the year event with a pizza party was held at The Wesley Methodist Church for students, their parents, and the mentors.

The mentors were coaching their students in teambuilding activities and games, Students received awards for achievement. “We hope to stir our students to consider what is possible.”

Binder tells the story of the boy throwing stranded starfish into the sea. An observer chided him, “You will never make a difference to those hundreds of starfish!” The boy responded, “I will to each one I put back in the sea.” The mentor program is helping as many children as we have mentors to work with them. It has been done with no negative feedback from parents.

If you would like to be involved as a mentor contact any of the school counselors or jbinder@sterlingschools. org.

Rock Falls volunteers shine

2nd Ave

Children are at risk today for reasons that may be outside the ability of anyone to truly control. Academic difficulties, physical limitations, homes that are disrupted or overwhelmed by work obligations and social pressure can all contribute to substandard performance by students in school. Poor performance in school can be life defining for many children.

Jerry Binder, Sterling Public Schools Director of Human Resources, spent an hour passionately describing how we as a community can help more children improve their performance and in so doing improve their prospects for life.

Jerry, together with Janet Freed, The Parent Assets Coordinator, Ken Burns, The Whiteside County Supervisor of Adult Probation, and the leadership in the individual Sterling Schools developed the Sterling Public Schools Mentor Project.

The 40 Developmental Assets program provides evidence that children with an increased number of positive adult role models experience greater success at every level. The District has respect and appreciation for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program, but costs

are significantly lower with this self-created program.

There are now adult mentors in each school in the district. The mentor will go in around lunch time to eat with the child. The mentor will also engage the student in activities often specifically tied to the 40 Assets programs. There are mentor kits in each school to make this possible. The goal is to impact their school day and help the student be productive.

Each Mentor goes through a background check, finger printing and a mentoring program designed by the School District. At the end of each hour spent with the child a report is filled out by the mentor. Children, Teachers and other staff also provide and evaluate information.

The first year of the program is a success. The Mentors value the experience as much as the children. Data collected shows the children benefit from the interactions. Mr. Binder says, “The tremendous trust

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Health & Beauty

The Doctor is In: Migraines are a big headache for many Americans

Dr. Donald Lewis Special to the Sauk Valley Sun More than 35 million people in the United States suffer from migraines, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a number that amounts to 12 percent of all adults in the country, with 2 to 3 million plagued by chronic cases.

This is not a small problem. The economic impact of this is tremendous because it strikes adults during the most productive working years of their life, taking a big financial toll.

The World Health Organization ranks migraines as the 19th most common cause of disability and states that sufferers use twice the amount of prescription drugs and visit emergency departments twice as often as those who do not suffer from migraines, which can cost patients a lot of money.

In addition to additional drugs and doctor’s visits, the loss of productivity in the United States that occurs because of migraines is calculated to be between $6 –17 billion per year. The average migraine sufferer misses two days of work every year, and although some who suffer from persistent migraines try to work through the attack, it still lowers productivity.

Almost half of those who suffer from migraines have not been diagnosed by a doctor, misdiagnosing themselves with tension headaches, sinus headaches or some other type of headache.

Of those who experience migraine pain, 91 percent are forced to miss work or cannot function normally during their migraine attacks, while more than 70 percent of them have a family history of migraines and 69 percent have consulted a physician, seeking treatment for migraine pain.

Migraines occur most often in women—about 70 percent of cases—and most often in white women between the ages of 35 and 55. Of this total number, 24 percent have gone to an emergency room because the migraine pain was so severe.

The most common symptoms are a throbbing, pulsating headache that occurs in almost all cases — about 90 percent. Light sensitivity and sensitivity to sounds occur in at least 75 percent of people, as well as nausea.

In at least 50 percent, there is blurred vision or vision changes, sometimes even sparkly lights. Some people have an aura, just a feeling that they are going to get this headache. Perhaps a certain smell or certain sensation or a twitch, almost a sixth sense. This can occur in as many as 36 percent. With those who experience nausea, 29 percent will actually vomit.

A migraine is not always a headache. There is also migraine associated vertigo, a type of dizziness, and the symptoms vary. They are sometimes brought on by movement and sometimes accompanied by lightheadedness. In some cases, migraine associated vertigo occurs right before the onset of the headache, sometimes during the headache or as is most common and most bothersome during the interval between attacks when headaches are not present.

For this reason, many

patient’s who experience migraines name the vertigo or dizziness as the worst symptom, more than the headaches. In a landmark study that evaluated 200 patients from a well-known migraine clinic, a dizziness clinic and a control group from an orthopedic clinic, the group who presented with vertigo showed a higher lifetime prevalence of migraines up to 38 percent than did a similar group of patients in the control group

with only 24 percent.

There are certain triggers for migraines, such as aged cheeses, soy products, hot dogs, luncheon meats, red wine, caffeine—whether from too much or from a withdrawal—skipped meals, monosodium glutamate, which is found in some canned processed foods and artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame.

There are also environmental triggers, such as feeling worn down or tired,

being stressed, too much or too little sleep and hormonal changes, which is why 70 percent of sufferers are women. Avoiding these triggers can help decrease the chance of experiencing a migraine, and if you have a headache and fall into this group or if some of these symptoms sound familiar, see your doctor because it might just not be a tension headache or a sinus headache but a migraine.

21

Health & Beauty Helpful grief programs abound locally

By Jill Straw A recent article in USA Today featured the importance of grief workshops following the loss of a loved one. There are several organizations in the area that offer such programs to the general public.

Serenity Hospice and Home, formerly Ogle County Hospice, has a variety of support groups that are open to the public, not just those who had a loved one in hospice.

Movie and Discussion Night is held the first Monday of the month at Serenity Home in Oregon. Serenity Lunch Bunch is the first Thursday of the month in KSB Hospital Dining Area. First Steps is the second Tuesday of the month at various area restaurants. C.A.F.E. (Coffee And Friends, ETC.) meets the second Friday of the month at Serenity Home. Breakfast Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at River’s Edge Inn in Dixon. H.U.G.S. (Helping Understand Grief for Survivors) is held the third Thursday of the month at Serenity Home.

Serenity Hospice and Home also has fund-raising events. Recently, they held a butterfly release fund-raiser for those who had lost a loved one in the last year.

Lynn Knodle, executive director at Serenity Hospice, shared some pictures from that event. Some additional fund-raisers include Angel Treasures Resale Shop in Mount Morris, the Jonathon Knodle Memorial Golf Play Day, the Rick Hahn Memorial Walk/Run and the Garden Luncheon. There is also a Gazebo and Gardens Memorial on Serenity Home’s grounds. Loved ones are memorialized through pavers, wall stones, pillars, benches and trees.

Hospice of the Rock River Valley in Dixon is another organization that offers bereavement groups and individual counseling to the public. Sarah Cebula, a bereavement counselor, said that Hospice of the Rock River Valley offers Camp Love ‘n Loss--Youth Bereavement Day Camp. Other events held by H.R.R.V. include a Memorial Service, Birdies For Charity, and a Memorial Golf Outing.

