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VETERANS DAY

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

Monday, November 11 see page 7

November 2013 | Vol. 1 Issue 8

ST. LUKE’S CELEBRATES 175 ANNIVERSARY TH

INSIDE

24th Annual Festival of Trees Gala Evening The Gala will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16 at The Brandywine Banquet Center. The Festival of Trees is thrilled to have CGH Medical Center as this year’s presenting sponsor, along with gala sponsor US Bank. see page 7

President Reagan: the veteran, politician, realist and visionary A speech given in Freeport by Ann Lewis, celebrating President Ronald Reagan. see page 8

Bishop Jeffrey Lee from Chicago, officiated at the choral service and invited everyone for a group photo.

Eris Lightner photo

It was a festive and celebratory time at St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Dixon as almost 100 people joined together for the church’s See page 23 175th anniversary.

Stay safe and comfortable by maintaining your furnace Though we don’t live in the pre-colonial Land of Lincoln, preparing for winter is still about survival.

The way to survive in the Midwest is to retain heat. see page 20

Local

Pets

Entertainment

Home & Garden Sports

Business

Just ducky! Julia Heller is raising three ducks in Duane Paulsen’s backyard.

“Fleas are a nuisance for the holidays,” says Dr. Haenni, DVM

Sauk Valley Community Concert Association Season in Full Swing

John Deer tractor in Holland does more than “tiptoe through the tulips”

CGH celebrates remodeled Digestive Disease Center and groundbreaking for new Emergency Department see page 27

see page 12

see page 24

(815) 288-3366

see page 17

Sterling teen a member of the Illinettes dancers team

see page 11

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Local

Brad’s Beat

Brad Monson So…. this is a test: How many seats are at Knie’s Appliance and Furniture

store in Sterling? More than 500? More than 600? If you are a careful and observant reader of this newspaper, you read the advertisements.

We asked Mark Knie and he counted the seats….there are more than 700 seats!

Thank you Mark for your continuing support and your collaborative spirit. Also, we salute you for your many years of work on behalf of animals. We hope the Fur Ball is a fabulous (howling?) success!

If you don’t laugh, you’d cry when you encounter an error, yes? Well, imagine our anguish as we sought to spell Carolyn Dunphy’s first name correct in this column and blew it with the last name. OMG…we almost cried. Thankfully, Larry and Carolyn Dunphy, First Avenue Books, Dixon, are gentle and forgiving folks.

Businesses in the Sauk Valley that make our Tri-

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Cities so special are often those that give time and resources to serving. The Latin American Social Club in Sterling is sponsoring a Veterans Information Forum 5 pm-10 pm on November 16. The event is open to all veterans.

Have a beverage on football Sundays at Johnny’s Bar & Grill, Sterling, and you’ll enjoy a FREE TACO BAR, too! The folks at Gazi’s in Rock Falls recommended Johnny’s Bar and Grill to us. Thanks Jimmy, Mama, Tara and all. We appreciate you!

No one wants to spend more on utilities than you have to, right? So you could consider talking to Accurate Heating and Cooling in Dixon so they might assess your home’s heating devices so you receive the most heat for the least cost. It just might save you money.

Do you have any people on a hard-to-buy-for gift list? We do…and one answer is at the Blue Heron Crystal and Minerals Shop, Dixon. We were amazed at the selection, price and value. Also there are no duplicates…so no

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Linda Brantley and family, Trein’s Jewelry and Rick Curia, Ken Nelson Auto Group…the TriCities give you a “standing ovation” of gratitude for sponsoring the amazing “Orchestra Goes to the Movies” concert with The Metropolis Symphony Orchestra of Chicago conducted by Tim Boles. What a gift you provided to our communities!!!!!!!!

Keep those cards and letters coming…aloha, Brad.

Publisher’s Note

Critters, Cookies and Communities Judy Bell Publisher Critters, cookies and what is happening in our communities are common conversational topics as weather and seasons transition. When we share our common experiences…especially the successes, we all benefit.

Lots of our animal companions are cute…and they can’t help it if they also qualify as a nuisance.

“Chipy” the chipmunk is adorable…unless the little cute thing and friends become an infestation. One man’s solution is a oneanimal trap. He traps the critters and releases them in a 250-acre park near his home believing they will be happier in the park… and minimize damage to his home’s foundation.

When the deer become “Oh dear, more deer” because of their appetite for hostas, White Pine trees,

and almost everything else edible, what do you do?

Seriously, what do YOU do? Send your success in protecting flowers and foliage from deer by e-mail: sauksun@gmail.com; or snail mail, Sauk Valley Sun, PO Box 678, Dixon, Il 61021. We will print your suggestions…and help those in our community with the similar situations. Wow… what would it be like not to worry about deer devastating your landscaping this year!

We all know some who feed squirrels. Some don’t feed squirrels because they have found them all too interested in eating their way into cozy garages, etc.

If you’ve found a way to bid adieu to these acrobatic and incessantly hungry creatures, tell us…all 50,000 of us!

Cookies….stay tuned for cookies that we know you’ll love in our December Holi-

day Issue with a clever and delicious idea of how to get to know your neighbors.

This feature will include recipes for cookies! As a parody of the famous “Good fences make good neighbors”…. We’d say a batch of cookies is a good way to welcome new neighbors and get reacquainted with others. More in December.

When asked about our mission our response is simple: we exist to serve our Tri-Cities of Rock Falls, Sterling and Dixon. Whatever happens that is of concern, interest, is problematic or a success worthy of imitation…we pass this along to inspire those we serve.

What would you like to see done, done better or changed? Use the Sauk Valley Sun to communicate your concerns and ways to make our communities better.

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DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

3

Walking trails offer familyfriendly relaxation and exercise Lonnie Miller Walking is one of the easiest, least expensive forms of exercise and relaxation available.

Almost anyone can participate with just a decent pair of walking shoes, and a jacket for this fall weather. In the Dixon area, we have an abundance of beautiful outdoor trails.

Dogs are welcome on all Dixon Park District outdoor trails but must be on a leash at all times, and dog owners MUST remove dog droppings from trails and park areas.

In-Dixon Trails A paved parking lot at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Bradshaw Street provides parking to explore intown trails. Signed city streets lead from the Bradshaw parking area to the entrance of the multi-use trail on Boyd Street by the Dixon Family YMCA. Accessible ramps lead you safely under both the Galena and Peoria Avenue bridges.

In between the bridges, you’ll enjoy the only statue of Abraham Lincoln in military garb and the historic Lee County Old Settler’s Log Cabin.

Past the Peoria Avenue bridge the trails leads you into Page Park. Page Park offers tennis courts, boat access, picnic shelter, and bank fishing.

The recently-constructed Peoria bridge provides a designated bike trail lane on the west side of the bridge. This leads to the beautiful Dixon Riverfront. Don’t miss the statue of President Ronald Reagan on horseback. Enjoy a break at one of the convenient tables - restrooms are also available.

Heritage Walk is comprised of four routes. Each is named for its place of origination, at the YMCA, KSB Hospital, River Front, or the Dixon Park District. The combined routes create a square trail that runs along both sides of the river and across both bridges, offering spectacular views of the Rock River. Most of the routes are separated from automobile traffic to assure a safe, familyfriendly place to exercise.

Lowell Parkway Trail This well-loved and popular paved trail (3.5 miles) begins at the paved Washington Avenue parking lot. Hikers, bicyclists, walkers, joggers, wildlife watchers, persons in wheelchairs, and babies in strollers are welcome to use Lowell Parkway Trail. There are benches placed along the pathway and a permanent outhouse is located at the junction of the Lowell Parkway and the gravel Meadows Trail. There is a covered picnic bench at this site. There is a water fountain on the Lowell Parkway between the Washington Avenue parking lot and the junction with Meadows Trail.

Lowell Parkway Trail leads to the beautiful, 200-acre Lowell Park. A paved spur leads directly into the park. In the park you will find over five miles of paved roadways available for bicycling plus many hiking trails. Sorry, but to maintain tranquility, bicyclists are not allowed on non-paved hiking trails in Lowell Park.

Snowmobiles and horses are not allowed in Lowell Park for the same reason.

Meadows Park Trails The gravel and grass trails of the 567-acre Meadows Park offer great opportunities for horseback riding, crosscountry skiing, walking your dog, bicycling, and wildlifewatching. Snowmobiles are restricted to the marked gravel trails in the Meadows. Trail map kiosks are located in this parking lot and at the junction of the Meadows Trail and the Lowell Parkway Trail (by the outhouse). Trails are colorcoded with colored trail markers. A gravel parking area for horse and snowmobile trailers is located off North Brinton Avenue. You are welcome to park horse trailers on the gravel or on the mowed grass areas. A water hydrant is available as are picnic tables. Please follow the grass/gravel trail past the football, roller hockey, and soccer fields. Please respect farm fields during the growing season; do not ride or walk through any planted fields.

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There are horse hitching posts at convenient locations. Please do not tie horses to trees for extended periods of time. A portion of the gravel Meadows Trail meanders along Rock River. Whitetail deer are a common sight as are turkey vultures floating overhead among the clouds. Redtail hawks, bluebirds... the list of native wildlife, including butterflies, is endless!

The Stengel Trail Named in memory of the late Joe Stengel, this trail begins at Lowell Park Road,then travels a short stretch to Penrose Prairie. The Stengel Trail is a mixture of packed gravel, grass, and railroad ballast. The trail surface is comfortable for all but very narrow-tired bicyclists. Rest benches are placed along the trail. Please respect both Penrose and Gee’s Grove prairie areas. Do not travel off the trail in these locations. Both sites contain rare and unusual, native, prairie flowers, and grasses.

The Dixon Park District is in the process of creating a grass parking area on the north edge of Woosung where the Stengel Trail begins once again.

Another grass lot is located on Judson Road on the south edge of Polo. Both lots are available for horse and snowmobile trailers plus cars and trucks. The city of Polo provides a trail that passes through the center of town. It is approximately nine miles between Polo and Woosung. On the north edge of Polo, a short stretch of the Stengel Trail ends at Fairmount Road.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact the park office at 815284-3306 or at 804 Palmyra Street. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9 am - Noon and 1 - 4 p.m. Or-look on their website: www.dixonparks.com

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A small farms workshop will be held Saturday, November 2, from 9 am to 3 pm at Sauk Valley Community College, 173 IL Rt. 2, in Dixon, IL. The keynote speaker, Bill Wilson, Midwest Permaculture will speak on “Small Scale Permaculture Farming”.

One of the breakout sessions will be Preserving Community Pollinators for Local and Regional Food Production. Susan & Steve Kivikko, Ag in Progress

nutritional plants.

Participants will be able to choose three breakout sessions for the day. Topics and registration can be done at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw The fees are $30.00 per person or $40.00 per couple which include lunch and handout material.

Register by October 28. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact our unit office at 815-835-2070.

Partnership, will discuss the importance of pollinators for specialty crops, and steps to utilize, enhance and protect them for the needs of what you are growing. Their focus will be on the biology and behavior of honeybees which will give the grower a greater understanding in order to maximize yields; Driftwatch and IllinoisBees. com and the communications tools available, and various ideas for planting protective borders and other

4-H Clover the Town 2013 University of Illinois Extension 4-H Program has started a new promotion technique called “Clover the Town” to get the community excited about National 4-H week and to learn more about what 4-H has to offer. Every year

Whiteside County 4-H will “Clover” a new town in Whiteside County. This year we have “Clovered” the town of Rock Falls.

Some of the businesses involved are as listed: Culvers, Arby’s, Folsom’s Bakery, Wheelock Furniture, Rock

Falls Library, Snowtronics, Casey’s, Hardees, US bank, Wizard of Paws grooming, and Selmi’s. To learn more about what 4-H has to offer contact the Extension Office at 815-835-2070 or email lancast@illinois.edu.

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Whiteside County Master Gardeners have been busy all summer with various programs/projects. Gardening programs were held in conjunction with the 4-H summer program at 4 area day cares, with Master Gardener’s providing expert gardening instruction covering planting

to harvest. In addition, a gardening club was established at Self Help Enterprises; “Serving people with special needs since 1964.” This program’s success is due in part to the generous donation of the Scotts Hyponex Corporation. Garden Club Members were led by Master

Gardeners and Self Help staff in the process of amending the soil, planting seeds and plants, weed control, watering practices and harvesting.

This program will continue next year with an additional care and cooking component provided by the Food & Nutrition Program.

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Local

Sauk Valley Man Explains Civil War Re-enactment Way of Life village is the headquarters of his light artillery unit.

Acuff is an avid Civil War re-enactor and a member of the Chesnut Light Artillery Unit – named

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“There are two in existence: one in West Point and one in my garage,” Acuff speaks of his Billinghurst Requa Battery, a carriage-mounted rack of heavy caliber rifle barrels.

“I knew the man who had it built around 1970, and knew everyone who’s ever owned it. I bought it six years ago.”

Acuff says his involvement in Civil War re-enactments began as a hobby four years ago, but is now a habit.

“It’s definitely a lot of commitment to weekends,” Acuff laughs. “We travel usually three or four hours to get to the re-enactments.

Some are national events like Gettysburg and Shiloh.

I’ve even been to England.”

“It takes a kind of dedication to focus on a 5-year period of history,” Acuff explains. “There are people who go out to burn powder,

but most people have done a lot of research on whatever unit they represent.”

Acuff determined what uniform he would wear after doing some research of his own. “Shortly after getting involved, I started doing genealogy and found the majority of my family was Confederate. I belong to the Sons of Confederate Veterans now, too.”

The unit Acuff is a member of is its own community, and hosts activities for the wider community.

“Each unit is separate, decides where to go and what to do,” Acuff says. “Some units are all male, others are family-oriented. It’s like a big family.”

“We had a re-enactment in Princeton … and in Utica, we are doing a parade and a ceremony for Veterans Day. The Sunday closest to December 7, we do a program for Pearl Har-

bor survivors. During the winter, we have a display to take to schools and civic organizations,” Acuff says of the community activities his unit hosts.

Acuff says there is Civil War-related history in the Sauk Valley many people are not aware of. “Lee County is named after Robert E. Lee’s father – [Henry] ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee – a Revolutionary War hero.”

The cannon resting near the Lee County Courthouse “was built for [President] Lincoln’s visit,” explains Acuff.

The Sauk Valley is full of Civil War history – in a name, on display on a public lawn, and tucked away in a La Moille garage – and people like Mike Acuff of the Chesnut Light Artillery Unit help bring that history to life for those not in blue or grey uniform.