There is a memorial garden at H.R.R.V. Paving bricks are available for purchase in memory of a loved one.

There is also a garden bridge and pond. Karen Voss provided a picture of the garden. For information about bereavement groups, contact

H.R.R.V. Gaffey Health Service and Hospice, Inc. is a smaller hospice than Serenity and Hospice of the Rock River Valley. Becky Highbarger, social worker at Gaffey Health Service and Hospice, Inc., can do one-onone counseling. She shared that Gaffey Coffee Klatch, which is open to the public, is “geared towards people in community who have lost loved ones.” This group meets the second Monday of every month from 1-2:30 p.m. Becky said that she “tried to have a morning meeting, from 10-10:30, but there was not much response.” She wants to have a candle-lighting service in December, but no date is set yet.

Although not a hospice like the other organizations, Home of Hope Cancer Wellness Center in Dixon offers cancer support groups to the public. The Grief Recovery Method Outreach® is a seven week program that is designed to assist people in completing the pain caused by loss. A Men’s Cancer Group meets the first Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. The Breast Cancer Support Network meets every Thursday at

Memorial Bridge at Hospice of the Rock River Valley.

6 p.m. Emotional and social support is provided for people with an active breast cancer diagnosis and for breast cancer survivors. Kids Coping with Cancer is a support group for children who have a loved one with cancer or who have lost a loved one to cancer. Wellness Services, which include massages, and Guided Imagery are also available. Connie Thimmesch, program manager, said Home of Hope works with the neighboring cancer center.

Serenity Hospice Butterfly Release Memorial Fundraiser.

Karen Voss photo

Serenity Hospice photo

22

Health & Beauty

Good Neighbor Care of Sterling

By Jill Horn Good Neighbor is an independent and assisted living center located in Sterling next to the YMCA. There are Good Neighbor facilities throughout the country. The one in Sterling opened about five years ago. All residents aren’t seniors but the majority of the residents must be 65 or older.

The center has an on call registered nurse 24 hours a day and a certified nurse’s

assistant is always on duty at Good Neighbor. The center doesn’t have therapists on staff but works with different agencies in the area for care for the seniors, such as physical therapy or speech therapy.

There are 61 apartments in all with laundry facilities and pets are allowed. They will be breaking ground soon on the memory care facility, a unit primarily for persons with Alzheimer’s.

Good Neighbor also pro-

vides a calendar full of activities for the residents.

The center also provides transportation to appointments and for entertainment.

They work closely with the families to coordinate travel to these engagements.

When a family contacts Good Neighbor, the senior is given a tour of the facilities and also will be assessed what their needs are. Good Neighbor then decides if they can meet the senior’s needs and what level of care

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ent rates depending on the level of assistance required.

A person can also recover from an illness or hospitalization at Good Neighbor.

This senior would only stay for a short time until he

Courtesy photo

is ready to be on his own again.

If you or a family member is interested in finding out more about Good Neighbor visit www.gncsterling.com or call 815-622-2800.

Armchair Adventures

“My Hawaii, and yours” Colleen Brechon I love Hawaii! I loved it from the moment I walked from the plane into an open air terminal with the soft warm breeze hitting my face. The smell of the plumeria flower lei wrapped around my neck, the sunshine, the palm trees, the ocean and the mountains, the rainbows, the pineapple and mangos and passion fruit, and the friendly happy people.

The aloha spirit was engulfing me and I yearn for it.

It has a corner of my heart.

And, I wish everyone could experience what I feel for my Hawaii. I like to think its mine, but its there for everyone. You just have to go!

It’s the island of Oahu with its tragedy in the Pearl Harbor memorial and the majesty in the grand Diamond Head. It’s the bustling Waikiki beach and tranquil Turtle Bay. It’s the Portuguese malasadas and the Hawaiian poi. Its sunshine and rainbows and tanned bodies, surf boards and luaus.

It’s the island of Maui, Molokai and Lanai and their safe waters for the humpbacks; their modern and traditional mix; their respect for nature and the spirit of their people.

It’s the big island with its volcanic splendor and its Hawaiian mystical traditional ceremonies; its cowboys and its macadamia nut fields; its warriors and its kings; its history and its villages.

It’s the island of Kauai, the first in the chain, the

Waterfall in Akaka Falls State Park, Big Island, Hawaii

greeter to those who cross the waters; its cathedral mountains and its pristine beaches; it’s the island depicted in many movies.

It’s Kahoolawe and Niihau and all those islands

still under the ocean. These islands of incredible beauty which we all can call home for they are our Hawaiian Islands, USA. Aloha and e komo mai..........

Your Hawiian Vacation

For an enjoyable Hawaii vacation, take some time to appreciate your surroundings. Here is my suggestion for a 7-night, 8-day vacation.

• Island of Oahu - 3-nights stay Sights you should consider - Arizona Memorial, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, Polynesian Culture Center, rent a car for a drive around the island.

• Island of Hawaii - Big Island- 1-night stay Sights you should consider - Visit the active volcano, historic sights.

• Island Of Maui - 3-night stay Sights you should consider - Haleakula Crater, Drive the Road to Hana, whale watching cruise, luau, visit island of Lanai or Molokai by local ferry.

All the islands have distinct reasons for a visit.

Contact a Travel Consultants Hawaii specialist to make your vacation perfect,

23

Health & Beauty Developmental movements can assist with developing the brain

Nancy Nesyto-Freske Certified Yoga therapist On my recent yoga therapy training in Calgary, I participated in a three-day training on Primitive and

Postural Reflexes. I wasn’t sure what this entailed, other than the fact that my teacher was very excited about this training. What I learned and practiced was amazing.

During our development in utero, we start developing these reflexes which not only help us learn to become mobile as infants and children (think lifting head to look around, rolling over, crawling, walking and running), but that these movements also help with the development of our brain.

Infants, babies and chil-

dren need to be mobile.

They need to be primarily on their tummy so they can start to develop the ability to lift their head, rock, move limbs, eventually scoot and crawl. Being on tummy can include being “worn” by a parent or caregiver.

What I found fascinating about all of this was, first, how we inhibit these reflexes. We can do this by: • Putting a baby in a chair or swing before they can sit up • Putting a baby in a walker before she is ready to walk • Not allowing baby to

Massage for People Living with Multiple Sclerosis Anita Shore Licensed Massage Therapist Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological disorder in which the immune system attacks the myelin sheaths surrounding the nerve fibers affecting sensory, motor, and cognitive functioning. MS generally targets people between the ages of 20-40 and the symptoms come in cycles of flareups and remission.

Massage is one of the most common complementary and alternative medicines used by people living with MS for symptomatic relief. Massage can be utilized during the remission stage of the MS cycle and should be avoided when symptoms flare. Although massage does not change the progression of the dis-

ease itself, it can offer many benefits: If sensation is present, massage can be useful as an agent against stress. In areas where sensation is not present, a very light massage can be used. Stress has been shown to exacerbate MS symptoms.