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7

Local

Embracing our heroes… We honor our veterans each November Rev. Scott D. Porter November 11th is Veteran’s Day. I dedicate today’s column to all of America’s veterans.

Army Cpl. Frank W. Buckles died on Feb. 27, 2011, at the age of 110. He was the last of the 4.7 million Americans who fought in the Great War nearly a century ago. He now rests with his comrades at Arlington National Cemetery.

Having joined the ranks of American doughboys at the age of 16 — after being turned down by the Marine Corps for being too small, and rejected by the Navy for having flat feet — Buckles

finally convinced an Army captain that he was old enough to enlist. He was so eager to join the conflict that he volunteered to serve as an ambulance driver, having heard that this would place him on a fast track to the front lines in France, where he did indeed come face to face with the ghastly toll of war as he transported the broken bodies of his comrades.

Over two decades later, during World War II, while serving as a civilian shipping contractor in the Philippines, Buckles was captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war for more than three years.

He lost over 50 pounds during his imprisonment, surviving on a daily diet of only a small amount of mush served in a tin cup the size of a coffee mug that he kept the rest of his life. And now that Buckles is no longer with us, our last link with his generation of warriors has quietly slipped away.

Of the nearly 15 million who served during the Second World War, approximately 1.4 million remain with us, and approximately 1,000 of these pass away with each day. Today, the vets who march beside them are those from: Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, and the

ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan — a total of more than 21 million veterans living among us.

So, this month of Veterans Day I would like us all to take that moment to embrace the heroes that have served us so long and so well. We remember those who were called upon to give all a person can give, and we remember those who were prepared to make that sacrifice if it were demanded of them in the line of duty, though it never was. Most of all, we remember the devotion and gallantry with which all of them ennobled their nation as they became champions of a noble cause.

We honor our veterans with a love that endures.

Our nation itself is testimony to the love our veterans have had for it and for us.

Our liberties, our values, all for which America stands is safe today because brave men and women have been ready to face the fire at freedom’s front. And we thank God for them.

We see these men and women and know them once again -- and know how much we owe them, how much they’ve given us, and how much we can never fully repay. And not just as individuals but as a nation, we say we love you.

To our veterans, I want to

say: “My young friends -yes, young friends, for in our hearts you will always be young, full of the love that is youth, love of life, love of joy, love of country -- you fought for your country and for its safety and for the freedom of others with strength and courage. We love you for it. We honor you. And we have faith that, as He does all His sacred children, the Lord will bless you and keep you, the Lord will make His face to shine upon you and give you peace, now and forever more.”

Thank you all, and God bless you.

24th Annual Festival of Trees Gala Evening Join Hospice of the Rock River Valley, a United Way Agency, for an elegant celebration of the holiday season by attending the Festival of Trees Gala.

The Gala will be held on

Saturday, Nov. 16 at The Brandywine Banquet Center. The Festival of Trees’ presenting sponsor this year is CGH Medical Center, along with gala sponsor US Bank. The Festival of Trees

and the Gala celebrates the holiday season and is filled with fun and festivity that reflects the essence of hospice – family, friendship, community and caring.

The evening will begin

at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails & hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Following the silent auction, participants will enjoy a lovely sit down dinner and a dessert & live auction. All proceeds from

the Festival of Trees and the Gala benefit patients and families of Hospice of the Rock River Valley.

Reservations can be made by calling 815-288-3673.

Tickets are $50 per person

or $400 for a table of eight.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 815-288-3673 or visit www. hospicerockriver.org. Reservations are due by Nov. 1.

Fundraiser to be held for Holiday Designs & Desserts Granny Rose Animal Shelter Show during Hospice On November 2, 2013, ers in the area, are auctioned ning at 7:30 pm.

Festival of Trees Granny Rose Animal Shel- off to raise additional funds Attire for this event can ter will be hosting the 12th Annual Fur Ball at Brandywine, 441 Illinois Route 2, Dixon, Illinois. This is an evening of silent auctions, music, food, fun and more to benefit the stray and homeless animals at the Granny Rose Animal Shelter in Dixon, Illinois.

In addition to the silent auction, one of the evening’s highlights will be the annual dessert auction. Some of the best desserts, from some of the finest bakeries and bak-

for the shelter.

Limited seating is available for this event. Advanced reservations are required and must be made by 10/28/13. Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased at the Granny Rose Animal Shelter, 613 River Lane, Dixon, Illinois. Call the Granny Rose Animal Shelter at 815-288-PETS (7387) for more details.

Cocktails and silent auction begin at 6:30 pm with buffet style dinner begin-

be anything from Levis to Lace … just come and have a good time!

Granny Rose Animal Shelter is a 501 (c) (3) notfor profit organization that relies on local charitable giving and fundraisers, such as this, to raise the funds necessary to provide shelter, health care and find new loving homes for the stray and abandoned cats and dogs in the Lee, Ogle and Whiteside County area.

Where did some of our everyday phrases originate?

Jill Straw Do you have an ax to grind or a bone to pick? Perhaps when the coast is clear, you will join the club. No use crying over spilled milk during the dog days. Each of these are phrases that can be used in everyday speech. But the meaning behind them may not be known.

To have an ax to grind is to have a concealed personal interest in a matter.

This phrase originated with a story told by Benjamin Franklin. When Franklin was young, a man who admired his father’s grindstone asked how it worked. As Franklin turned the wheel, the man positioned his ax on it. As the wheel was turned more, the man praised Franklin.

Once the ax was sharpened, the man laughed and walked away.

A bone to pick with someone suggests matters of dispute. A heated argument can often follow. To understand the origin of this phrase, picture two dogs fighting over a bone.

The phrase “when the coast is clear” came from the southern coastline of Britain during the time when smuggling was common in this area. It was important to assure that the coast was clear of intruders and informers. Smugglers would invent stories of phantom ships and embellished legends to frighten officials and outsiders away.

When someone invites you “to join the club,” a shared experience is being acknowledged. Similarly, when a person complains about an experience, it will be discovered that others have suffered through the same

situation. The word “club” comes from the old English word “clubbe,” which refers to an association of people, bound by a common interest, who meet socially and have drinks and meals together.

It is no use crying over spilled milk. This phrase comes from the mid-17 th century and reminds us that it is useless to bemoan the past.

The dog days of summer refers to the hottest days of the year, typically during July and the first half of August.

The origin of this phrase has nothing to do with our four-footed pets and how much they sleep during heat waves. In ancient times, these hot days were thought to be under the influence of Sirius, the dog star.

Neil Ewart’s “Everyday Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings” is the source consulted for this article.

Hospice of the Rock River Valley, a United Way Agency, Annual Festival of Trees holiday event begins Tuesday, November 19 at Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling. The Holiday Designs and Desserts decorating show with Jim Behrens will be our evening event on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Woodlawn. Jim is an accomplished floral designer who will offer holiday decorating tips during this special program.

The Holiday Designs and Desserts decorating show is a perfect opportunity to learn holiday hints from a professional and at the same time is a great way to learn about new holiday decorating trends. Jim’s shows

are always fun and full of inspiration, which will have you wanting to make your home holiday ready as soon as possible! If you have not attended this show in the past, mark your calendars for November 20 and call your friends. This is a great way to get some professional decorating tips while having fun and visiting the Festival of Trees at the same time.

The Holiday Designs and Desserts show will be held November 20 at Woodlawn Arts Academy from 7-9 p.m. Limited table seating is available for this special event and advance ticket purchases are highly recom-

mended. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Hospice of the Rock River Valley, Behrens Blumen Stuff in Rock Falls, and the Dixon and Sauk Valley Chamber of Commerce Offices. For more information, call 815-288-3673 or visit www.hospicerockriver.org.

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8

Local

President Reagan: the veteran, politician, realist and visionary celebrated in Freeport ceremony A speech given in Freeport by Ann Lewis Thank you for inviting me to this special plaque and tree dedication at this beautiful facility here in Freeport. I bring greetings from Dixon Tourism, the Reagan Boyhood Home and the Ronald W. Reagan Society at Eureka College.

I have a personal connection with Freeport. During World War II, my dad, W.C. Fields, was a radioman on the U.S.S. Putnam, named after Charles Putnam who was born here in Freeport in 1854. Putnam entered the Naval Academy at age 14 and served primarily in the Far East and North Pacific.

In 1881, he took supplies by dog sled to the survivors of a burned ship at St. Lawrence Bay, Siberia. On his return to the supply depot, he missed his way in a blizzard and drifted out to sea on an ice-floe never to be seen again. The USS Putnam was at Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Tokyo Bay. Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, used the Putnam as his flag ship on several occasions.

I moved from Florida to northern Illinois with my husband in December, 1998.

I found a rich history in this state. Four presidents came from here: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Ronald Reagan and Barak Obama.

Of course, the only one born in Illinois was Mr. Reagan.

Today, I will give you Ronald Reagan’s timeline and the evolution of his thinking about freedom and the conflict of Americanism vs. Communism that has been a part of the international political scene since Stalin’s purges in Russia in 1938.

Ronald Reagan’s grandparents, both the Reagans and Wilsons lived in Fulton, IL and are buried there. I have heard that some distant cousins from Fulton moved

Ann Lewis

to Freeport in the 1940’s but I cannot verify that. I do know that Freeport resident Ruth Reiter was one of the founders of the Ronald Reagan Fan Club in Illinois.

Nancy Reagan attended a fundraising event for State Senator Harlan Rigney at the Freeport Masonic Lodge during Reagan’s lst presidential run.

Mr. Reagan’s parents, Jack and Nelle Wilson, were born in Fulton and married there. Dutch Reagan was born in Tampico. He got that nickname from his dad who said he looked like a little Dutchman when he was born.

In his early years, the Reagans moved many times from Tampico to Chicago, Galesburg, Monmouth, back to Tampico and finally at age 9, the Reagans settled in Dixon which Reagan

would call home until he was through college. Three weeks after they arrived, he and his brother, Neil, got library cards from the Dixon Library. Reagan loved reading and this beautiful library is an appropriate place for this plaque. In 1995, Mr. Reagan wrote: “A library has a single overriding purpose, to connect us with the people and places, ideas and experiences that enrich our lives and deepen humanity.”

Mr. Reagan’s faith was fostered by his mother, Nelle, who read the Bible to her sons and demonstrated first hand by being a Sunday School teacher at the First Christian Church and by preaching at the local jail. When out-of-town prisoners were released on Sunday and there was no bus service, she would invite them to spend the

night at her home. Dutch was baptized at First Christian. He became a Sunday School teacher there and even preached a few times from the pulpit.

All of his education was in Illinois, in Dixon public schools and Eureka College.

Whether in high school or college, he got involved.

He was the student body president. He was involved in sports and the drama club. During high school and college, he spent 7 summers lifeguarding at Lowell Park. Because of the deceptive undertow of the Rock River, he saved an average of 11 people per summer or a total of 77. As an aside, I am working with a Hollywood producer to make a family friendly film called Lowell Park which has a young female college student go back in time to meet Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. It will present Lincoln and Reagan in their 20s to appeal to a young audience. We are negotiating with the Olympic gold medal gymnast, Shawn Johnson, who also was the youngest to win Dancing with the Stars, to play the female lead.

At Eureka College, Reagan majored in economics and sociology. He was on the track, football and swimming teams, active in drama and student government. In fact his first political speech was in his freshman year in the fall of 1928. When the U.S. economy was in a downturn, Eureka College began to make cuts in classes and instructors.

The seniors were concerned that they may not be able to graduate, so they called for a rally for students, faculty, administration and trustees to voice their concerns. It became known as the “Student Strike.”

The Eureka College seniors selected freshman, Ronald “Dutch” Reagan to be the student voice. Years later, Howard Short, who was one of those seniors was asked why they selected a freshman to speak for the seniors. He replied that “there was just something special about the kid, a look in his eyes, he believed and he made you believe.”

Students did go on strike and the college made arrangements assuring that all seniors would be offered the classes they needed to graduate.

After college, in 1933, Reagan became a radio announcer and at 22 years old, he moved to Des Moines to work for WHO, a 50,000 watt station heard through-

out the Midwest. During his time in Des Moines, he joined the Army reserve in a cavalry unit where he became a second lieutenant.

At 26, the ham in him turned into bacon and in 1937, he was signed on by Warner Brothers, eventually making 57 movies and hosting Death Valley Days and the GE Theatre on television.

When WWII, broke out, Reagan went on active duty.

He wanted to fly planes, but his nearsightedness limited him to stateside duties. The Army Air Force assigned him to their film unit. This unit made 300 training and propaganda films and edited 3,000,000 feet of combat footage. He also participated in the war bond drive. When he was separated from active duty in 1945, he was a captain.

After the war, Reagan became active in the Screen Actors Guild, serving as its president for 8 years.

In 1947, Reagan went to Washington to appear before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities. From his answers, we can see that Reagan was laying the foundation for a life-time goal of bringing down Communism.

When asked by Representative Stripling what he felt should be done to rid the motion picture industry of any Communist influence, his answer was: “Sir, I detest, I abhor their philosophy, but I detest more than that their tactics... are dishonest, but at the same time I never as a citizen want to see our country become urged, by either fear or resentment of this group that we ever compromise with any of our democratic principles through that fear or resentment. I still think that democracy can do it.”

In the 1950’s, Reagan served as a spokesman for GE, touring all of their plants around the country, hearing what the working men and women had to say. Reagan had been a life-long Democrat, but his philosophy started to shift.

Nikita Khrushchev took leadership in the Soviet Union from 1953-1964 and tension ran high.

In 1961, Reagan spoke before the Chamber of Commerce in Phoenix. This speech was the source of your plaque’s quotation: “Our Founding Fathers, here in this country, brought about the only true revolution that has ever taken place in man’s history. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another set of rulers. But only here did that little band of men

so advanced beyond their time that the world has never seen their like since, evolve the idea that you and I have within ourselves the Godgiven right and the ability to determine our own destiny.

But freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same.

And if you and I don’t do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”

In 1962, Reagan joined the Republican Party. At the 1964 Republican National Convention, he delivered the famous “Time for Choosing” speech. On a national platform, he revealed his beliefs that would be with him for the rest of his life: ”We’re at war with the most dangerous enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars. ...Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory... They say if we’ll only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he’ll forget his evil ways and learn to love us. You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.”

This launched his political career. In 1967, he ran for governor of California and served two terms.

In 1975, as Reagan left Sacramento, he announced his candidacy for President, but Gerald Ford won the Republican nomination.

Between 1976 and 1979, Mr. Reagan worked on his ranch, gave speeches, did radio commentaries and wrote a weekly newspaper column. During that time in 1978, he came to Dixon for an all-class Dixon High School reunion.