To relieve muscle spasticity and to maintain the health/mobility of the muscle tissues, moderate to deeper massage can be used during remission stage. Care must be taken not to over stimulate the central nervous system.

Massage offers a wellbeing approach for the body, mind and spirit which is beneficial in addressing the symptomatic effects of MS and improving quality of life.

Massage can assist in

lowering anxiety, improving a depressed mood and increasing self-esteem and body image.

Massage encourages the release of endorphins and enkephalins which are the body’s natural pain killers.

This is done during the massage by shifting the central nervous system to a parasympathetic state (rest and restore). During chronic stress the central nervous system primarily resides in the sympathetic state (fight or flight).

The effects of massage are cumulative. Your therapist will work with you to establish a schedule that works best for you which includes length of session and frequency of sessions.

If you are unsure if you should receive massage, please consult your doctor.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Tricia Lewis Are you a grandparent who has given up your retirement or your own plans in order to take on diapers, daycare, teacher conferences and everything else that comes along with raising grandchildren?

The U.S. Census of 2000 found that over 2.4 million grandparents have taken on this responsibility for their grandchildren. In the State of Illinois over 200,000 children live with their grandparents. Often grandparents take on this obligation when the children’s parents are unable to care for them.

If you are one of these grandparents, you and your husband probably have made numerous adjustments in order to provide a better life for your grandchildren.

There are several suggestions and ideas that you can use to provide the best pos-

sible care and well-being for your grandchildren, as well as yourself.

It’s important that you take care of yourself and your spouse and not allow either of you to be overwhelmed by your responsibilities. Some suggestions include: 1. Finding a support group or check with your church.

2. Making time for each other.

3. Making Friday your date night.

Depending on the situation, it may take time for your grandchildren to feel safe and secure. There are a number of ways to help them ease their transition into your home: 1. Set up a daily routine for mealtimes, bedtimes and other daily activities.

2. Help your grandchildren feel they are at home by making room for them and their belongings.

3. Set up a few rules and explain them to the children.

You need to enforce them consistently.

4. It is also important that you find shared activities that you can do together with the children. These could include reading, playing a game or learning a sport that everyone can enjoy by either playing or watching and cheering.

5. Get help for yourselves by searching the internet. If you have no computer skills or they are not up-to-date, visit the library.

Many grandparents will say that this is not how they were planning on spending their retirement. But, by stepping up to the plate, most will agree they get great joy from smiling faces that say “Grandpa’s home from work! I need a hug.”

be on the floor to explore his world Other ways the reflexes could be inhibited or not even developed are: • Mother being on bed rest during pregnancy • Premature birth • Cesarean section Some signs that these reflexes could have possibly not been integrated are: • ADD • ADHD • Autism • OCD Other attention problems – inability to sit still, concentrate, etc.

These can be prevalent in

children as well as adults.

The great news is by working with children and adults and teaching them certain repetitive movements, many of these “problems” can be corrected and the reflexes can be integrated.

There have also been studies showing how these movements are effective in halting the advancement of Parkinson’s symptoms as well as those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

I will continue my training in this area and have started working with a few

people to develop and integrate what I’ve already learned. I can see the huge benefits to a large population, using something as simple as repetitive movements.

If you have any questions regarding RMT (Repetitive Movement Therapy), please contact Nancy.

Nancy Nesyto-Freske is a Certified Yoga therapist.

She currently practices in Dixon, IL and has opened a new location in Naperville, IL. Nancy can be reached at 815-509-6479 or Nancy@ journeyyogastudio.com.

Keeping Summer Fun Safe!

Warm weather and sunny days are here! Spending time outdoors or by the pool can be a great way to enjoy summer months with family and friends, but Whiteside County Health Department wants to remind everyone to take precautions to keep their summer fun safe.

Always protect your skin and children’s skin from the sun. As few as two blistering sunburns as a child or teen can increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Most sun exposure, 60-80%, happens before age 18, and parents are responsible for setting healthy sun protection habits for their children by staying out of the sun or using sun protection routinely. Wearing long sleeves, pants, and wide brimmed hats can help protect your skin.

Babies under 6 months of age need extra protection and should not be in direct sunlight. Sunscreen may not be appropriate for babies under 6 months of age, so talk to your pediatrician to discuss sunscreen use and other options. Contact your pediatrician immediately if your baby (under 1 year) gets a sunburn; severe sunburn is an emergency! Children older than 6 months

should use a sunscreen made for children, preferably water-proof. When trying a new sunscreen, first test it on a small area on your child’s back to see if your child’s skin will have a reaction (such as burning or a rash). For all ages, look for “broad-spectrum” sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB rays, with a minimum SPF of 15.

Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin, including the face, nose, ears, feet, hands, and back of knees. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapply every two hours, especially when playing in water. Remember, the sun’s rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can come through clouds on an overcast day.

On hot, sunny days water activities are a great way to beat the heat, but water safety is a must. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause for children 1-14. An infant or toddler can drown in one inch of water in as little as 20 seconds.

It is critical that children of all ages be supervised at all times when around water.

This includes swimming pools, baby pools, five-

gallon buckets, bathtubs, toilets, decorative garden ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, flooded ditches, and anywhere that water collects.

At the swimming pool, appoint an adult to supervise children; even children who have had swimming lessons need supervision!

Young children should wear personal flotation devices (life jackets). Toys, such as blow-up water wings and floating toys, are not safety devices. Keeping pool water clean and free of toys helps improve visibility, making it easier to see a child underwater or in distress.

Pools should be completely fenced in with selfclosing, self-latching gates.

For above-ground pools, keep away ladders, furniture, toys, and other objects that children could climb.

Practicing sun and water safety will help keep your summer fun safe.

Submitted by the Whiteside County Community Health Clinic

24

Health & Beauty Rebekah Lodge donation to CGH Health Foundation

Reagan Run surges through town

2013 Reagan Run champion Paul Zeman, of Belvidere, crosses the finish line with a chip time of 15 minutes and 12 seconds.

Courtesy photos

A $50 gift to the CGH Health Foundation was recently received from Rebekah Lodge members, including (back row from the left) Connie Willhite, treasurer; Harold Peterson, noble grand; Patricia Moore, secretary; and (front) June Hunsberger, chaplain. The group has supported the foundation since 1998, giving a total of $1,175 since then. Their gift supports only the Eyeglasses for Kids Program, which serves about 180 children in the CGH Medical Center service area each year.

Courtesy photo

Benefit Planned For Miracle Boy Nathan Woessner’s Family I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! Nathan Woessner, the sixyear-old boy rescued from under 12 feet of sand at Mt. Baldy is being deemed a local miracle. After three hours of digging, rescuers who expected to find him lifeless, found young Nathan alive. Nathan is recovering very well and astounding doctors.

To help Nathan’s family, members of Rock River Christian Center and Galva Baptist Church, along with other local churches, businesses, and individuals have helped to raise funds to support Nathan’s family with medical and recovery expenses. A benefit for the family has been planned for August 31 at Rock River Christian Center at1800

Prophetstown Road, in Rock Falls, IL. “We chose a fun fair theme with lots of trucks, tractors, activities, and fun,” said Bethany Bland, one of the event volunteers. “Our goal was to organize something that the all ages could participate in. We feel Nathan is a local miracle and people want to help. This is their opportunity to be a part of his amazing story, of his inspirational fight for life.”

Silent auctions, delicious baked goods from Cakes Done Wright and many others will be for sale indoors, while the fun fair and cookout will take place outside. Children can purchase a wrist band for $5 that will allow them to play all day

on bounce houses, rides, see big trucks and tractors, which is Nathan’s favorite, and play games, The group is in the preliminary stages of planning at this time. They are seeking support from the community, individuals and businesses who would like to donate items for the silent auction, bring an activity for kids, or display a truck or tractor. Cards and notes of support for Nathan and his family are being collected

by Rock River Christian Center to be given to the family as well. For more information contact Rock River Christian Center at 815-625-4371.

Reagan Run volunteer Joan Roth displays medals awaiting youth partcipants.

Reagan Run participants surge down Hennepin Avenue in Dixon

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More runners on Hennepin Avenue.

Medals for Reagan Run youth participants.

25

Entertainment Hope Life Center presents Broadway Revue

“Thomas Was Alone” Bobby Dillon Continuing with a focus on independent games that bring something unique to the table, “Thomas Was Alone” offers up more in the way of emotion, characterization and great storytelling than any AAA blockbuster, and it does so without relying on realistic graphics and a bloated budget. This game, instead, bears an aesthetic that is the definition of simplistic.

Each character is represented as, literally, a block.

Every little quadrilateral is a different color, shape and size, each with different skills that they must make use of in order to pass through each level.

“Thomas Was Alone” works heavily with the theme that everyone is good at something, and each character is forced to work together in order to pass through the levels.

Expanding upon this theme, each character has a distinct, interesting personality. The eponymous Thomas is charmingly naive, curious and adventurous and wants nothing more than to have friends. Throughout the game, he is joined by other rectangles who each have unique skills that must be utilized in conjunction with one another.

The gameplay in the game is, honestly, nothing special.

The platforming plays with mechanics that are as familiar as an old friend. That is not to say that it is not fun because it certainly is. What really makes the game a standout, however, is how the story and the gameplay serve to complement one another, and how the story

The group must work together to solve puzzles.

Outdoor Adventure Fest offers free family fun Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013, the Sterling-Rock falls Family YMCA will be hosting the third annual Outdoor Adventure Fest.

The goal of the event is to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. Families will get to experience traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities, all free of charge.

The Outdoor Adventure Fest will offer a mix of information centers and activities, where guests, and especially kids, can learn to fish in the YMCA pool, try out archery, play on giant inflatables or race their parents to the top of a climbing wall. Over 30 activities will be available. In addition to the activities, learning cen-

Staff Judy Bell Publisher

STERLING, IL –Back by popular demand, “Broadway Revue,” presented by the Hope Life Center, will return to the stage at Woodlawn Arts Academy on Friday, August 9, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 10, at 1 p.m.

Featuring a full lineup of Broadway music performed by local talent, the show will include Broadway favorites, including “Seasons of Love,” “Notice Me Horton,” “Marry the Man Today” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

With all proceeds from

Katie Hauck Administrative Manager

“Broadway Revue” benefiting the Hope Life Center, a pregnancy resource center with locations in Sterling and Dixon, tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. Admission is free for children under 5. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at Hope Life Center in Sterling located at 2323 E. Lincolnway, Suite A. Tickets can also be purchased at the door of the Woodlawn Arts Academy, located at 3807 Woodlawn Rd, Sterling, IL 61081.

The gang. From left to right John, Dorothy, James, Chris, Sarah, Thomas and Laura Courtesy photos

to immerse the player into the world of the game. Similarly, the graphics, while simple, are aesthetically brilliant and serve to bolster the game world and story.

“Thomas Was Alone” is a perfect example of the phrase “less is more.” What Bithell has achieved with the game is nothing short of amazing and serves as proof that video games can tackle interesting, mature themes without resorting to violence, sex and foul language, that video games can be just as well written as any novel and that video games do not require photo-realism to be impactful, emotional and, most importantly, fun.

ters will offer critter talks, featuring native animals and zoo animal presentations that run throughout the event.

Don Wood, creator of Outdoor Adventure Fest, believes that “the importance of connecting families and especially children with nature and active lifestyles.” He says, “It is great that an event of this size

is available at no charge and is right here at the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA.” The event opens at noon and runs through 4 p.m. at the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA. Admission, activities and a hot dog meal will be available to all at no charge. Join the fun and connect your family to the great outdoors.

www.saukvalleysun.com

A revue of some of the greatest Broadway music ever written

Dixon Main Street presents JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound and gameplay merge seamlessly to present an experience that will affect all but the most cynical players.

“Thomas Was Alone” was developed by Mike Bithell, using the flexible Unity game engine and had humble beginnings, starting out as a browser-based Flash game. Bithell has since rebuilt the game and published it in the current format to great success.

Initially a PC-only game, it has achieved commercial success and been ported to the Playstation 3 and the PS Vita.

The soundtrack is excellent. The score by David Housden packs each moment with weight and serves

Sauk Valley Sun

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

Ken Hauck VP Operations

Julie Reeder Editor Robert Bell Distribution Manager Joshua Hauck Marketing Representative Production Karina Ramos Art Director Samantha Gorman Graphic Artist Website John Yada Web Developer/IT Support Writers/ Contributors Donald R. Lewis, MD, FACS Carol Chandler, RN Jill Horn Rev. Scott Porter Pastor Jeff Coester Bobby Dillon Spencer Schein Nancy Nesyto-Freske Josh Albrecht Ann Lewis Brad Monson Jill Straw Greg Smith Tom Demmer Patricia Lewis Cody Cutter Larry Hammelman © Sauk Valley Sun, 2013 www.saukvalleysun.com

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound

Downtown Dixon will play host to a new music and food festival on Saturday, August 10, at the Beanblossom Music Festival in downtown Dixon. Featuring JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, Gina Venier & the Gentlemen and many more great musicians, this oneday festival will run from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Beanblossom parking lot in the heart of Dixon’s downtown.

Josh Albrecht, executive director of Dixon Main Street, said the concert will be a great evening of music and food.

“This Beanblossom Festival has a fantastic line-up of musicians, and we are excited to bring another great addition to the downtown Dixon calendar of events,” Albrecht said.

Along with the great music, the event will feature fantastic food by local restaurants Orom and Mama Ciminos.