In the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev served as Chairman from 1964 to 1982. He was no better than Stalin; a vain man who believed that only socialism could bring about scientific and industrial progress.

In 1979, Reagan once

9

Local “Some may call it mysticism if they will, but I cannot help but feel that there was some divine plan that placed this continent here between the two great oceans to be found by people from any corner of the earth -- people who had an extra ounce of desire for freedom and some extra courage to rise up and lead their families, their relatives, their friends, their nations and come here to eventually make this country. The truth of the matter is, if we take this crowd and if

Courtesy photos

again ran for president and was elected in a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter.

At last, he was in a position to have that direct confrontation with the enemy.

Brezhnev was in power, but in 1982, upon Brezhnev’s death, Yuri Andropov became the Soviet Chairman.

He was responsible for the crushing of the Prague Spring, the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution and the Soviet dissident movement.

In May, 1982 at Eureka College’s commencement and his 50th reunion, Reagan said, “The Soviet Union is a huge empire ruled by an elite that holds all power and all privilege, and they hold it tightly because, as we’ve seen in Poland, they fear what might happen if even the smallest amount of control slips from their grasp. They fear the infectiousness of even a little freedom, and because of this in many ways their system has failed. The Soviet empire is faltering because it is rigid -- centralized control has destroyed incentives for innovation, efficiency, and individual achievement.

Spiritually, there is a sense of malaise and resentment.”

In June, 1982 in a speech to the British House of Commons, Reagan called the Berlin wall a “dreadful grey gash” and predicted that “the march of freedom and democracy...will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history.”

Yu r i A n d r p o v d i e d in 1984, just 15 months in office and Konstantin Chernenko became Soviet chairman. Chernenko represented a return to the policies of the late Brezhnev era, but he was in poor health with emphysema and the associated lung and heart disease. In 11 months, he died. Then in March, 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev assumed leadership. At last, President Reagan had a Soviet leader who was willing to reform, to have summit conferences with the United States and to reorient the Soviet strategic aims.

In June, 1987, at Berlin’s Brandenberg Gate,

President Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

Change was beginning and people under Soviet oppression were protesting.

In June, 1988, he addressed the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London: “In all aspects of Soviet life, the talk is of progress toward democratic reform -- in the economy, in political institutions, in religious, social, and artistic life. It is called glasnost -- openness; it is perestroika -- restructuring. Mr. Gorbachev and I discussed his upcoming party conference, where many of these reforms will be debated and perhaps adopted -- such things as official accountability, limitations on length of service in office, an independent judiciary, revisions of the criminal law, and lowering taxes on cooperatives. In short, giving individuals more freedom to run their own affairs, to control their own destinies.

To those of us familiar with the postwar era, all of this is cause for shaking the head in wonder. Imagine, the President of the United States and the General Secretary of the Soviet Union walking together in Red Square, talking about a growing personal friendship, and meeting together average citizens, realizing how much our people have in common. It was a special moment in a week of special moments. My personal impression of Mr. Gorbachev is that he is a serious man seeking serious reform. I pray that the hand of the Lord will be on the Soviet people--Believe me, there was one thing about those faces that we will never forget: They were the faces of hope -- the hope of a new era in human history and, hopefully, an era of peace and freedom for all.”

In November, 1989, the Berlin Wall came down.

This contributed to the end of the Cold War and ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party. The day following Gorbachev’s

resignation as President on December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved.

Today in Dixon at the Reagan Peace Park, you can view a memorial to the end of the cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. There is a replica of the Berlin Wall which does contain an actual piece of the wall. There is also the Wings of Peace and Freedom sculpture donated by Bulgarian immigrant, Nick Tanev. At the Dixon Welcome Center, you can see the history of this park and the hand-prints of Maureen Reagan who came for the park’s dedication as part of the Reagan Trail.

At Eureka College, you can visit the Reagan Peace Garden which houses a large bronze bust of Reagan and an actual section of the Berlin Wall. Also, located on campus is the Ronald W. Reagan Museum that houses 10,000 personal and public objects that President Reagan donated to his alma mater representing each period of his life. It is now the largest collection of Reagan memorabilia outside of the Reagan Library in California.

One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990, Retired President Reagan dedicated Breakthrough, a structure sculpted from 8 sections of the Berlin Wall as the centerpiece at Westminster College. He said: “Today we rejoice in the demise of the Berlin Wall that was permanently breached just one year ago.

We remember brave men and women on both sides of the iron curtain who devoted their lives -- and sometimes sacrificed them -- so that we might inhabit a world without barriers. “ And so today, we still face a Russia with Putin, an old KGB leader wanting to widen the divide between us. We see the Arab Spring giving rise to governments who do not have the same principles as we do. Turmoil is all around, but we can still take heart in the words of President Reagan from that Breakthrough speech.

we could go through and ask the heritage, the background of every family represented here, we would probably come up with the names of every country on earth...

Here, is the one spot on earth where we have the brotherhood of man. And maybe as we continue with this proudly, this brotherhood of man made up from people representative of every corner of the earth, maybe one day boundaries all over the earth will disappear as people cross boundaries and

find out that, yes, there is a brotherhood of man in every corner.”

So we see that over the decades from the 1950’s through the 1990’s, Ronald Reagan was the great defender of American freedom and would do everything in his power to bring down those who would harm us and our children. His philosophy was forged in the Midwest and even though he left the Midwest, the Midwest and its values never left him.

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10

Family Mom’s Moving In: It’s not all Rosy and Fun

By Lonnie Miller Last month we shared stories of two families whose experience with parents moving in to their homes has been positive. Each month’s article may also focus on some of the pitfalls of the decision to have a parent live with you. Last names, locations, and some identifying details will be omitted because of the sensitive, but necessarily forthright, nature of some comments. However, all stories are about real families and are presented from their points-of-view. We feel that an unbiased representation of this living-arrangement must include both the blessings and the challenges.

Kathy H. says of her mother-in-law, “Mom has 7 sisters, and one is in a nursing home, so Mom talked about this quite a bit, and how she hopes she’ll never have to go to one. We took her the local senior communities, so she could see what they offered for housing, but she was resistant. She felt that some were too much like a hospital (they were), and others were too expensive for her modest budget. So, all of her kids and their spouses decided that we’d be ok with having her stay with each one of us, and that we could take turns having her in our homes.

Previously, she and one of her sisters, would go to another sister’s home, where they’d stay for three days, every week. They’d all go to the senior center, and do things together. We figured that if she was used to doing that,

she might also be ok coming to each of our homes during the week. Her youngest son called it, ‘Grammy on Tour’.

Since she has four children near here, we figured that we’d each take her about a quarter of the time, and that felt do-able to all of us. Her daughter also has a B&B cottage next to her home and offered this to her, as her main residence, free of charge.

One glitch is that one of her sons, and his wife, changed their minds, and decided they didn’t want to participate in her care. They live about an hour’s drive away from the rest of us, and felt it would cost them too much to make the weekly drive, so they just come to visit her now and then and will bring gifts of food, etc. They even told us they thought she’d be happier with her sisters, but the rest of us felt that she was too frail to live alone, as she often had trouble getting rides to the doctor or for shopping.

It was clear that her sisters were getting too old to help her, and one even said that transporting her was putting too many miles on her car.

So, her care then fell on the remaining three children, and we’ve been doing that since.

We each have her over about 2 to 3 days per week, depending on how busy we are, and so on. My husband and I have taken her less recently, because we’re harvesting our garden, and trying to get it all in before frost, and before the wild animals come around.

We work this out with the others, so we can all take the time needed for getting our

work done. Her daughter recently needed free time to get her cataract surgery done.

The benefits of having Mom here are interesting. I’d always wanted to understand why her kids, including my husband, are like they are, and having Mom here has given me that information.

It’s not all good news, but it’s been very enlightening. We also enjoy talking to her about the old days, and learning about what her life was like, so long ago. She’s 89 now.

We’d like to record some of her stories, so we can pass them along to our children.

Having her here also feels like the right thing to do.

Because of her blindness, she is able to do less and less, so she needs our help, and our company, so she doesn’t feel as isolated.

The pitfalls and things we’ve had to adjust to are many. My husband recently read an article about how older people tend to be preoccupied with thoughts of death.

They like to talk about the old days, and tend to complain more, and tend to become more selfish. All of that is true of my mother-in-law.

Her hearing has decreased, so she’ll answer almost every question, with ‘What?’, which can become irritating.

Because she’s mostly blind, she tends to sit on the sofa and nap there a lot. We encourage her to get up and do things with us, but she will often answer in an almost angry tone, ‘What can I do?’ as if she believes she can’t do anything anymore. She’s never developed any hobbies, so

she doesn’t have activities to fall back on now. She loves to go to garage sales, and second hand stores, but she can no longer see the items, so one of us has to go along and describe things to her. She’s a hoarder, so she’ll almost always buy lots of things, and then ask me to launder them. I don’t like that much, because she already has a houseful of stuff she’ll probably never use again. We let her do it because it brings her pleasure. She also feels that her role as everyone’s mother, gives her the right to tell us all what to do, and that’s always difficult. We try to be kind, and help her understand that we’re adults, and like to do things our way.

She’s very religious, and will preach to us more than we’d like. We’re learning to just let her talk, and not to take much of it personally. For example, one evening we were all sitting at the dinner table, and we had just tucked Mom into bed. She sleeps on the sofa in our living room (it’s close to the bathroom, and she can see her way to get there on her own). My husband, my brother-in-law and I were visiting quietly, and the two men each had a beer. Mom was married to a mean alcoholic, as a younger woman, so she hates beer.

She got out of bed, marched over to our table, with her arms crossed, and told us we were all a bunch of drunks, and should be ashamed, and that their father would be very proud of them now. Then she marched off to the bathroom, and then back to her bed. We

It takes a family to care for a parent.

Courtesy photos

Garden work is accomplished while mom is absent.

were stunned.

Once Mom got up before we did and let our old dog outside, and he never came back. She didn’t think to tell us about the fact that he had been gone for two hours. So, by the time we went looking for him, it was too late. He had been a rescue dog, and we loved him so much, so that was very hard for us. It took me months to truly forgive her for that. So, how does one handle things like those? We just have to forgive, and let some things go. Now we are very protective of our other two dogs. We keep them in

the bedroom with us at night, and make sure we always know where they are. We take them to another room when we help her with her pills, so they won’t eat one. I also try to do my harder work, such as harvesting our veggies, when she’s not here, as it takes more of my concentration.”

Forgiveness, patience and family dynamics are all components of a sometimes stressful, multi-generational living arrangement. A sense of humor helps.

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11

Home & Garden

Tiptoe through the tulips

by Ann Lewis It’s hard to believe that a plain, brown tulip bulb could cause such a commotion in Europe. Greed, desire, devotion have all played their part in the development of the tulip from a wild flower of the Asian steppes to the world-wide phenomenon it is today.

Its background is full of drama, disaster and triumph. Over the last 1000 years, It has journeyed from central Asia to every continent except Antarctica.

Holland is known for its windmills. wooden shoes, cheese and of course, tulips.

In spring, 1995, my husband, Don, and I were in Holland. I was invited to Keukenhof. Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden where 7 million flower bulbs are planted annually. Keukenhof was established in 1949 to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids and help the Dutch export industry.

But tulips did not begin in Holland. Tulips originated in central Asia in the Tien Shan mountains, the division between China/Tibet and Russia/Afghanistan. Tien Shan means heavenly mountains, but to the people in that region, they are rugged; cold in the winter and dry in the summer. Nomadic people would take their animals to graze in the spring and armies led by such men as Genghis Khan and Tamerlane passed through on their ways to conquests. What does survive in this harsh environment is the tulip, a shorter, hardy species, mostly red. For the nomads, who had survived another freezing Asian winter, the year’s first tulips were more than just oases of beauty appearing in the wilderness,

they represented life and fertility. They were heralds of spring.

Tulips became an important symbol for the early Turks. As they moved westward, they took bulbs with them to plant in their gardens.

When exactly the cultivation

began is unknown, but we do know that by 1050 tulips were venerated by the Persians. Persian legend tells of a youth named Ferhad who fell in love with a young woman named Shirin. One day, word reached him that she had been killed. Gripped by unbearable grief, Ferhad mounted his horse and galloped over a cliff to his death.

From each drop of blood that trickled onto the ground from his wounds, a scarlet tulip sprang. Due to this, the red tulip became a symbol of passionate love in ancient Persia.

The Seljuk Turks continued the westward movement and brought the flower with them. They gave tulips the name lale which they considered sacred because it contained the same letters as the name of Allah.

In 1299, the Ottoman Empire began. In 1389, Sultan Murad I fought the Christians in Serbia. Tulips became their talisman. At this time, it was forbidden by Islam to have images of living things. So,

SAVE BIG!

they circumvented that rule by embroidering images on their underclothes. Sultan Murad’s son, Bayezid, under his armor, wore a cotton shirt decorated with verses from the Koran on the front and tulips on the back.

He is the first man in history who can be personally identified with the tulip. He donned the shirt as protection against evil and as a good luck charm. It must have worked because his father, Sultan Murad died in the battle and the army selected Bayezid as their leader.

In 1453, Bayezid’s grandson, Mehmed II, conquered Constantinople. He built Topkapi Palace or the Abode of Bliss. The palace was 7,500,000 square feet. Mehmed II was a passionate gardener and featured tulips in his gardens.

In 1520, Suleiman became Sultan. By now, the tulip had become the quintessential Turkish flower. Tulips graced the Sultan’s robes and not merely the underclothes.

They were embroidered onto prayer rugs, woven into velvet coverings of Turkish saddles. Gardeners planted tulip bulbs to help their souls ascend to paradise and the women sewed thousands of images of tulips as religious tokens and offered them up with prayers for a husband’s safe return from war.

Suleiman opened relations with western Europe. In 1554, Ferdinand I of Austria sent Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq to serve as ambassador to the court of Suleyman. de Busbecq obtained tulip bulbs and seeds which he took back to Vienna. It was in Vienna that de Busbecq gave the renowned Flemish botanist, Carolus Clusius, tulip bulbs.

In 1593, Clusius became a professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands,

ON INK, TONER AND PRINTERS

To plant tulips now, see page 21

where he established a botanical garden. He brought with him his own collection of tulip bulbs which he planted.

The next spring, in 1594, the first tulips flowered in the Netherlands.

Clusius would not sell any of his bulbs, but many of them were stolen out of his garden.

Although lamentable, the thefts did disperse his collection, the stolen bulbs becoming the progenitors of flowers that bloomed throughout the Netherlands.