“We wanted a unique and original experience for the downtown.” Albrecht said, “Utilizing the Beanblossom parking area is a great way to showcase the five bars that surround the area.”

JC Brooks and the Uptown sound are currently

Courtesy photo

touring to support their latest album Howl. Fresh off a performance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, the band continues to tour throughout the Midwest.

Gina Venier & the Gentlemen rocked the Riverfront Stage during Dixon’s annual Petunia Festival on July 5. With a crowd of 3,000 people, Gina showed her hometown crowd what she has been up to while playing gigs throughout the Chicagoland area.

Nate Gordon will open the festival with his acoustic blues/rock sound. Gordon has been playing locally at Rosbrook Studio, Books on First and Musical Fridays.

He has also been touring throughout Illinois and Iowa this summer.

Advance tickets are just $5 at Venier’s Jewelry in downtown Dixon. You can call 815-288-2308 for more information or visit www. dixonmainstreet.com.

“For just $5, people will get to see some really fantastic music by JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound.”

Albrecht said. “They are an up-and-coming band that recently released a new album.”

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26

Business

You don’t have to be a celebrity to ride in a limo

By Spencer Schein Special to the Sauk Valley Sun Shane Walters of Dixon remembers his first ride in a limo and how exhilarating it felt.

“I got in, and it was the most awesome feeling in the world,” Walters said.

And that is how he got the idea to start his own company, Red Carpet Limousine.

“You don’t have to be a celebrity to be in a limo,” Walters said.

Walters takes care of the behind-the-scene activity: answering phones, booking appointments, scheduling the rides and marketing his new venture. The only part of the job he doesn’t do is drive. A hired chauffeur gets behind the wheel.

“It’s a lot classier to have someone else drive,” Walters said.

Red Carpet Limousine has done lots of rides for proms, sweet sixteen parties, Quinceañeras, anniversa-

Shane Walters

ries, even date nights for couples looking for a special ride on their one night away from the kids.

The Limo also shows up for charities, and on Aug. 10, it will be part of the annual Touch a Truck event in Rock Falls, allowing children to climb inside the limo and check it out. Walters will offer free limo rides at the event, from 11 am. to 4 pm at the Rock Falls Riverfront Patio, on Second Street and Avenue A. All this is Walter’s effort to make Red Carpet Limou-

Shane Walters, owner of Red Carpet Limousine, poses in front of his 14-seat Lincoln Town Car, with his daughters, Kaylee, 5, and Maddison, 2.

Spencer Schein photos

Inside Shane Walter’s limousine, riders can enjoy themselves by viewing DVD’s, listening to CD’s, or watching an illuminating show of LED and laser lights.

sine a part of the community, something people will think of when they want to make their event special.

In July Walters entered his 14-seat White 2002 Lincoln Town Car Limo in the annual Petunia Fest Parade.

“I’ve got to bring more candy next year. The guy in front of me ran out of candy, too, so I didn’t feel so bad,” Walters said with a laugh.

used an eight-seat black limo before getting his latest ride, which has five-doors and a sunroof, two CD players, a DVD player, LED lights, a laser machine and a stargazer ceiling.

How soon do customers have to call Walters to book an appointment?

“You’ve got to book rightaway,” Walters said.

Around prom time, the

Walters, originally from Lanark, has two daughters, Kaylee, 5, and Maddison, 2, and fiance, Penny. He used to work at Walmart Supercenter in Sterling, in the grocery area, unloading trucks, and in electronics.

Working for himself has been a goal, and he’s making it happen.

Upon starting the company two years ago, he first

limo was sometimes used three-times a night. If you want Red Carpet Limousine at your wedding, call when you know the wedding date, Walters said.

Rates are $90 for in town and $125 driving within the Sauk Valley Area.

For more info, call Red Carpet Dixon Limo at (800) 306-9183 or go online at www.limodjservice.com.

Spring Cleaning Exchange founder recalls site’s beginnings

By Spencer Schein If you have a Facebook account, more than likely one of your friends has sent you a notice about a group where local people sell things.

Likely it is the Spring Cleaning Exchange for residents of Sterling, Dixon, Rock Falls and the surrounding areas.

“This is definitely the 21st Century-style of ‘garage sailing,’” said Susie Gillen of Rock Falls.

Gillen created the Facebook site three years ago.

She left the day-to-day operations to others after a year and a half. She works parttime in homecare and she with her husband, Jimmy, is raising their three children – Victoria, 7; Isaiah, 5; and Alexia, 4.

“In this technology age, we like to view from the comfort of our home. We

like getting the good deals without having to chase across town for something that may or may not be at a specific sale, or sold before we even get there. We like knowing the cost upfront, and honestly we find it easier to talk to a complete stranger and ask questions about the item via messaging then face-to-face,” Gillen said.

While there are other sales sites on Facebook, the one Gillen founded has the most users, with 11,200 and growing.

The most common item sold by the closed group’s members is clothes. The most popular set of clothes are children’s, followed by women’s. Other items ranging from older cars, bed frames, DVD’s and VHS tapes, TVs, tools, washers and dryers and kitchen appliances are posted daily. Some people even post information

about their garage sales.

Among the odder items you may find at a garage sale are wedding gowns and wedding rings, kilns, tires, purses, kids sports equipment and concert tickets. Car salesmen and REALTORS post items, and the owner of a taco truck posts where they are serving that day.

“The whole idea of the site was sort of a collage of ideas,” Gillen said. “At the time I was a stay-at-home mom of three little kids. Kids at that age quickly outgrow things, such as clothes, toys, even beds. I was looking on craigslist and thought to myself, ‘I wish there was a more personal way from home I could go ‘garage selling’ without having to drag my three little kids everywhere I went.

“Also at that time, as I was talking to friends and telling them what I was looking

for, several would say, ‘Oh, I just got rid of one of those,’ or ‘I just threw one of those away.’ I thought to myself that I should create a site just for my friends to post things they want to get rid of and they could give, swap or sell it.

“The idea of being able to sell and shop garage sale items from home without having to drag little babies from sale to sale really enticed me. That is when I created the Spring Cleaning Exchange,” Gillen said.

After six months the site had more than 8,000 members, and Gillen hired an assistant, who after six months left. Then Gillen said she asked a friend to take over the day-to-day administration. Now there are four site administrators, with Gillen remaining the silent administrator.

The initial idea was to create a simple site to swap, exchange, or sell to local people, and being able to view items online prior to purchase and making extra trips.

“The Spring Cleaning Exchange site has far outreached my expectations, and especially as the site has grown, more rules had to be implemented in order to maintain order, simplicity and of course legalities,” Susie said.

Items that are forbidden to be sold on the Spring Cleaning Exchange include weapons, such as guns, bows and knives; phones; drop-side cribs and animals.