Tulips became the hot commodity for the Dutch. At the peak of tulipmania, some

single tulip bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman. As the flowers grew in popularity, growers paid higher and higher prices for bulbs. They began selling “futures” on bulbs that were still in the ground. One bulb of the Viceroy tulip sold for 48 barrels of wheat, 96 barrels of rye, 4 fat oxen, 8 fat swine, 12 fat sheep, 126 gallons of wine, 1000 gallons of beer, 2 tons of butter, 1,000 lbs of cheese, a complete bed, a suit of clothes and a silver drinking cup. That’s for one tulip bulb. The most

expensive bulb was Semper Augustus which sold for 10,000 guilders which in today’s market would be about $140,000. The bottom fell out of the market in 1637. Thousands of Dutch businessmen were ruined in less than two months.

When the dust settled, the Dutch saw that there was still a profit to be made with growing tulips and they continued developing new varieties and developed the tulip bulb export business.

To be continued in the December edition.

A John Deere tractor works in the Tulip fields in Holland.

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Local Just ducky

By Duane Paulsen Julia Heller is raising three ducks in my backyard. The Hellers—Jeremy and Terri, Julia, Trent, and Jenna—are my neighbors who live in a subdivision across the road from my vast 6+ acre estate.

This is not an estate like you see on television—I named it “Poison Ivy Acres” years ago, so you get the idea.

Earlier this year, Julia’s grandmother Heller bought three Indian Runner ducks at a garage sale and gave them to her grandkids. The ducks were small and cute, so a little cage in the side yard was sufficient for a while. However, little ducklings, like little kids, grow up. There wasn’t room in the yard for a large pen for the growing trio. What to do?

Jeremy came over and asked me if he could rent some land and put up a duck pen. “Sure,” I said, “rent you land, after all you have done for me?” No rent. Besides, I was thinking of all the fertilizer because, if ducks are anything like their geese cousins, there would be fertilizer. Lots of fertilizer!

A large enclosure, also from grandma, was set up in my backyard, including an old dog house where the ducks can retreat to get out of

the weather, bond together, etc. Pans for water and feed eventually gave way to a poultry feeder and a waterer.

Adding the ducks now made this scene complete, and twelve-year-old Julia faithfully tends to the ducky needs twice a day. She has given them names, Dottie, Diana, and Austin. What?

You were thinking Huey, Dewey, and Louie? I asked Julia how she could tell the sex of the ducks—girl ducks “quack,” (boy could I get in trouble over that one!)—and some of their tail feathers curl at the end. So, two girls and a boy. A nice ratio.

Growing up, Jeremy and

Terri were both in 4-H, so they suggested Julia join the organization—Grand Detour Greens, a group which meets in the nearby Grand Detour Township hall. Julia chose livestock as a 4-H project, and hopes to show the ducks at the 4-H fair next year. She keeps a record of how the ducks are progressing and what she is doing to care for them.

Several weeks ago Julia noticed that the wing of one of the ducks looked like it had been injured. Drastic measures meant a trip to the veterinarian who cut off part of the injured wing and bandaged it. The vet gave them

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Terri Heller photos

pills to be shoved/crammed down the duck’s throat to cure the infection that had set in. Between Jeremy and Julia, there was no way they could get a pill down that duck’s throat. I enjoyed watching, however.

The duck’s bandage has to be changed weekly. Also not easily done as Jeremy holds the duck between his knees and Julia assists. Threeyear-old Jenna tried to help the first time, and managed to unroll the sterile gauze on the ground before it could be put around the wound.

A word about Indian Runner ducks—which I had never heard of. They run.

They do not waddle like

other ducks. And they don’t fly. The females also are good egg layers, so we may get something from them without the ultimate sacrifice.

We are all pondering how to take care of the ducks when the winter cold sets in.

We have ideas, but nothing is set in stone—other than the trough of frozen water.

Jereme is a mechanical engineer, so he will think of something.

I admire Julia. She is in the sixth grade at Faith Christian School here in Grand Detour, and not many 12-year-olds would want to take on a project like this. I hope this project turns out as well as it is “quacked” up to be.

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13

Local Sun Spotlight: Sterling Boys Soccer Cody Cutter Coming off of a three-year run in which postseason hardware was won for the first time in its history - done twice as a matter of fact - and amassing over 60 wins, the Sterling High School boys soccer program had “big shoes to fill” entering this season.

Keeping the ball rolling in the program came down to a group of kids on this year’s team with various experience levels… all led by a first-year head coach. Brian Cebula took over the head coaching role from Chris Interone during the offseason.

Interone is now an assistant coach with the team, along with Gabe Ocampo and Alan Stewart.

Down year? Hardly.

“We got a pretty good mix,” Cebula said about his team. “We got some young guys, and we got some guys in their first time playing varsity, and a nice mix of upperclassmen with two seniors that play a lot. It’s all gelling pretty well.”

Expectations for the team at the start of the season were different than the 15-2-4 regular season record posted as of Oct. 17. Because of those empty shoes, the team was cautious but optimistic about how they were going to do.

“At the beginning of the season, we were all underclassmen,” senior tri-captain Carlos Gallardo said. “I didn’t think we were going to be as good as last year. We had big shoes to fill. I started talking to these guys as soon as last season ended. We had to go out there and practice hard to fill in those shoes.

“We started working hard and practicing every day throughout the summer. As a captain and a senior, I motivate these guys to step up their game because we are going to have a great season ahead of us.”

Securing the third straight winning season for the pro-

gram involved trying to fill in those shoes. However, after a schedule that involved a tournament in DeKalb, a trio of Quad City foes, and the Northern Illinois Big 12 West Division slate, there became enough room in those missing roles.

“Most of us know that we don’t have as many stars as we had in recent years,” freshman Antonio Diaz said.

“I feel this team has a lot of teamwork. That’s, overall, the best thing that we have more than any other team.”

Diaz, a forward in his first season on the team, has contributed a large chunk of the team’s goals.

“A lot of people didn’t expect us to win as much as we have so far,” Diaz said.

“So far we’ve done really good. We’ve beaten really good teams. I’m just hoping that it continues.”

The season-opening tournament in DeKalb saw the Golden Warriors come away with a win over Yorkville, a tie with Freeport, and a loss to DeKalb. The next three games against Princeton, Rochelle and Rock Island saw one win and two ties for a 3-1-2 season record at that point.

Since Sept. 16, the Golden Warriors came together to put up a strong run of success, going 13-1-1 to close out the regular season.

In what is considered to be the most defining moment of their regular season, Sterling won the championship at the Orion Tournament on Oct. 5. Unlike the season-opening tournament at DeKalb, which was spread out over the course of three days, Orion’s tournament was held on a single Saturday.

Sterling beat Canton 4-0 to open play, which was followed by a 2-1 win over Princeton on a goal from Gallardo with eight seconds left in the match, and then capped with a 4-1 win over Rock Island Alleman.

“We have three games in one day, and it showed how

much resiliency we had to work the whole day to come away with the championship,” Diaz said.

Jorge Garcia and Jose Garcia are the other tri-captains, and Marco Calderas and Brandon Adams are the other seniors on the team.

Cade Coursey, Peter Delafuente, Jared Fernandez, Alex McCormic, Efrain Sandoval and Jose Uresti make up the team’s six juniors.

Juan Cabral, Eric DeAnda, Markel Kinnaman, Ivan Mendoza, Santana Trujillo, Sabastian Uresti and Jesus Velazquez make up the team’s seven sophomores.

Diaz and Zack Kirchoff are the lone freshmen on the team. Kaitlyn Bauer and Kalie Conklen are the team’s managers.

“When you graduate seven starting seniors who have had a lot of success in the past, there are some pretty big shoes to fill,” Cebula said. “They’ve stepped up amazingly and they haven’t really missed a beat. They’ve only had two losses on the season, and I don’t even think I could have expected that.

“We have a couple of guys on the team that have experienced a lot of that success from last year. One of the things that we’ve learned is that you can’t really overlook anyone. You have to take it one game at a time. You’re only as good as your opponent when the scoreboard says so.”

As of press time, the Golden Warriors are underway in IHSA postseason play with the regional tournament held at Rochelle and the sectional tournament held at Burlington Central. If the Golden Warriors are able to win the first sectional title in program history, the Supersectional game will be held on November 5 at Hampshire.

The IHSA State Finals will be held at Hoffman Estates on November 8-9.

“I didn’t think we’d be as good as we are, to be

honest,” Gallardo said. “I didn’t think we were going to get as many wins, or as many goals. I didn’t think we’d be as good because we have a lot of underclassmen.

I thought they were going to be nervous here. I was scared as an underclassman because we were going to play these bigger guys. But these underclassmen are strong, confident and brave, and they listen well.”

Sterling High School’s boys soccer team continues to win.

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Local

Unsung Hero: This Hero is M’mm M’mm Good!

Jeff Coester Is the way to the heart through the stomach? Our hero today gives credence to that theory. Tom Lewis Sr. grew up in Luxora, Arkansas when times were very different. His father taught Tom self-reliance and that anger was unsuitable. They lived practicing the truth that people should always be treated with respect. “You are what you make yourself and how you carry yourself,” his father said. Tom learned his father’s lessons well and has watched the world grow around him.

Tom’s mother saw her son had a love for cooking and taught him to cook Southern Style. This means iron skillets, always with a lid, covered pan frying and slow flavorful cooking.

My first introduction to Tom was on an election day. Tom, along with other dedicated folk, can be depended upon to spend a long day at The Big Red Church which doubles as a polling place. They do this every election, every primary, and they do it regardless of turnout or gratitude. I went to thank

them for their service. Each was warm and friendly.

Tom shook my hand and offered me food. Everyone brings something. Tom brings gourmet “with a kick.” I love that.

In 1968 Tom joined the Army and went to cooking school graduating first in his class. He served in southwest AZ at Fort Huachuca. Tom came to Sterling, working for RB&W until they closed in 2004.

Tom butchered for Galloway Meats in Como. He and Bob Galloway talked often about giving back to the community. From this the idea to feed the needy at Christmas was born.

The Lewis family began attending First Nazarene Church in 1978. His Pastors Harold Hatton and now Bob Hasselbring both challenged and strengthened him in his relationship to Jesus Christ. Serving the needy was the natural expression of a generous faith community.

The first Christmas they fed 90 people. Now they feed from 350-400. Businesses and individuals alike donate to this cause. Tom does not always approach the same donors. This al-

[Above] Tom Williams at lunch across from a friend [Right] Tom as guest chef for Farmer’s Market with Tom Jr. Irene and 2 grandchildren

lows many to share in the blessing of giving. Members of the church and the surrounding community serve this meal. Some of the preparation begins Christmas Eve. Many see this as an investment of their Christmas Day. Tom Lewis’ answer to why have such an event is heartfelt. “God told us to help our brothers and sisters. I can never pay God for what He has done for me. I want to show Him I tried to reach my fellow

man.” Tom believes we set the example that “we can be helping each other, not fighting each other.”

The good news continues for those who like to eat.

Tom also has a business of preparing and catering home cooked meals through Lewis Enterprises. You will find him at many events and always be impressed by his warm demeanor and desire to encourage and inspire others.

His is a family that inspires. He shares his life

with Ermelinda, a dedicated special education teacher at Challand Middle School. I have served alongside his daughter, Irene Lewis-Wembley, who is always striving to make the community better for others.

Tom is a recipient of the Living The Challenge Award on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2012 and a grandfather to 7 children. As a man with strong opinions and good, practical common sense,

Tom continues to strive to pass on those lessons he learned from his parents of self-reliance, good will and generosity toward all.

If you see Tom, meet him, enjoy his company; and pray that he brought food. One way or the other, you will recognize a hero.

Jeff Coester invites you to make recommendations for the Unsung Hero column. Write him at hardhat1@juno.com

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15

Local 4-H Fall Fest 2013 Huge Success

Operation Christmas Child: Local hearts, global impact Lindsay Aiello

Mya Johnston age 2 and a half enjoys the petting zoo and the 4-H Fall Fest

University of Illinois Extension 4-H Program held a 4-H Fall Fest to get the community excited about National 4-H week on Saturday, October 12th at Sauk Valley Community College.

This event was open to the public and about 400 people attended. Some activities

Kids enjoying the 4-H Fall Courtesy photos fest before the huge rush came in!

included a 4-H petting zoo, pumpkin decorating, cookie decorating bar, ducks in a pond, goldfish toss, bouncy houses, giveaways and much more! Hotdogs and nachos were provided and the first 100 kids received a free t-Shirt. The extension office would like to thank

everyone for attending the event eand to look out for next year’s event! For more information about 4-H contact the extension office at 815-835-2070 or email 4-H Program Coordinator Allie Lancaster at lancast@ illinois.edu.

Aunt Alice Chandler enjoys performance by Andrew Sisters “Legacy” trio

For 20 years, Samaritan’s Purse has organized an international outreach for children called Operation Christmas Child. The concept is to decorate a shoebox in Christmas wrapping and fill it with fun and useful items for children in impoverished, war-torn or famished regions who do not normally receive gifts during the holiday season. In 1993, Samaritan’s Purse, with the help of generous and small-town organizations, sent 28,000 boxes to children in Bosnia. In 2012, that number increased to and impacted 9,039,060 children worldwide with the aid of city, church, family and individual donations.

Sauk Valley native, Laverne Blosser, and his wife, Norma Jean, first became involved in the operation 17 years ago when they read about the movement in a maga zine. They have since coordinated donation and collection efforts in Dix-

on, Sterling, Rock Falls, Walnut, Polo, Chadwick, Oregon, Franklin Grove, Grand Detour, Ashton and other surrounding communities as a regional relay station. Volunteers will be wrapping from November 1st to November 24th from 7 pm-9 pm every night. However, while volunteers are always appreciated, this year’s major need is the donation of new items for children. The more donations sent in, the more boxes that get wrapped which, in turn, means that more children receive a gift this Christmas. For any individuals, families, churches or local organizations seeking to donate items, collection week is November 18th through November 25th between 8 am-5 pm at either Dixon ATV Automotive at 320 S. Galena Ave. or Tommy’s Hut near Wal-Mart in Dixon. Items in great need this year include toothpaste, toys, soap bars and washcloths.

Monetary donations are also appreciated.

We Deliver Anytime!

Carol Chandler October 3rd was a redletter day for my aunt, Alice Chandler, of Sterling. We went to the White Pines Lodge to see “Legacy”, a trio of singers who specialize in the songs of the famous Andrew Sisters of the 1930s and 40s. Aunt Alice, who is 93 years young, remembers the Andrew Sisters well and is one of the original “Rosie the Riveters”.

The “Rosies” were those women who came out of their customary roles in the home and worked in industry because of the shortage of young, working-age men who had been called to fight in World War II. Aunt Alice riveted the wings on B-25’s

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Alice Chandler with “Legacy”

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We had a great buffet lunch and then “Legacy” put on a show that wowed the audience. During the program, the “sisters” came

down to speak to Aunt Alice and the crowd gave her a tremendous round of applause.

Way to go, Aunt Alice!

You stepped up when our country needed you. You are one of our unsung heroes!

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A list of items for those wishing to join the movement and create their own box for a child: Toys –toys that children will immediately embrace such as dolls, toy trucks, stuffed animals, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, lightup toys (include extra batteries), etc.

School supplies –Pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, coloring books, stamps and ink pad sets, notebooks, solar calculators, picture books, etc.

Hygiene –Toothbrush, mild soap bar (in plastic bag), washcloth, comb, etc.

Other fun items –Tshirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries), personal note and photo of yourself/family.

A $7 donation for overseas shipping is also greatly appreciated.

For more information on how to become involved, please con tact Laverne Blosser at (815)288-2146 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org for more details.

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Entertainment

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Spencer Schein BombDigity Bar and Grill is as it says – a great place to have a drink and enjoy grilled burgers and sandwiches with friends.

Located along scenic Palmyra Road in Dixon, BombDigity features a large bar as well as indoor seating areas and a large outdoor deck, where a friend and I dined one Saturday afternoon.

Eating outside really offers the best seats in the house; the natural beauty of huge trees and grassy areas that back up to the deck offers a great backdrop.

The menu is short and to the point, with a selection of burgers, sandwiches and wraps, soups and salads, along with a dozen or more appetizers.

My choice that afternoon was simple: The BombDigity bacon, carmelized onion cheddar burger. I figured the best burger would be named

after the restaurant, and it delivered.

The burger was served with a generous amount of cheese melted onto the beef, with an equally generous amount of onions and great tasting bacon on top. Slices of fresh onion, tomato and lettuce were served as garnish, but were superfluous in regards to flavor, as were the ketchup and mustard on the table. The burger was complete in itself.

Grilled well-done, the burger had plenty of taste, melding the beef, cheese, onion and bacon together. If you like bacon, onions and cheddar cheese on a burger, this is the one for you.

I chose a side order of fries, with tater-tots and homemade potato chips also available. Other items were offered for a dollar extra. I was more than satisfied with the fries, which were served in a good-sized portion and all very well seasoned.

My friend ordered the House Grilled Cheese sandwich, adding bacon and choosing the Mac and Cheese as a side dish. He was very pleased with the side dish, and found the sandwich to be to his liking.

The price of the meal, including a soft drink, is comparable to similar restaurants in bigger cities.

BombDigity Bar and Grill, 628 Palmyra Rd., Dixon, may be the only bar in the area with its own gift shop, complete with shirts, hoodies and bottle holders emblazoned with the bar’s logo and address.

BombDigity is open 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (815) 288-6300 or go online at www.bombdigitydixon. com.

Upcoming Events and Activities at the Next Picture Show Until November 26, the Shades of Grey 9 gallery show runs in the main gallery, and in the lower gallery the Rock River Valley Painters Group (RRVPG) will be showcasing its work.

The deadline for the Color Shots 8 show is November

5. The deadline for Regional Survey 9 is December 3.

The next Friends of the Gallery will be held on Thursday, November 21 at noon. Please RSVP to Bonnie at 815-285-4924. Lunch will be served.

For more information

on classes hosted at the Next Picture Show, or to register, please visit www. thenextpictureshow.org or call Bonnie at 815-2854924. The cost for all classes and workshops is $125 for non-members and $115 for members.

17

Entertainment Sauk Valley Community Concert Association Season in Full Swing Still Time to Purchase Season Memberships The Sauk Valley Community Concert Association 2013-2014 season kicked off a successful season recently when the Sixth Floor Trio performed at Dixon High School on October 12.

This year marks the 22nd consecutive year that the association has been bringing fine music and entertainment to the Sauk Valley area at an affordable price.

Memberships are still available for the remaining three concerts and, even if you missed the season opener, are still a great bargain. Individual memberships are $40, with family memberships available for only $95. Other membership categories exist as well.

Admission to concerts is by membership only. Membership forms are available on their website at www.svcca. org or call Roberta at 815677-6676 for a brochure.

Highlights of the season include: (November 5, Centennial Auditorium, Sterling HS) Trio Voronezh: With astonishing virtuosity and delightful artistic innova-

tion, Trio Voronezh has the ability to alter the way audiences experience classical, folk and contemporary repertoire. Discovered playing Bach in a Frankfurt, Germany subway station, Trio Voronezh has since made several tours of the United States and earned audience and critical praise. Classically trained at the Conservatory in Voronezh, Russia, these three spectacular musicians formed in 1993 in their hometown. They play traditional Russian folk instruments: double-bass balalaika, domra and bajan. Just recently, on September 20 in Los Angeles, Trio Voronexh accordionist Sergei Teleshev won the prestigious US V-Accordion competition and advanced to the World championships in Venice, Italy to compete against winners from regions across the globe.

They now reside in Washington state, USA. (February 27, 2014, Historic Dixon Theatre) National Lutheran Choir: After several years of trying, the Sauk Valley Community Concert Association is

National Lutheran Choir

pleased to bring the National Lutheran Choir to the Sauk Valley. The National Lutheran Choir is a sixty-plus mixed voice chorus based in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Choir members come from a variety of choral backgrounds including singers from such college choirs as the St. Olaf Choir, Concordia Choir, Luther Nordic Choir, Augustana College Choir, and the Gustavus Choir, among others.

Founded by Dr. Larry Fleming in 1989, the choir is now under the musical direction Dr. David Cherwien.

His work in the music of the

Trio Voronezh

Lutheran church is known throughout the country. He has served as a full time church musician for over twenty years in Seattle, Chicago and Berlin, and on the faculties of Gustavus Adolphus and Elmhurst Colleges.

Currently, he serves as Cantor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

The National Lutheran Choir program will consist of classical, sacred, spirituals, and a few very lively gospel songs, with Dr. Cherwien at the piano.

(April 10, 2014, Abiding Word Hall, Sterling)

The Abrams Brothers: The Abrams Brothers, John, James and cousin Elijah, skillfully combine the music of their roots with their own distinct sound. It’s a combination of bluegrass, country and folk-rock that’s had the Canadian festival circuit up in arms over their potential, and the rest are catching on!

The brothers are fourth-generation musicians (guitar, violin, bass) with musical roots reaching back to their great-grandparents. Despite their age (early 20s), veteran is certainly not a word out of reach given their credits and the fact that they have

been performing and touring together for almost a decade.

Included with membership in the Sauk Valley Community Concert Association are reciprocal privileges to see the shows of the Ottawa and Freeport Concert Association shows for no additional cost – a total of eight additional concerts!

For more information, visit www.svcca.org, look for them on Facebook, or call Roberta Vanderlin at 815677-6676.

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The car shows are winding down along with falling nightly temperatures and falling leaves. Car lovers swallow hard and resolve to be brave. Car show withdrawal has officially begun.

There’s one show left in November – a Fairlane Club of America Mini-meet . . . in Texas. It’s bad enough that winter cuts down on the number of sunny days which contributes to the de-elevation of the public’s general mood but no cool cars on the road? Torture!

For a car-crazy “gearhead,” early spring through early fall is “the most, wonderful time, of the year.”

Almost daily you’ll see a muscle car, antique car or a classic car somewhere cruising on the back roads or on the interstate. But when the cold weather starts to invade our lives, the hot cars get covered up or moved inside – mechanical hibernation has begun. They won’t wake up until spring. Cold weather, no more car shows and no show cars on the road are proof that Christmas is coming. When we think of Christmas, we think of gifts. So what gift would be

appropriate for the car guy or gal in your life? Here are five suggestions that are sure to be a hit.

Number one: If your carcrazy loved one or friend loves racing (and you can afford to splurge) two tickets to a major race during the 2014 season will blow their doors off. My daughter, Jesika, gave me tickets to a NASCAR race two years ago and the memory of opening that package still brings a smile to my face!

Number two: Much less expensive but still very nice and useful would be a pair of driving gloves. A nice pair can still set you back fifty bucks, but the beauty of the gift is that they can be worn year round. And every time the Dale Jr. in your life dons them, he’ll think of you.

Number three: If you’ve got a cool hundred to spend, here’s a practical but to-bemuch-appreciated gift. Ten (10) full service car washes like that provided by the Octopus company in Sterling (there’s a free plug!). Every time the car gets washed, the recipient will still be enjoying that Christmas gift.

Number four: If you’re cheap (or broke), don’t be dismayed; there are still two

suggestions that will cause your favorite gear head to grin. For under $20 you can bring joy to the intended receiver every month. All you need to do is go to the grocery store, locate the magazine that he/she would enjoy, steal a subscription request post card when no one is looking and send it in.

They will even bill you! The result is 12 months’ worth of happiness.

Number five: This takes some planning, but your car lover will love you for it. Find his or her absolute favorite picture of his or her favorite car – preferably the one owned by said he or she.

You might actually take the picture now (without them noticing). Take it to SBM or a similar business and have the picture enlarged and frame it with something classy. Classy, as in a beautiful old frame that you don’t need any more and the intended receiver hasn’t seen before. Cheap, yes, but it works!

Until the weather breaks and those engines roar back to life on the street, let’s all do our best to help these folks get through the next few months by providing some Christmas car cheer.

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Where would you like to travel? Hawaii #1 Colleen Brechon Over the years travel interests have expanded to include worldwide destinations. We recently conducted a travel poll to see where in the world you, our customers, would like to go. Here are the top 5: Hawaii, Italy, Ireland, Australia/New Zealand, and Jamaica. Interestingly enough, not so long ago, Las Vegas was the destination most requested. Now

travel interests vary greatly with some people tackling their bucket lists and others just wanting relaxation and comfort with a bit of adventure thrown in.

Tour operators now offer trips for just about any experience you are seeking. There are hiking, biking, motorcycling, photography, spa, culinary and wine tasting, gambling, religious and spiritual travel, gardening, sporting, shopping, beach-

ing and any combination.

There are adult-only resorts, girls’ getaways, family reunions, destination weddings, dancing and variety cruises, theme-park travel for the “kid” in all of us, rail adventure and the list goes on and on. Travel agencies have brochures available or attainable for the asking.

So, where in the world would you like to go? Even the Moon is possible.

19

Motor

If I Could Only Have One Car Randy Ernst My first car was a ’67 Mustang. It had the smallest straight six cylinder engine Ford made and it had a three on the floor. Not very exciting, but hey, it was a Mustang! I blew that motor on the Dan Ryan expressway in the fall of 1974. I have literally lost count of the cars I have bought and sold since then, but an honest guess would be a couple hundred.

I won’t bore you with the whole list but there were a few that stood out from the crowd: ’67 Firebird, ’70 Challenger, ’68, 71, and ’72 Torinos. The ’67 Impala was cool as was the ‘68 Malibu and the ‘68 El Camino.

Having owned a ’97 Thunderbird and an ’05 Mustang, it’s obvious I like a little power and a little style doesn’t hurt anything.

So after boiling it all down, what would be the best car to own? I recommend a car with enough power to tow a boat or a trailer and plenty of trunk room is important.

The ability to produce speed mandates a V-8, naturally, and it has to have enough room inside to accommodate four grandkids at a time.

An SUV of some sort would likely be the answer to the question but we’re focusing on cars here. Fourdoor cars are just not as

1969 Ford Gran Torino GT Fastback in green. Author’s was in black with gold stripes.

sporty looking as two-door cars so, sporty it needs to be. Something different from all the Fusions, Impalas, Chargers and Camrys.

Something cool. Yes sir, I think I have it. This car has every item on the wish list without sacrificing comfort, safety or good looks. Drum roll please . . .

The 1969 Ford Torino Fastback. Ta-Da! There she is! Black. Gold stripes.

Four hundred horsepower but with the automatic overdrive out of a 1980 Lincoln Versalles. (Owned one of those, too!). Great gas mileage, lots of power, everyone looks as you drive it anywhere – everywhere! Even

The diesel engine’s European roots Gary Davey Recently, a friend of mine asked me if I knew anything about the origin of diesel engines and how they work differently from petrol (gasoline) engines? Simple, I thought, but I really didn’t have much of an answer. So it was time for some research.

First, before I try to answer these questions, a little about myself. I am originally from London, England.

At the age of 5, I moved to Canvey Island, Essex, (relocated to the Sauk Valley in 1996). Just for info sakeCanvey Island is situated at the mouth of the River Thames, where huge super oil tanker vessels (1960s70s) unloaded thousands of tons of crude oil to be refined into petroleum and delivered by petrol tankers to petrol stations around England. That might be the reason I was asked these questions in the first place.

But I digress. Back to the questions: The main difference between diesel and petrol (gasoline) engines is spark plugs! Both are combustion engines, which cre-

ate the ignition of fuel and air mixture to combust. In petrol engines, spark plugs are used. In diesel engines, it requires the heat generated by the compression of the air and fuel in the cylinder itself. Obviously, there are other more subtle differences, but this is a newspaper, not a mechanics manual.

Diesel powered vehicles in the 1960s and forward were mainly commercial.

Especially in England, where we had London black cabs, red double-decker buses and lorries (semis).

The main reason was that the diesel engine was very reliable, had great mpg, but little mph (black cabs had a top speed of 55mph).

And the byproduct of diesel combustion is soot. I can remember days in London where the soot was so dense in the air that you would come home with black soot speckles on your clothes and breathing was sometimes problematic. This has changed over the decades to the development of clean diesel resulting in better mph without compromising mpg.

Which brings us to the other question: the evolution of the diesel engine.

It’s documented that Rudolf Diesel in 1893 developed and produced the 1st diesel engine. In 1931, Clessie Cummings produced the diesel special race car that recorded a speed of 101mph.

The first production-line diesel car was the Citroen Rosaline in 1933, and Mercedez Benz in 1949 began their first line of taxi cabs.

1982 was the introduction of the first mass-market vehicle in Europe--the Peugot Citroen. Nowadays, we have both mpg and mph, with Audi and BMW introducing turbo diesel cars with both great performance and mileage. It’s worth noting that 50% of vehicles sold in Europe are diesel powered and not so much the hybrid variations. It will be interesting to see how strong the market will be for diesel cars in the future, especially in the USA where trucks and commercial vehicles are already established.