While she is not against weapons, Gillen said she doesn’t want to be held li-

Susie Gillen, bottom, is the founder of the Spring Cleaning Exchange Facebook site. She poses here with her Spencer Schein photos husband, Jimmy.

able for a weapon sold and purchased on the site that is used to harm someone.

Phones have been forbidden after it was learned some people were selling phones that were shut off due to a lack of payment, and the new buyer would find out they had to pay the previous owner’s debt before the phone would operate.

“Sadly people were repeatedly warned about this and still did not comply. With the knowledge that another exchange site has been started specifically for animals, we felt comfortable to remove the sale of animals and point them to that site,” Gillen said.

The Gillen’s have been

married 8 ½ years. Jimmy Gillen works at Custom Monogram of Rock Falls, a family run business owned by his mother, Barbara Gillen.

“The fun part is when I am in public and I overhear people that I don›t even know talking about the site.

I am always running into people saying they got this or that from the Spring Cleaning Exchange,” Gillen said.

As for what she will do next, Gillen said she has been mulling around a few other ideas for other Facebook sites.

To view the site, go to www.facebook.com/groups/ springcleaningexchange/.

27

Business Dixon girl sells bracelets on Facebook to fund camp expenses

Claire made her bead-and-safety pin bracelets by hand.

9-year-old entrepreneur Claire Meeks

By Spencer Schein When Claire Meeks realized she needed spending money for the camp she attended in July, she knew what she had to do.

Claire, 9, and her two brothers Micah, 11, and Eli, 7, have been taught when they want something of an “extra” item, such as a Nintendo Wii, they don’t ask mom or dad for the money, they earn it.

“We have always encouraged our kids to find ways to make money for something they want to buy,” said Michelle Meeks, who with her husband, Nathan, associate pastor at Hope Bible Fellowship in Dixon, raises the family in Dixon.

“Yes, we buy them a lot of things too, but we want them to have a strong work ethic and find creative ways to accomplish their goals,” she said.

For example, Michelle

Spencer Schein photos

said about four years ago her children wanted a Wii. “So they set up a lemonade stand by our house and in about 1-2 weeks, they had earned enough money to buy one,” Meeks said. “The next year, Eli wanted a Nintendo DS. So he set up a lemonade stand while the others were in school, and in less than a week, he made enough to buy one off of eBay,” Eli was only 5-yearsold at the time.

“In addition, they have regular optional chores they can do daily around the home that earn money, aside from their regular responsibilities,” Michelle continued to say.

Claire, the Meeks’ middle child, had an idea to make bead bracelets. She had made one while visiting an aunt at her home in Chicago, “We all thought it was really cute, and it was Claire’s idea to try to make some more and sell them to raise

money for Rock River Bible Camp in July,” Michelle said.

While the parents paid for the camp fee, they wanted Claire to pay for any souvenirs or snacks she wanted.

“She already had some of the supplies to make more bracelets, so she took her spending money and bought the rest of the supplies she needed,” Michelle said.

We thought the best way for her to sell them would be on Facebook, on the Spring Cleaning Exchange page.

Within minutes of posting the photo and information, Claire received two orders.

When Michelle told Claire about how quickly the orders came in, she was excited and surprised.

“It feels amazing that someone wants to buy my bracelets. They take a long time for me to make,” Claire said.

She was equally happy about being in the paper.

“This feels like a dream,” Claire said.

Spring Cleaning Exchange is just one of many Facebook sites people are using to sell, purchase and even trade items.

In many cases the items may be those usually found at a yard sale, such as children’s clothes, toys and

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Sauk Valley Sun

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

bedding material that someone no longer needs. Other people sell books, DVDs, TVs, furniture and even vehicles.

“Over the last few years, we have sporadically used Spring Cleaning Exchange to buy and sell many items to make money for various things,” Michelle said.

Placing her daughter’s bracelets on the Facebook site was a bit personal, too.

One of Claire’s aunts, Katherine Gillen, of Sterling, is

the creator of the web page.

Further stories about people who personally make items they sell on Facebook will appear in future editions of the Sauk Valley Sun. If you would like to be featured as part of this series, send e-mails to sauksun@ gmail.com. Include your contact information, as well as a write-up of what you make and a photo.

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28

Local

Local senior discounts really pay don’t know about you, but I rarely think to ask a business if they have senior discounts, but not anymore!

You should always ask. And if you are reading this and you are not a senior, pass it

on to someone who is. One of the benefits of enjoying those 55+ birthdays is your senior discount, so don’t be afraid to use it.

RESTAURANTS Applebee’s - 15% Off With Golden Apple Card (60+) Arby’s - 10% Off (55+) Burger King - 10% Off (60+) Chili’s - 10% Off (55+) Denny’s - 10% Off (55+) 20% Off For AARP Members Dunkin’ Donuts - 10% Off Or Free Coffee (55+) Golden Corral - 10% Off (60+) Hardee’s - 33 Cent Beverages Everyday (65+) KFC - Free Small Drink With Any Meal (55+) McDonald’s - Discounts On Coffee Everyday (55+) Steak ‘N Shake - 10% Off Every Monday & Tuesday (50+) Subway - 10% Off (60+) Taco Bell - 5% Off, Free Beverages For Seniors (65+) Wendy’s - 10% Off (55+)

GROCERY STORES Hy-Vee - 5% Off One Day A Week (Date Varies By Location) Kroger - 10% Off (Date Varies

By Location)

Holiday Inn - 10% - 30% Off Depending On Location (62+)

RETAIL AND APPAREL Goodwill - 10% Off One Day A Week (Varies By Location) Hallmark - 10% Off One Day A Week (Date Varies By Location) Kmart - 20% Off (50+) Kohl’s - 15% Off (60+) Salvation Army Thrift Stores - Up To 50% Off (55+)

CAR RENTAL Alamo Car Rental - Up To 25% For AARP Members Avis - Up To 25% Off For AARP Members Budget Rental Cars - 10% Off, Up To 20% Off For AARP Members (50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car - 5% Off For AARP Members Hertz - Up To 25% Off For AARP Members

Carol Chandler In today’s economy, it’s very hard to save money, but it doesn’t have to be for seniors if you read the Senior Discounts List! I

TRAVEL Alaska Airlines - 10% Off (65+) American Airlines - Various Discounts For 65+ - Call Booking Agent First Southwest, United, U.S. Airways - Various Discounts For 65+ - Call Booking Agent First RAIL Amtrak - 15% Off (62+) BUS Greyhound - 5% 0Ff (62+) Trailways Transportation System - Various Discounts For 50+

OVER NIGHTACCOMMODATIONS Best Western - 10% Off (55+) Comfort Inn - 20% - 30% Off (60+) Comfort Suites - 20% - 30% Off (60+) Econo Lodge - 20% - 30% Off (60+) Hampton Inn And Suites 10% Off When Booked 72 Hours In Advance Hyatt Hotels - 25% - 50% Off (60+) Marriott Hotels - 15% Off (62+) Motel 6 - 10% Off (60+) Quality Inn - 20% - 30% (60+) CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS AT&T - Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.00 /Month (65+) Jitterbug - $10/ Month Cell Phone Service (50+) Verizon Wireless Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/Month (65+) MISCELLANEOUS Great Clips - $3 Off Haircuts (60+) Super Cuts - $2 Off Haircuts (60+)

Brad’s BEAT

Brad Monson For travelers the Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce (SVCC) has an amazing collection of state maps…and they are free. If you are, or know anyone who is, new to the Tri-Cities, visit the SVCC for a free packet of information including what every good citizen might need to know. Call 815-625-2400 or visit SVCC, 211 Locust Street, Sterling.