Hopefully that answered the questions, with a little bit extra stuff.

when my wife is behind the wheel the lady behind the window at the McDonald’s drive through says, “Nice car!” People follow you

Photo courtesy of Wiarthurhu at wikimedia.org

and when you reach your destination they park next to you, get out and ogle it.

On-coming drivers smile and wave or give a thumbs

up as they drive past.

There’s only one problem with this: It’s a wonderful memory – I sold the car to a guy in Australia!

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20

Home & Garden

Stay safe and comfortable by maintaining your furnace before winter Lindsay Aiello With winter fast approaching, we begin the hibernation process…stocking up on hot cocoa, baked goods, apple cider, fuzzy mittens, heating blankets, and making preparations for family and friends. We start unpacking the holiday decorations before ice freezes the doors and windows shut and most importantly, ensuring our home stays warm. Though we don’t live in the pre-

colonial Land of Lincoln, preparing for winter is still about survival. The way to survive in the Midwest is to retain heat. That’s why it is critical to perform maintenance on furnaces before the temperature drops below 30 F ̊ ; otherwise, the family is found huddling around the basement fireplace at 2 am, toes blue and lungs crystallized.

Not surprisingly, it is only after the first freeze that most home-owners with fur-

naces call for a maintenance check and cleaning. Forgoing regular maintenance is not a wise decision. For one thing, neglected furnaces tend to collect a fair amount of soot and dirt. When any machine becomes dirty, it takes more energy for it to function. This in turn raises most homeowners’ monthly cost of energy.

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one’s backyard.

Furthermore, if you are part of the family huddling for warmth in the basement, there is a reason why the furnace is not properly functioning. A professional can usually detect these reasons and possibly correct the issue before the furnace is irreparable. Whatever the reason for a broken furnace, whether it be faulty heat exchangers, a clogged flame sensor, inadequate amperage, a broken motor, plugged condensate traps, or a faulty control board (most modern furnaces have built-in computers), most would agree that a repair which could easily cost into the hundreds is a thing to be avoided. Additionally, broken furnaces can lead to freezing pipes, potentially causing an even

greater financial fiasco, as well as lost time as plumbers and inspectors (and possibly paramedics as they combat your family’s hypothermia) fix the problem.

An even more dangerous situation can occur if a crack forms in the heat exchanger.

This crack can allow carbon monoxide, a scentless and lethal poison, to release into the house. If a family has a furnace, carbon monoxide detectors (often purchased as an add-on to fire alarms) should be installed in every room. Furthermore, as the seasons change and furnaces are fired up, ensure that batteries in each alarm are fully charged.

Dustin Drew and Brandon Reuter, co-owners and technicians from Accurate Heating and Cooling in Dixon,

shared this insight: When it comes to repairs, labor and parts can often cost into the hundreds. On the other hand, preventative maintenance checks and cleanings will typically cost under $100.

Not only is preventative care low-cost, but if in the event of a broken furnace, technicians are often able to acquire parts through wholesale suppliers at a lower cost than individuals purchasing parts from local hardware stores.

So even though Sauk Valley residents and neighboring communities are not living in the dark ages, being unprepared for winter remains a serious concern. For the sake of the family shivering in the basement, wrapped in Ralph’s Christmas Carol attire, have the furnaces checked sometime soon.

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Before the snow’s too deep Gary Scott I’ve started my annual ‘before the snow flies’ list and thought I would share it with you with hopes that you too might be inspired to cross things off your own list as well as help your gardens and landscape(s) thrive come spring of 2014.

First on my list is to tackle numerous shrubs. Now that the leaves have fallen from them, it’s easy to see just what is going on with the

inner structure. I’ll plan on a full day of pruning my lilacs away from the house to prevent damage to the siding and cutting the oldest/largest of the branches back by 1/3.

This will leave other younger branches to bear flowers come spring and will encourage new (and lower) growth from the branches I have cut thus making the shrub more full in appearance next year. I’ll use this same technique when I go after my spirea and viburnum.

Now is one of the best times

of year to be doing some tree pruning. Smaller trees such as my apples, I can easily tackle with a ladder and some sharp pruning gear. It’s beneficial to eliminate any branches that may be rubbing up against each other with the wind.

Places like this on your trees can be a good way for disease to enter the tree. Making clean cuts with no ragged edges close to the crotch of the main branch or trunk is the best method. For larger trees, I’ve put in a call to a few local

Bulbing: Believing in Tomorrow Gary Scott Dreaming of spring in the Tri-Cities area already? There is still time for gardeners in the area to purchase and plant spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips, narcissus (which are deer-resistant), hyacinths, crocus, allium and many others.

In fact, most serious ‘bulbing’ in our area begins about the middle of October and we are able to plan and plant beautiful spring displays prior to the ground freezing solid which happens usually more toward the end of November.

There are many varieties of these bulbs from which to choose, but the longer you wait to make your purchase(s) the smaller your choices will be. A general tip I have always given bulbers: always purchase more bulbs than you think you will

need. There is always room for more and the fruits of your labor will greet you in the spring!

When you have selected a variety you like, actually ‘feel’ the bulb – as if you were seeing if a fruit were ripe at the market.

All bulbs should be firm to the touch, but not dried out. Keep in mind that most bulbs are considered ‘tunicate’ in nature; meaning they are much like an onion with multiple layers of tissue. It’s quite normal to find dried chaff in with your bulbs and does not mean they have dehydrated.

Planting your new bulbs will take some time as you will be on your hands and knees close to the earth. You’ll want to make sure you have your trusty knee-pads handy as well as the sharpest shovel from your arsenal of tools. A key standard for planting bulbs is this: the

larger the bulb, the deeper the hole. When you survey the area under consideration for your spring display, see the layout of the blossoms as you suspect you might find them in nature: more random in pattern than perfect rows evenly spaced. Before I begin planting, I often use a method of placement which goes like this: grab a handful of bulbs from the container and gently toss them from about knee-height to the area you have prepared.

Where they land is where they will be planted; often seeing some very close to each other and still others several inches apart. Dig, plant, then backfill the holes.

Planting spring-flowering bulbs today is believing in tomorrow!

companies to come provide me with estimates of cost and scheduling. It’s always best to use the right tools for the job and these guys will have equipment and experience which will far outweigh any costs that I may incur.

Garden bed cleanup is next on the list. I’ll be pulling out and disposing of the remains of annual plants and I’ll be making sure to cut back iris as well as what remains of my peonies and other perennials.

By doing this and removing the debris and properly disposing of such, I’ll ensure a clean, disease-free environment for them come spring.

It’s also time to cut back the chrysanthemums, which provided such a brilliant show just a month ago or so. I usually cut these back to within 3” of the base of the plant, leaving some stems up to catch blowing snow that will act as a blanket for them.

As for my lawn, I’ll be raking leaves and keeping the grass mowed as long as it is green and still showing signs of growth. This will eliminate any possible leaf-matting which can kill off patches of grass over winter as well as discourage potential damage from little critters such as voles and mice from using

longer grass as a cover.

I welcome your questions about your outdoor or indoor plants and will answer them in this Sauk Valley Sun column. Please email me at the addresses given below.

Enjoy this beautiful part of our Northern Illinois late Autumn!

Gary Scott holds a degree in Horticulture Sciences and is co-owner/head grower at Palmyra Greenhouse located at 489 Palmyra Rd. in Dixon.

Gary can be reached at 815285-2800. You may email questions to him at info@ sauksun.com or gary@palmyragreenhouse.com

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Real Estate in the Sauk Valley U N I T E D C O U N T R Y S A U K V A L L E Y R E A LT Y

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United Country’s founder, Roscoe Chamberlain, wanted to provide people living in urban and suburban areas “a roadmap to the country.”

To d a y, United Country continues his passion for connecting people to dream properties found in rural America.

In 1928, the company produced the first ever national real estate catalog, which is housed in the Smithsonian Institute as a real estate marketing innovation.

This tradition of innovative marketing is alive today as United Country offers a website that is just as leading edge as that catalog was in 1928. In September 2013, our primary website www.unitedcountry.com had over 1.4 million visitors, which made the 21st straight month with over 1 million visitors. This included over 625,000 unique visitors.

The 3rd quarter numbers for 2013 were up 23% over last year’s 3rd quarter. Including all the 3,500 specialty websites for United Country listings, they receive over 3

Courtesy photos

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United Country gets more visits per listing than any other franchise site or www. realtor.com, and best of all, those visits are from the kind of people who want to buy real estate in small towns, cities and rural areas, just like our Sauk Valley area.

When thinking of buying or selling, contact United Country Sauk Valley Realty for all your needs. Chris King is the Managing Broker/ Owner, and her sales staff includes Daehle Reitzel, Carol Schryver, Shannon Davis and Alicia Johnson.

Give us a call at (815) 6261771, and one of the brokers will assist you in marketing your present real estate, or finding that next perfect

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property. You can also visit www.unitedcountry.com to view all of the current Sauk Valley area’s listings.

23

Government

Man Behind the Badge - Dixon Rural Fire Chief Norris Tucker Chief Norris Tucker never thought of being a firefighter. He studied accounting first at SVCC, then at Western Illinois University. He quit his forth year of college and started painting for his dad. While doing a painting job at the Dixon Fire Department, Chief Tucker, one of the firefighters encouraged him to apply as a paid-on-call firefighter (volunteer) at Dixon Rural Fire Department. He did apply and became a volunteer firefighter then became a full-time firefighter. He still painted when he wasn’t on duty. He quit painting when

he became the chief six years ago. He has been a firefighter for 32 years.

He has two sons who have also worked at the DRFD. His oldest son, Josh, started as a paid-on-call firefighter, and then became a full-time fire fighter. His son, Mitch, was also a volunteer firefighter during the same time Josh was. Mitch quit firefighting when he became the owner of Dixon Paint.

His sons grew up wanting to be firefighters even though he did not.

DRFD covers 147 square miles and works very closely with the Dixon Fire Department. They cover fires, EMS calls, vehicle and river ac-

cidents among other things.

Firefighting has changed over the years with technology. There are now fewer fires but more EMS calls.

The equipment used now is more advanced than 32 years ago when he began.

The hard part about the job is that firefighting requires the firefighter to be away from his/her family a lot.

Even on their days off, firefighters are on call and can’t leave the area.

Chief Tucker does believe firefighting is a good job that serves the public. He also hopes to stay fire chief until he retires.

to officially take over the project. Larry Reed was elected chairman and along with a few other retired IDOT engineers and other volunteer Dixonites, the commission continued monthly meetings. The commission had no money but kept right on meeting and planning. The vision refused to be killed.

The completion of the first phase is now Heritage Crossing and is one

of the most transforming events in the history of the city. It has capitalized on Dixon’s most valuable natural asset, which is the Rock River. It is a community gathering center and a mecca for social and entertainment activities.

Heritage Crossing was one of the main factors in attracting Mumford and Sons to stage a concert in Dixon and then bringing about 20,000 to the down-

town after the concert.

Heritage Crossing would have never occurred waiting for the answer to, “Where are we going to get the money?” Don’t let worthwhile community projects languish trying to answer that question. If it’s a good project, keep the vision alive and you will achieve it.

Jill Horn

Chief Norris Tucker

Courtesy photo

Dixon’s Heritage Crossing

James G. Burke Dixon Mayor

Many worthwhile community volunteer projects in every community have been stalled or outright killed with the question, “Where are we going to get the money?” If a group waits until they have the money, the project will never get off the ground.

In 1997, Nancy Varga, president of the Dixon Main Street Board, appointed me chairman of a riverfront development

task force. About six of us volunteers met monthly in my real estate office, including landscape architect Dean Sheaffer, discussing a plan for the riverfront area between the Galena and Peoria Avenue bridges. We had no budget because we had no funds, but that did not kill the vision of the project.

In 1999, the city council established the Dixon Riverfront Commission

The penny will never go away, St. Luke’s celebrates 175th at least in Illinois anniversary

By Spencer Schein

Illinois is known as the “Land of Lincoln” on the Illinois Tollway and even at some rare vending machines the United States penny is accepted as currency.

The penny has its many foes in Congress who want to get rid of the former copper – now zinc – coin.

There are some stores that secretly don’t like the penny. They accept it, but if they owe you four cents in change, you get a nickel.

They don’t like to hand out the penny as change.

What other coin is thought less of than the penny? You can often find little advertising coin containers at store counters set for people who don’t want pennies or those who need pennies.

The penny is the only coin of those currently in circulation where the portrait of the president is looking to the right. The Jefferson Nickel, Eisenhower Dime and Washington Quarter all have the presidents’ portraits looking toward the left.

What’s wrong with the penny? If you have five of them, that’s five cents!

Pennies are often left for those who don’t want them or those who need them.

Spencer Schein photo

Have 10 pennies and a nickel and a dime, and you have a quarter!

We all sometimes find pennies on the ground. I don’t always pick up the ones I come across, but sometimes I do, and I will even go for the grungiest penny, the one where the front of the coin has been grinded off and just the back remains. These are accepted, if you make sure you turn them over so the penny-part shows.

Sometimes the penny drops out of someone’s pocket as they reach for their keys or phone. Sometimes pennies are left deep in the ground or a gravel road, and eventually due to shifts in the earth the coin pops up enough to show its front or back.

There are some rare pennies, which are valued at more than their face value due to the year and place of mintage. But more often

than not, the value of the coin is its face value and no more.

If you happen to come upon a Canadian penny that could be considered a worst find. These coins sometimes appear as change received or dropped on the ground.

They are worth the value of the penny if a store accepts it as a penny.

Otherwise, they are worth zero cents, at least within the United States.

How long will the penny be accepted as a coin? I would say as long as there are strong pro-penny senators from Illinois who will support work against antipenny legislation.

The penny also has a fan as long as the President of the United States is from Illinois, which for the past five years has been President Barack Obama.

It was a festive and celebratory time at St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 3rd and Peoria, Dixon as almost 100 people joined together for the church’s 175th Anniversary.

Bishop Jeffrey Lee, Chicago, officiated at the choral service and after invited everyone for a group photo. Immediately after the service, attendees were invited to a sumptuous reception in the fellowship hall.

The historic evening event was followed the next day by docent-guided tours of the church and a traditional English Tea. There was also

a brief organ concert by parish organist Ross Jallo. At the Sunday service which ended the weekend celebration of the church’s anniversary,

Reverend Richard Frontjes, Rector of St. Luke’s spoke of the honor of serving the parish during the commemoration of its 175 years of ministry.

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24

Pets Sauk Valley Sun

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

www.saukvalleysun.com Staff Judy Bell Publisher Ken Hauck VP Operations Katie Hauck Administrative Manager Julie Reeder Editor Robert Bell Distribution Manager Production Karina Ramos Art Director Samantha Gorman Graphic Artist Forest Rhodes Layout Artist Website John Yada Web Developer/IT Support Writers/ Contributors Lindsay Aiello Josh Albrecht Carol Chandler, RN Pastor Jeff Coester Cody Cutter Gary Davey Tom Demmer Randy Ernst Larry Hammelman Jill Horn Ann Lewis Donald R. Lewis, MD, FACS Patricia Lewis Lonnie Miller Brad Monson Nancy Nesyto-Freske Rev. Scott Porter Spencer Schein Greg Smith Jill Straw © Sauk Valley Sun, 2013 www.saukvalleysun.com The opinions expressed in the Sauk Valley Sun do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sauk Valley Sun staff.

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Fleas are a nuisance for the holidays “When the weather starts to get cooler people may think they are through with fleas for the year. However, we often see pets with fleas during the holidays. They are a nuisance to pets and owners alike and now is the time to get rid of them,” according to Dr. Laurainne Haenni, D.V.M, partner at Advanced Animal Health Center, Rock Falls.

Fleas are not killed until there is a good hard freeze.

That might be mid-November…and then again it might not happen if we have a mild winter according the veternarians’ long-time experience. The fleas may have died outside. The heat inside of homes will keep them alive and reproducing all winter if you don’t act to eliminate them.

Dr. Haenni suggested that pet owners treat the entire pet’s environment….any place the pet has walked… any room where the pet has been needs to be totally clean. The veterinarian suggests that we see only 5 % of the “grand total” of the flea infestation.

Dr. Erin Graves, D.V.M. With Halloween festivities in full swing, we need to be aware of some common health and safety concerns for our pets during the holiday. While candy is the most common concern for pets, here are some other safety tips to keep in mind.

Before festivities even start, make sure you have a plan to prevent escape when you open the door for trickor-treaters. The increased traffic also increases the risk of your pet being hit by a car should they escape. Pets that are normally friendly may also be startled by some of the costumes which could make their behavior toward your visitors unpredictable.

Glow jewelry and glowsticks are another concern.

Although dogs may find the jewelry attractive, more often it is cats that have been found to frequently bite into the florescent jewelry. The main ingredient is dibutyl phthalate, an oily liquid that has a wide safety margin, so ingestion may not cause any serious side-effects. Due to the unpleasant taste, most pets will not ingest a large amount. Almost immediately after biting the glow stick or jewelry, pets will show signs of the bad taste, including hypersalivation, agitation and, occasionally, vomiting. A tasty treat can help lessen this reaction and get the taste out of their mouths. Any of the

liquid on the fur should be removed with water to keep the pet from continually licking it while grooming and causing re-exposure.

Hint: taking your pet into a dark room will help you find the glowing substance on their fur.

Candy is the most common health risk we consider for our pets at Halloween time and rightfully so — ­ just like us, they have a hard time resisting the tasty treats. Chocolate is of the highest potential for toxin risks. Chocolate contains the chemicals theobromine and caffeine and unlike people, pets cannot tolerate the higher levels of these compounds. Different types of chocolate contain vary-

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the older, mellow animals.

She loves having the community tour her facility because she says, “when people tour our place they see that we practice what we preach.” She said they are committed to being a good value, a resource for the community and a friend and advocate for animals. The clinic works closely with Happy

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All eyes are on a cat on the counter at Advanced Animal Health Center. Dr. Haenni, second Larry Hammelman photo from left, gives the feline a good look...and a soothing stroke.

Tails and supports efforts in the community for the humane care and treatment of all animals.

“We have been here since 1973….that’s when my practice started and I believe that every day we live by our name: Advanced Animal Health Care, “ Dr. Haenni said.

Dr, Haenni’s associate is Dr. Charles Raser, D.V.M.

The veternarian practice offers small animal medical and surgical care with emergency care available 24 hours.

In addition to animal care, the clinic offers specialty foods, grooming, boarding, pet dental work and pet supplies Advanced Animal Health Care, 601 West Route #30, Rock Falls, 815-626-4008.

Common pet hazards to avoid on Halloween

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She suggests a person vaccum the house (empty the vaccum bag outside), mop hard surfaces, and wash all bedding. Again, “anywhere” the pet has been can be a place for fleas to flourish, Dr. Haenni said.

“There is a special spray for fleas and ticks. If a pet owner is going to use such a spray, right now would be the time as this could be the highest numbers of fleas for the year.”

“Fleas are not just a problem for dogs. Cats can often have fleas,” Dr. Haenni said. “Cats often don’t have the symptoms nor do they scratch, and yet they can have fleas,” she concluded.

According to Dr. Haenni, prevention is the best action for fleas. If your pet does get fleas, all you can do is treat properly and then prevent additional occurrences by cleaning everything within the pet’s environment.

Dr. Haenni describes herself as the world’s happiest GP (general practioner). “I get to work with the full spectrum of the pet world… from kittens and puppies to

w. 2nd St.

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ing amounts of these compounds. Toxicity is based on the type of chocolate ingested and the size of the pet. As low as 0.5 oz. milk chocolate per pound of body weight and 0.13 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate may cause poisoning if ingested. Signs of chocolate or theobromine poisoning include salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, pacing, elevated heart rate, heart arrhythmias, tremors and seizures. Ingestion of chocolate can also cause inflammation of the pancreas due to the high fat content.

Significant gastrointestinal upset – such as vomiting and diarrhea - is common following the ingestion of any chocolate product. Call your veterinarian if your pet ingests chocolate.

If chocolate is considered bad for dogs, Xylitol, a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free gum, breath mints, candies and baked goods, is even worse. Cats and people do not experience the liver problems due to xylitol, whereas dogs experience a life-threatening drop in blood sugar, potentially damaging to the liver. The dose needed to cause poisoning is as low

as 0.05 grams per pound of body weight. The average piece of gum or breath mint contains 0.22 to 1.0 grams xylitol. A 10 pound dog would only have to eat one piece of gum to achieve a potentially toxic dose.

Within 10-15 minutes of ingestion, dogs may develop low blood sugar, lose coordination and start vomiting.

Collapse and seizures may quickly follow. In some cases, signs won’t appear until hours later. Pets are often treated with prompt induction of vomiting and may need intravenous sugar and fluids, in addition to monitoring their blood sugar levels and liver values. If your pet ingests a product containing xylitol, call your veterinarian immediately.

Despite these concerns, preventative measures ensure Halloween remains fun. By guarding the doors and keeping sweet treats out of the reach of pets, we can ensure the good times and memories continue for ALL members of the family.

Provided by Dr. Erin Graves, River Ridge Animal Hospital, 273 IL Rt. 2, Dixon. Dr. Erin Graves: 815-288-3394 or email www.riverridgevets.com.

25

Sports

Sterling teen a member of the Illinettes dancers team Spencer Schein Jesseca Cutter gives her all whether she performs for one in front of a mirror, rehearsing with her team, or performing before millions of people in a stadium and on national TV. A freshman at the University of Illinois, Cutter is living a dream, dancing with the university’s The Illinettes dancers.

“Performing with the Illinettes is really an amazing experience I am blessed to have,” said Cutter, 18, who is a 2013 graduate from Sterling High School.

The troop performs at all home football games, and will perform at women’s and men’s basketball games, too, once those seasons start.

Nothing will take away the memory Cutter has from her first time wearing the sparkly orange and blue Illinetes uniform and performing at Illinois’s Memorial Stadium.

“Standing on the turf, looking around, all you see is orange and the huge new Jumbotron and all of the people; it’s really amazing to be a part of it.

“Especially when we score a touchdown, fireworks go off and you turn around to see the crowd on their feet and the band’s playing behind you. It’s a really amazing experience,” she said.

It was a long journey for Cutter to make the troop, which she auditioned for earlier this spring. There were 56 girls who auditioned for 28 spots on the team.

“When I found out I made it, I quietly walked over to my mom and gave her a huge hug. I was really proud of myself and I was excited for this next year to come,” she said.

Dr. Matthew and Chris-

Jesseca Cutter performing the PreGame show

tine Cutter of Sterling are Jesseca’s parents. Dr. Cutter is an optometrist with the CGH Vision Center in Sterling, and Christine Cutter is a wellness advisor for Shaklee Corp.

“Finally making it onto the field for the first time for a game was a big sense of relief. During band camp and summer camps the captains couldn’t really explain to you what happened at games, you just had to go out there and experience it,” Cutter said.

The Illinettes Dance Troop is an official member of the University of Illinois Marching Band.

“For the first game, it was about 100 degrees outside, and they took the temperature of the turf that we were standing on and it topped off at 127 degrees. So, afterwards we were all burnt, sore, tired, and covered in the rubber turf pieces that fly everywhere while we’re dancing. But walking away from that first game was a great relief, all of the questions and nerves had gone away, and the only thing that remained was the excitement for the rest of the season,” she said.

The troop practices 12 hours during weekdays and a short morning practice on Game Day Saturday. They

Cary Frye photo

greet the players and then parade to Memorial Stadium by 9 a.m. and are finally dismissed for the day around 4 p.m.

“When we don’t have a game that weekend we are occasionally given the Friday off, but this season so far every weekend if we don’t have a game we have a festival performance or a parade we attend,” Cutter said.

Still an incoming freshman, Cutter said she uses “the time I am given to the fullest extent” in balancing her schoolwork, practice and performance.

“I generally have 2 classes a day, so depending on when those are I will find a place to do homework before, between or after my classes as much as possible. Also, for some weekend performances when we travel with the band, during the long bus rides, I try and finish as much homework as I can.

“Late nights are also a part of this balancing act, along with keeping track of what is due when since I have a large amount of online and in-class homework due multiple days out of the week,” she said.

Besides the team and classes, Cutter also is a member of the Iota Chapter of the Delta Gamma Sorority on campus, and she said while

Making Small Ripples Today Leads to Big Impact Tomorrow Self-esteem, confidence, and a love for swimming, these are the goals of the new initiative out of the local YMCA. Along with the support of multiple generous donors, the SterlingRock Falls Family YMCA is proud to announce: “Making Small Ripples Today Leads to Big Impact Tomorrow.”

The new initiative offers free 6-week swim sessions to all Sterling and Rock Falls second grade students.

“The overarching goals of our program are swimming skills, water safety, as well as asset building,” said Deb Mortonson, Director of Aquatics & Youth Sports for the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA. Years ago, learning to swim used to be a standard rite of passage for just about

all kids. Sadly, that’s no longer the case. Generations of people did not have swimming and water safety as part of their basic education and the Y is working to change that trend. The Y is reaching out to area second grade students because research shows if a child doesn’t learn to swim before the 3rd grade, they likely never will.

The danger is clear, especially for kids living in river communities such as Sterling, Rock Falls and Dixon along with the increase in the number of backyard pools. Recent statistics suggest that many kids are growing up without the basic knowledge and skills they need to be safe around the water. Drowning is the third leading cause of death

for children at age five.

And each year an estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to near drowning. A swimming pool is 14 times more likely than motor vehicles to be involved in the death of a child.

The free second grade classes will have a 45-minute lesson format for 6 weeks. Available sessions start October 28th, January 13th, February 24th, and April 7th. Additional summer dates will be announced in the spring.

To learn more about the program or to register, please contact Deb Mortonson, Aquatics & Youth Sports Director, or Melissa Ryan, Youth Development Director at (815)535-9622.

The Illiniettes Dancers pose outside of Soldier Field.

she is not working presently, she does hope to start working this winter once she has a good grip on her time and schedule.

When not performing on the field, the Illinittes can be found throughout the state of Illinois in parades, street performances and festivals, performing on their own and with the Marching Illini. The troop traveled to Pana, IL for

Hanna Handler photo

the state’s largest Labor Day Parade, and made their way to Wheeling for the Wheeling Band Festival.

“One of the biggest highlights of the season so far was going to Soldier Field for the Bear’s season opening game where the Marching Illini and the Illinettes were the half time show,” Cutter said.

“One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is, in

the spring for St. Patricks Day, members of the Marching Illini who want to go are going to Ireland to perform in parades for St. Patricks Day,” she said.

When all the dancing is done, and her college days are over, Cutter said as of now she plans to continue on to medical school and stay on track to becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

Jesseca Cutter’s message to young dancers

By Spencer Schein Younger girls who are thinking about pursing dance beyond high school should “be confident, and learn to take all criticism as constructive criticism,” Cutter said.

“Be confidant with who you are, always work hard at whatever you put your mind through, and do what makes you happy. While you are growing up you don’t have

the whole weight of the world on your shoulders and you have people to help you through it, so have fun. And don’t waste time on things that don’t make you happy.

“Dance is one of the cruelest sports out there. While you’re performing or competing, you’re on stage for those three minutes being judged on every aspect of yourself.

“Growing up it can be hard to hear people say they

don’t like certain things about you, but you have to take it with a smile and move on. As long as you are happy with yourself people’s opinions won’t affect you.”

Dancing all her life has helped Cutter grow a very thick skin against judging.

“It makes life a lot easier when you separate whose points of views you care about and whose don’t matter in your life,” she said.

Jesseca Cutter said she is a member of “The Official Dance Team of the University of Illinois, The Illinettes.”

“It’s a very long title, but it has remained the same since the 1960’s since we are the official dance team of the college out of the 40 other dance teams and clubs on campus,” Cutter said.

“There is an Illini Dance Team that is also out on the field during football games, but they are not connected to us in any way and aren’t the official dance team.

“The Illinettes are also an active part of the Nation’s Premier College Marching Band, the Marching Illini.

This means that we march with them during parade, we march with their Pre-

Game performance along with their Halftime performances.

“The Illinettes has been a part of the band since we started in the 1960’s.

I would just like to clarify the full title of what I am a part of since there are about 40 different dance teams and clubs on campus, to avoid any confusion,” Cutter said.

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26

Business

Start-up business starts off right for nursing student Spencer Schein Off from nursing school this past summer and looking for a way to make a little money, Sarah Berry took to Facebook to see what was going on.

The social network site provided her with a way to re-live a part of her childhood and raise money to help around the house.

“I saw someone selling them (paracord bracelets) and thought I could make them too,” said Berry, of Rock Falls.

What she saw were Paracords, a recent popular form of colorful bracelets and key chains made from multiple sturdy nylon strands strung together.

“I used to make friendship bracelets when I was a kid,” she said. That experience, and viewing a couple howto videos, and Berry was in business.