Try this on for size: Maria’s Pizza offers a XXL Pizza for an amazingly affordable price and they are

open seven days a week… so any time you have a hankering for pizza…remember Maria’s Pizza in Sterling.

Don’t you just love how the staff at Culver’s in Dixon and Rock Falls greet you both when you come in….. and when you leave! Rah yeah Culvers!

Check out the monthly special at White Pines Restaurant. Each month the restaurant has chosen a special and unique way to celebrate their 25th year of business!

You know there’s a real chef in the kitchen when the raspberry vinaigrette is home-made.

At Martin’s the salad dressing was real. And the food was good…really good.

Thanks, Martin, for your gift of good food to the TriCities!

Speaking of good food, have you tried any of the GREAT LUNCH specials at Galena Steakhouse? Everyone is talking about the very affordable cheeseburgers,

and pork tenderloins! Thanks to Danny, his family and his crew! We all want good affordable lunches, yes!

A band doesn’t make a church…however, it was totally refreshing to hear the band on the steps of The Big Red Church on a recent Fourth Friday evening.

Pastor Jeff loves almost anything that brings people near enough to hear the Word.

And right in the next block on the same night there was a large crowd at Air Play Sports Café. They may… on any given day… have the best scones in the Tri-Cities.

Maybe someone could sponsor a Best Scone Contest?

We’re sure Tim and Rich would be very competitive!

We heard that for a recent morning meeting the leader called ahead and ordered a tray of scones and a “box” of coffee… it was an instantly successful meeting.

Keep those cards and letters coming…..aloha! Brad

Corrections

Two businesses profiled in the July issue lacked contact information. For your convenience and shopping ease here is that important information: K’s Korners is located at 13030 Galt Road, Sterling. Phone number is 815-626-2988.

The Oregon Soap Shoppe is located at

91-C South Daysville Road in Oregon. The phone number is 866-411-6614.

In the Memorial Day feature photo caption, the Oakwood Cemetery was incorrectly named as the Oak Hill Cemetery.

Judy Bell Publisher

29

Local Dixon Rotary’s newest Paul Harris Fellows

[Left photo] Gary Presley, Dixon Rotary President (left) and Linda Giesen, Dixon Rotary Foundation Chairperson (right) flank Krystie Jones, the Dixon Rotary Club's newest Paul Harris Fellow. The honor was presented to Krystie for her tireless efforts within the Dixon Rotary Club to establish and sustain a Rotary-sponsored club for Dixon students.

Rotary's International motto is "Service Above Self." [Right photo] Another Paul Harris Fellow honored on the same day was Don Lovett, shown with Gary Presley (left) and Linda Giesen (right). Don is a long time Dixon Rotary Club member and received the Paul Harris Fellow recognition for his year-long participation in the club's Foundation Education and Courtesy photos Development Program headed by Linda Giesen.

Illinois Renewable Energy Fair

By Jill Horn The Illinois Renewable Energy & Sustainable Lifestyle Fair is Saturday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 18, in Oregon at the Ogle County Fairgrounds. I have been to this fair twice as a vendor and always enjoy looking at everything at the fair. There is something for everyone there. It truly is an eclectic

group of people.

There is a section for “green” vehicles. I see people who have altered an existing vehicle into an electric vehicle (EV) and have their invention there.

There are many different car manufacturers as well who have the latest in EV’s.

There are also people who have their organically grown vegetables and

plants. You can buy local honey and other canned goods from local farmers too. You’ll even find people who make their own soap, and you can get samples.

This is also a good place to go if you’re looking to change some things in your home. If you want to make your home use more renewable energy, there are vendors there who have many

different kinds of products and also workshops on how to do this. Here are some topics from past workshops: “Powering Your Homestead with Renewable Energy,” “Preserving our Prairie Heritage,” “Seed Saving & Dye Plants” and “Making Briquettes from Hay.” These are just a few of the ideas you can hear about at the fair.

This is also a place to find informational materials on many different topics.

There are book vendors as well that will have a considerable amount of literature about topics relating to renewable energy.

As with any fair, there are food vendors there.

It’s not your typical fair food though. It’s healthy food. Some food that I have

sampled in the past: Bread from the Heart – homemade, organic, whole grain breads, cakes and cookies.

The other food vendor I remember trying is Urb Garden, organic local foods and smoothies. Both of these were very tasty.

For more information go to www.illinoisrenew.org.

30

Faith

THE HARDHAT PARENT - What Does It Mean to Obey?

Jeff Coester Pastor of The Big Red Church When I talk about parenting with parents two things drive my thinking. First, parents love their children.

Second, most people don’t need more information.

There are exceptions to both rules, but life is not lived successfully always looking to excuse the exceptions.

The rare parent who does not love will not be changed arguing with me.

If the second idea is true then why write a column?

The answer is simple. Most parents who love their children have all of the basic information they need. They do not need new principles or programs. In most cases the loving parent simply needs to think more deeply about the things they already understand.

We know children need food. We do not need a new method for eating. They consume their food just fine.

We may need ideas about nutrition. Life, sports, work, hobbies and spiritual life are all filled with examples of the same principle. When we think deeply, and our ideas have nuance then we

apply what we know with greater success.

For example, most every parent knows that a child needs to learn habits of intelligent obedience. If we gave a questionnaire asking if you believe it was in the best interest of a child to practice intelligent obedience to their parents. Most would answer YES. The questions this belief should raise in our minds are simple. If we believe that teaching children to intelligently obey their parents is important, then why is this so difficult? Why do we tend to be unsuccessful? …and why do parents who sincerely love their children feel so frustrated?

I simply suggest we cannot teach our children to do or be what we cannot clearly define for ourselves. Most people cannot define what obedience is or is not. We tend to recognize rebellion when it has offended us.

When we wait until we are offended, we respond to our emotions rather than our principles. This is messy and does not teach the child to obey.

Let me list things that I believe teach children how

much disobedience is acceptable, rather than teaching them to obey. Please remember, -- Inability to identify disobedience makes your best effort ineffective -1. Delayed obedience Anything less than a clear showing of INTENT to obey is trouble. If they understand you and do not obey, then you as the parent are on trial.

I say intent because children can be clumsy or unclear on a concept or instruction and fail to obey. They should not ever be punished for a failure to obey if there is any demonstration the intent to obey is present. Failure to obey because of immaturity or lack of comprehension is an opportunity for loving reassurance and instruction.

2. Obedience with a bad attitude – This may be facial, physical or verbal. Defiance can be clever or ugly, but parents train children to know how much defiance is acceptable.

Does the child stalk away when required to do right?

Do they make a face or roll their eyes?

Verbal protests are popular as a punishment for demanding parents.

3. Obedience only af-

ter systems of warning are played out.

People count with varying degrees of pitiful demonstration.

Children learn to identify the pitch or volume that requires obedience.

Threats of deprivation teach them to evaluate their options.

Verbal gymnastics tell them when you are about to flip.

4. Obedience after bribery – If you obey me we will get ice-cream. Just ask yourself this cold question.

What does the practice of bribery teach my child? The answer to that question can’t be good. They should be required to obey with a good spirit. Once they have done so they can be told, I am so proud to buy ice cream for a good child like you.

Whether you agree or disagree, you will benefit from considering this issue deeply. I have just scratched the surface. We will continue this next month.

Rev. Jeff Coester is The Pastor of The Big Red Church in Sterling. Like them on Facebook! Send Questions to hardhat1@ juno.com

CommUNITY VBS Program [Left] St. John Lutheran, St. Paul Lutheran, Grace Episcopal, First Presbyterian and Bethel Reformed church hosted an interfaith Vacation Bible School (VBS), CommUNITY in Sterling in July. Here Pastor Mark Oehlert is giving instructions to the assembled children.

[Right] The evening VBS featured meals by the various churches and a program focused on “getting to know your neighbors.” Rev. Christina Berry, First Presbyterian, said,“it is an amazing model for communities, too.” She said, “We combined to share one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Scott’s Corner Scott Porter

SAINT LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH (174 Years Young!)

211 S. Peoria St., Dixon, IL 61021 • (815) 288-2151

St. Luke's Episcopal Church welcomes you... Join us!

10:15 AM Sunday Service followed by coffee & Fellowship.

Children welcome!

Sunday School 10:00 AM Wednesday Healing Service 10:00 AM

www.stlukedixon.org

I know that Valentine’s Day isn’t until February, but I thought I’d give all the gentlemen reading this a head start. I think Valentine’s Day is a day that needs examination in the age in which we live. When I say “examination,” I mean in a positive way. If there is one thing our society needs today, it’s a dose of caring for one another. Especially in our families. Love is a commodity that seems hard to come by, if you are judging by the news headlines of our day.

Yet I really believe that there is more love around us than we realize. Common ordinary decency is plentiful. The two places that love should abound are in marriage, and in our houses of worship.

Love, abound in marriage?

That might be a question that some cynical types may ask in 2010, or 2000, or 1990, or 1980, or 1970 for that matter.

There always have been, and always will be negative people. I’ve just made the choice to help them, and ignore their depressing negativity. In order for a marriage to grow in the love that was intended, the second aforementioned type of love is needed. The love

of God found at church. My favorite pre-marriage counseling session is on love. In that lesson I point out that in the New Testament, two main types of love are mentioned.

One is from the Greek word Phileo and the other is Agape.

Back in the day, whenever the Chicago Cubs traveled to Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia (phileo) to play the Phillies, the late Harry Caray would bellow, “Welcome to Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love.” That is phileo love. Phileo is “buddy-buddy love. I’ll love you, IF you love me. IF you treat me right, I’ll treat you right, but if there is any type of failure or let down by one, the relationship crumbles.” Too many marriages are built on “phileo-love.” For you see, this type of love in marriage becomes “performance based.”

“As long as the meal is on the table when I get home from work. I love you.” “As long as you mow the lawn and paint the trim. I love you.”

This is performance based, conditional love. There are strings attached.

The second type of love is different. It is an aggressive love. A love that is always abounding. It is based on the nature of the giver, and

never based on the actions or performance of the receiver.

This is AGAPE love. This is God’s love. The kind of love that caused God the Father to send His Son Jesus Christ, to earth. God’s love. This is the type of love that is needed in order for marriages to thrive.

Too often people are only looking for their marriages to SURVIVE. God has provided a way for your marriage relationship to THRIVE, grow, and be exciting. It has been said that marriage will be the closest thing on earth to heaven or hell that we will ever know. I’m so thankful for an angel of a wife that makes my everyday on this planet a little bit of heaven.

By the way, that was a compliment given, expecting nothing in return.

That is exactly what love does. It gives. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Did you catch that? “...God so loved...that He GAVE...” God gave us His best. Sinatra sang it well.

Love and marriage DO go together like a horse and carriage. You can’t have one, without the other!

31

Opinion Jernigan Concerts a success!

AFFORDABLE LIVING Dixon, Lyndon, Morrison, Mt. Morris, Freeport, Poplar Grove, Galesburg & the Quad Cities

Hospice of the Rock River Valley thanks the community Dear Editor: Hospice of the Rock River Valley, a United Way Agency, thanks everyone who participated in the 11th annual Hospice of the Rock River Valley (HRRV) Golf Outing on Friday, June 28.

Thank you to the many sponsors who contributed to the HRRV golf outing -- Sandrock/Mickley Insurance Agency; CGH Medical Center.; Astec Mobile Screens; Wahl Clipper; Sterling Multi-Products; Wipfli LLP; Medical Products Group; Sauk Valley Media; Sterling Chevrolet;Verifacts; Tettens Grain, Inc.; Office Machine Consultants; HALO Branded Solutions/

Mark McGuire; Servicemaster; Miller, Lancaster, & Walker; Sterling Federal Bank; Select Employees Credit Union; Law Office of Theron Burall; BorgWarner; Rock Falls Vision Source; Pete Harkness Auto Group; Raynor Manufacturing; Farmer’s National Bank; The Medicine Shoppe; Freedom Bank; Dixon Ford Lincoln Volkswagen Mazda; and Smeltzer Insurance.

Thanks to the many golfers and teams who participated in the outing and all the prize donors for your continued support and generosity. Thank you to Emerald Hill Golf Course, the staff, and the volunteers who

assisted in making the outing a great success.

All proceeds from the golf outing benefit individuals and families transitioning through serious illness, death and grief. Hospice of the Rock River Valley services have been offered free of charge for over 30 years to residents of Lee, Whiteside, Bureau, Carroll and Ogle counties.

Sincerely, Karen Voss, Marketing Director and Carolyn Spencer, Executive Director Hospice of the Rock River Valley Hospice of the Rock River Valley Dixon, IL

Hauck Homes, Inc. 291 Illinois Route 2 Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2000

Editor’s Note: Opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sauk Valley News staff. We invite opinions on all sides of an issue. If you have an opinion, please send it as e-mail to sauksun@gmail.com. All letters must include the author’s name, address and phone number. The Sauk Valley Sun reserves the right to edit letters as necessary to fit the publication’s format.

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32