One week after she posted a Facebook notice of her ability to make the paracords, Berry said she already had 50 orders, some from repeat customers.

The material used for the items is called Paracord 550,

due to the seven strands of nylon combined into one cord which can hold up to 550 pounds, she said.

Sarah gets her materials from a fabric and craft store in Sterling and from a company which sells its materials through the Internet.

The cords are available in any color, as well as camouflage colors. Berry said she can add pink ribbons on the bracelets to represent Breast Cancer Awareness, or other color ribbons representing other causes.

The bracelets are made in a cobra-stitch pattern, and take Berry about 10-minutes to make. The key chains also take 10-minutes and are made into a thicker strand.

A couple weeks after starting her sales, Berry said she got two orders for dog collars, which she said is going to be another branch of her at-home business.

While there are set prices for the key chains ($4) and bracelets ($6), the dog collars will be priced according to size of the collar, Berry said.

Berry is in her second year of nursing school at Sauk Valley Community

Sarah Berry makes one of the paracord bracelets she sells on Facebook.

College. She lives in Rock Falls with her son, Kody, 18, and her fiancée, Jesse “Chuy” Duran, and his daughter, Justine, 16.

How long will this busi-

ness last? Maybe not so long, according to Berry: “I think it’s a fad right now.”

To order a bracelet, key

chain or dog collar, contact Berry by phone at (815) 718-2390 or by sending her a message on her Facebook

Courtesy photo

account (www.facebook. com/brat514).

Sinnissippi Centers’ Dixon office expansion project breaks ground

A selection of paracord bracelets and keychains Sarah Berry has made.

Courtesy photo [Pictured in the photo, from left to right] Jim Sarver, former Sinnissippi Centers’ President/CEO, Richard Palmer, Board Member SPF Development Corporation, Patrick Phelan, President/CEO Sinnissippi Centers, John Parks, Board Chairperson, SPF Development Corporation, Greg Sandrock, Board Member, SPF Development Corporation, and Jeff Lovett, Board Member, SPF Development Corporation.

DIXON-On Wednesday October 16, 2013, Sinnissippi Centers broke ground on an expansion project at the agency’s Dixon office.

The 3,000 square foot addition is being built to more adequately serve the needs of individuals with a mental illness, substance use disorder or other behavioral healthcare needs. It will add 10-12 offices and update the Skill Mill, a workshop that offers vocational skills

training and employment opportunities for individuals with a mental illness by providing various services to local manufacturers and businesses.

“Currently, space at our Dixon office is at a real premium,” says Patrick Phelan, Sinnissippi Centers President/CEO. “Some offices currently house two or more staff members and we needed to increase the available office space to

alleviate this problem and to meet the increasing need for services we continue to see. Once completed, the expansion will allow Sinnissippi to provide the best possible environment for our clients,” adds Phelan.

The Dixon office expansion project has been in the planning stages for over a year. Construction will continue through the fall with an anticipated completion date in April 2014.

27 www.edwardjones.com

Business

CGH celebrates remodeled Digestive Disease Center and groundbreaking for new Emergency Department

by Carol Chandler October 1st was a redletter day at CGH as an open house was held to celebrate the opening of the newly remodeled Digestive Disease Center (DDC) and the ground-breaking for the new Emergency Department.

As a BSN who has worked in both of these departments, it was especially interesting to me to see how these changes will improve the health care for the people in our area. The new DDC will now accommodate ten patients at a time in a more private setting with the most up-to-date equipment to ensure the optimum level of care. Yet, it still retains its personal touch. Dr. Monteagudo has been in the DDC for eleven years and welcomes Dr. Friend (Yes, that’s right!) to the department.

The decor is based on a natural setting with soft colors to promote relaxation

and comfort. The best recommendation that can be made for the DDC is for its own staff to choose to be a patient there - that will be me on November 19th!

The new Emergency Department will be enlarged and will feature the latest in advanced equipment. Keep checking the paper for the progress reports.

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Kim Pettygrove 203 W. 1st Street Dixon 815-288-3838 Tom Wold, AAMS 2522 E. Lincolnway Sterling 815-564-0487 Nick Lareau 415 Locust Street Suite C Sterling 815-626-1588 Chad Weigle, CFP 203 W. 1st Street Dixon 815-288-3838

Aaron Young 735 N. Galena Ave. Suite 110 Dixon 815-285-3930

Mike Loos 4204 E. Lincolnway Suite B Sterling 815-564-0336

Jim McPherson, CFP 316 1st Ave. Sterling 815-622-7948

Sam Meier 102 E. Rt. 30 Suite 2 Rock Falls 815-535-0776

Susan Lyon 907 W. Rt. 30 Rock Falls 815-626-4822

Richard A. Coon, CFP 415 Locust Street Suite C Sterling 815-626-1588

Shovels ready! Breaking ground for construction of the new Emergency Department at CGH. MKD-7653-A

Open house for the newly remodeled Digestive Disease Center at CGH.

Courtesy photo

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28

Health

THE DOCTOR IS IN: Is this the Flu, or do I just have a cold?

Dr. Donald Lewis, MD FACS Special to the Sauk Valley Sun You might think that you can tell the difference between a cold, the flu, a bad

sore throat, and the common cold. Well, good for you, because I’m not always certain, and I have been in medicine for over forty years. It just isn’t always that easy, at least in the beginning. As more symptoms come forth and time passes though, the matter should clear up.

In a recent medical publication, they printed a nifty little chart which I will try to produce here for you to use. You might even put it

on your fridge for future reference. The general reference for all this comes from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ medicineplus/ency/article Well, hopefully this little chart is of some help. In any case, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and wash your hands frequently.

X = PRESENT IN SOME PATIENTS XX = TYPICAL SYMPTOM

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Health

Men and yoga

Nancy Nesyto-Freske Certified Yoga Teacher Men and Yoga - It is interesting that there are so few men in Yoga classes.

In Chicago the numbers are much higher, however, in the suburbs and beyond, the ratio of men to women is very low. One of the reasons

I find this so interesting is that historically only men did Yoga. I’m sure there were some female rebels in there, but women weren’t allowed to practice Yoga!

When I first started Yoga, the number of male teachers, especially the “big name teachers” were men! How did that happen if so few men go to class? I can only guess why this is so, based on what I hear from men when I say “I’m a Yoga teacher”. Some of the first words out of their mouths are “I’m not flexible, I can’t do Yoga”. Okay, you’re not flexible. Why do you think women come to Yoga in the first place? They’re not

flexible! That’s right. That’s what most of my female students say in the first place.

And guess what? It’s not about flexibility. Surprise!

Yes, I know the pictures we see on the front of Yoga magazines portray difficult “pretzel-like” poses and yes, 99.9% of the models on those covers and in those magazines are women, but that is NOT what Yoga is about. Yoga is about being who YOU are and WHERE you are in terms of mobility – right at that moment. True Yoga is not about the form, it’s about the function! And, in my classes, it is ONLY about the function. You’ll be amazed at how you can

move when you understand that and you learn how to move functionally! Yoga is also great for relieving stress, and come on guys, how many of you out there are dealing with stress?

Yoga is not about fashion either, so if you’re worried whether your T-shirt and shorts work – you bet it will.

You just need to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move. You don’t have to have any special equipment. Most studios supply

Dedicated donor gave more than 26 gallons of blood

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at how good you feel after the class. You may want to come back! That’s what the men say who come to my classes!

Hope to see you soon for a Gentle, Mindful Movement class at my studio. Nancy Nesyto-Freske is a Certified Yoga Instructor and Certified Yoga Therapist with locations in Dixon and Naperville. You can reach her at 815-509-6479 or by email at Nancy@journeyyogastudio. com. Her website is www. journeyyogastudio.com.

YOUR PT TEAM

Donate lifesaving blood in memory of John Buyers on Nov. 23 ROCK FALLS, IL – On Nov. 23, community members will have the opportunity to donate blood and commemorate the life of Sterling resident John Buyers, a blood donor who passed away earlier this year at age 66.

John began donating blood at age 18 and remained committed to the lifesaving cause for the rest of his life. As a result of John’s dedication, he gave more than 26 gallons of blood during his lifetime – potentially helping more than 600 patients in need.

Now, John’s friends and family are hosting a blood drive in his memory at the American Red Cross Rock Falls Blood Donation Center to help ensure hospitals have the blood they need – no matter when or where it is needed.

Donate Blood in Memory of John Buyers Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rock Falls Blood Donation Center, 112 W. 2nd St., in Rock Falls, Ill. To make a donation appointment, please call 815-625-0382 or visit

the basics – mat, straps, blocks, blankets. You don’t need special shoes – you practice in your socks or bare feet! So, if you want to feel better, physically and emotionally, take a Yoga class. If you’re feeling intimidated, ask a couple of your guy friends to join you.

Dare them to do so! Ask your wife, girlfriend, partner to go with you – there’s safety in numbers. You can even stay in the back of the class. You may be surprised

• Orthopedic and sports rehab • Tendonitis treatment with ASTYM • Custom orthotics • Kinesio taping • Sports specific pre and post surgical rehab

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hen someone you care Wabout needs caring for.

To learn more about our community in Prophetstown, call (815) 537-5175.

All faiths or beliefs are welcome.

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Faith

THE HARDHAT PARENT Memorable things Jeff Coester Pastor, Big Red Church A gift that will trigger memories is of greater value than an indulgence that will be forgotten. When Christine was seventeen, Mary and I were flying home from the Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Roanoke, VA. We wanted a souvenir to remind Christine of what a treasure we feel

she is. I looked through the trinkets and candy in the gift shop. I was handling pencils, pens, chocolate and baubles that would be used, eaten, broken or forgotten in a short time. To the left of the counter, I saw a box of polished rocks and an idea bubbled from the midst of them. For a meager fee you were welcome to a 2” x 3” black drawstring bag with as many colored rocks as it

would hold. I examined the rocks and twisted my brain until the following thoughts, which I wrote for Christine, came into my mind.

A Story in Polished Stones “We are coming back from a trip today with the knowledge that someday soon it will be you who comes home from trips to see us. We got you a little

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bag of polished stones today to remind you of how important you are to us. The stones will last longer than candy or toys and though they have no taste, the memory of them may be sweet to you. They may or may not find a place in your things as you travel, but brightly polished stones will make you think of your value wherever you travel. The little bag is small compared to the rest of the universe.

It is black like a world all stained with sin. When dad found the bag it looked soft, but there was nothing within. Beautiful rocks were offered. Once you pay for the bag, the pretty stones are free. We, like the bag, are in need of filling.

This reminds me of a rock named Jesus, the best thing a black world with nothing on the inside ever saw. The stones each have beauty; they remind us of you. Each stone is special and tells part of a story, but no matter how full with stones the bag becomes, your whole story just can’t be captured. Even so, this story in polished stones is a reflection of our hearts for you.

The blue stone was the one that most captures the eye. It was the most elegant color in the box. It is the color of the beautiful sky which is as wide and full of majesty as the love of God. It captures our eye because, like you, its beauty was unmatched by any of the hundreds beside it. And, of course, blue is what we feel when life keeps us apart.

The purple stone makes

This is Christine 13 years later with Lena, Logan and Erica Finnan photo Lincoln.

us think of you with your Auntie Lana. We hear you laughing, not shrieking, because you have such fun together. It is a joyful reminder of the faithful friend you are and what a pleasure to be around that you can be.

Purple seems to be the color of the time as you are the joy that shimmers in brilliant and matchless shades which we enjoy.

The multicolored stone was chosen for its uniqueness among the monochromatic stones. The world is flavorless without people of unique insight, compassion and wit. The world that surrounds you will never be without flavor. You are more multifaceted than this stone. The yellow in it does not come close to the brilliant yellow of your room.

And, your room will never come close to the starburst of color you are for us.

The last stone is polished

like the silver mercury we got from the drugstore as kids. It looked like the future, like the hull of a starship or some futuristic design. Your stone looks like the future. It reminds us of how you will look in the future. You, like the stone, will shine and get the attention of those who watch you.

And you, like the mercury it looks like, will adapt to whatever you flow near.

God will have his places and his uses for you. We are grateful to be part of the beautiful job God has been doing polishing you.

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

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31

Faith Spotlight on Pastor Mark Oehlert

Hanukkah lights make Festival of Lights bright

SVS: What is there about you that might surprise us?

Pastor Mark: I enjoy tearing apart tractors and repairing them. I once restored a John Deere B. SVS: What do you like to do with your leisure time?

Pastor Mark: I work out at Westwood several days a week and like to run 5K races, biking, gardening, kayaking and just about anything on the water is interesting to me.

SVS: What is your favorite restaurant?

Pastor Mark: I love food and Nancy enjoys Touch of Thai, so I love to take her there.

Jeff Coester Mark Oehlert (pronounced A – lert) is in his tenth year as Pastor of St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church at 703 Third Avenue in Sterling. He and wife Nancy have two girls, one of whom is expecting

their first grandchild in the spring. Mark, from Sycamore, had been a farmer and worked in partnership with his brother on new home construction before entering the ministry. He serves the Sterling Police Department as a Chaplain and LSSI as an advisor on senior services.

SVS: What type of movies do you enjoy?

Pastor Mark: I like movies with strong plot development. Foreign films can be good that way.

All the Hanukkah lights flicker on the final night of the holiday last year. This year Spencer Schein photo Hanukkah ends Dec. 5, 2013

Spencer Schein Hanukkah is one of the minor holidays in Judaism, yet it is one of the more highly known Jewish holidays due to its proximity around Christmas.

And this year, the eightnight Festival of Lights surrounds Thanksgiving, making for a once-in-alifetime grand celebration for Jewish people this year.

I will have a great time getting to light the Menorah as I celebrate Thanksgiving with my mother. I usually light the Menorah by myself.

Hanukkah is considered a minor Jewish holiday because it does not fall within the Torah, or Old Testament.

Only those holidays which do, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are considered high holy days.

Over the years I have formed my own traditions for Hanukkah. I use a Menorah I received from my father, which I keep in its store-bought rectangular box. The Menorah fits snuggly within blankets of white tissue paper.

I place the Menorah on my kitchen counter, usually in an aluminum pan to

catch any candle drippings.

Candles are placed from right-to-left depending on the number of nights.

I wear a scarlet and gray colored Yakima on my head as I light the candles and recite the candle-lighting prayers, three the first night and two on the other nights.

The eighth night of Hanukkah is the best night of Hanukkah. Watching all the candles burn, each representing eight nights of the holiday, including the ninth candle, known as the Shamash, (used to light the others) is a great sight.

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32

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