July 2015 | Vol. 3 Issue 6 | saukvalleysun.com

Sauk Valley SunDIXON • STERLING • ROCK FALLS the community’s newspaper

PRST STD US POSTAGE

PAIDROCKFORD ILPERMIT NO 28

ECRWSSPOSTAL

CUSTOMER

Not valid with any other offers. Limit one coupon per customer. Valid at Presidential Parkway Plaza.OFFER EXPIRES: 8/14/15

DIXON • Presidential Parkway Plaza 216 Keul Rd • 815-284-4077

M-F 9-9, Sat 8-6, Sun 9-6

ANY HAIRCUT

$799

PresidentialParkwayPlaza_76572.indd 1 6/8/15 5:32 PM

DIXON FORD LINCOLN VOLKSWAGEN MAZDA HASEXPANDED SERVICE HOURS TO SERVE YOU BETTER!New service hours: Monday 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM / Thursday 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM

Saturday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PMTuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays are still 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

489 IL Route 2 • Dixon, Il 61021815-288-3366 www.DixonFLM.com

Your Authorized Dealer for Sales & Service!DIXON

7/31/15. 7/31/15. 7/31/15.

INSIDENot your garden-varietysummer in legislature“This isn’t a typical summer. If it was a typical summer, we wouldn’t be driving to and from Springfi eld every week for overtime session.” So says State Rep. Tom Dem-mer (R-Dixon).

See page 2

Dixon welcomes new librarianDixon Public Library welcomes Antony Deter as its new director. He is a tall man with a delightful English accent.

See page 21

River Ridge adds veterinarianRiver Ridge Animal Hospital is excited to introduce Dr. Trisha Cooper as the newest member of their veterinarian team. As a high school student, she excelled in math and science and just always knew that a veterinary career was in her future.

See page 17

“Into the Woods” goes outdoorsThe musical play “Into the Woods” is an ambitious joint production of the Sauk Valley Community College Theater Department, Woodlawn Arts Academy and Sterling’s Cen-tennial Auditorium. It will be presented outdoors July 8-12 on the lawn at Woodlawn Arts Academy.

See page 24

BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY

Photo by Jennifer LubbsSummer means swimming, camping and fi shing for many children in the Sauk Valley. “Look at what I caught!” says a youngster who participated in the kiddie version of the recent big Cabella’s King Kat tourney in Dixon.

Dixon Ford is in the midst of a major facelift that is driven by enhanced c u s t o m e r service.

Page 9

Nestled among the pine trees in northern Illinois is the e n t e r t a i n i n g White Pines Dinner Theater.

Page 23

The Budweiser Clydesdales spent several days in the Sauk Valley last month, making appearances, marching in a parade and even delivering a scholarship to a local youth.

Page 20

Not valid with any other offers. Limit one coupon per customer. Valid at Presidential Parkway Plaza.OFFER EXPIRES: 8/14/15

DIXON • Presidential Parkway Plaza 216 Keul Rd • 815-284-4077

M-F 9-9, Sat 8-6, Sun 9-6

ANY HAIRCUT

$799

PresidentialParkwayPlaza_76572.indd 1 6/8/15 5:32 PM

Summer is FUN!

The Sauk Valley Sun isnow offering classifieds!

BUY, SELL OR TRADE ON PAGE 24.

2 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Blackhawks win has family tiesJudy Bell

We roared when the Black-hawks won the

Cup! We cheered for Chica-go, for hockey fans and for our long-standing relation-ship with the Hawks.

How long? Try 1962, when husband Bob, then a grad student, spent a night in Rockford and happened to catch his first televised hockey game with a new, young player named Bobby Hull.

Fast forward to newly married days when we went to games in the old Stadi-um. Smoking was permit-ted. From our nose-bleed seats, it was sometimes hard to see the ice much less the action. Great fun!

Next was taking our young son, Elliot, to games. He probably liked the snack bar as much as the game. Still fun!

Then, wow! Elliot, a sports marketing profes-sional, joined the Black-

hawks marketing team. He was there in the lean years…no cup since 1961. He took us to games. Great seats and more fun!

Next, enter Elliot’s wife, Misty, and grand-daughter Hannah, who were privileged to attend family nights with the Hawks.

For the recent cham-pionship…their third in six years… Elliot was there. He said the stadi-um “rocked.” His friends from the front office were there, on the ice with the players and “the Cup.” It was the first time the Cup was won on home ice in 77 years.

Go Hawks!

Liandro Arellano, Jr.Mayor, City of Dixon

Though June 21 was set as the of-ficial start date of

summer this year, Dixon has been a buzz of outdoor activity for quite a while. There are a whole host of activities, including both special events as well as ongoing events that will last for months.

The Dixon City Market is happening down on the Riverfront every Wednes-day evening from 4-7:30 through September. Sec-ond Saturdays Art Hap-penings are ongoing in the downtown each month. Riverfront Yoga is every Friday from 11am to noon in the Riverfront Amphi-theater. The weekly Mu-

sical Fridays immediately follows, with rotating acts playing noon to 1pm at the Riverfront Pavilion. And of course the Dixon F a r m e r ’s Market at H a y m a r -ket Square is open from 7am to noon every Wednesday and Saturday.

If all that isn’t enough, there are special events happening constantly. We just finished the Cabe-la’s Catfish tournament, and of course the Petunia Festival’s many events are a summer highlight. Gardenstock, the Summer Concert in the Park se-ries, the Reagan Run, and live music every weekend are just a few of the great

events just around the cor-ner. There is never a dull week in town!

At the government level, the city is continuing to re-invent itself to better serve our residents and our visi-tors. The city is preparing a complete overhaul of the various entities that pro-mote our businesses, our events, and our city. We are also preparing major infrastructure investments all throughout the city. Ex-pect to see not just street upgrades but drainage and underground infrastructure upgrades as well.

In short, this is going to be an active summer. Amazing volunteers and great local businesses are hard at work ensuring that there is plenty to see and do. Take advantage of it!

Brad’s Beat ...Brad Monson

Oh my…with ALL of the rain, those with leaky roofs will be thrilled to

know there is a solution: Northern Illinois Seamless Roofing, 815-539-5142. They are professionals with 30 years of experience. They will give you a great result: no more leaky roof! Call before the next deluge.

When we see critters…ants, mosquitoes, spiders, mice…we have only one thought: Call Crown Exterminators. That’s it! Then we can rest assured we have done our best. We are as pest- and

critter-free as possible. When you need them, Crown Exterminators will handle any pests…just one phone call 815-625-8604.

Some adults have thinning hair and wonder what can they do? Sally Montavan and her team at Studio 404, Dixon, have an-swers…with appropriate products and techniques. You have to expe-rience the results to know what we mean…seeing is believing! Once you try what Studio 404 recom-mends…you’ll be happier and less concerned about thinning hair. Call today 815-284-4247.

Authentic Mexican food is de-licious. We especially enjoy the steak fajitas at Las Palmas in Dixon (815-284-0881)…near Wal-Mart. The hot, sizzling platter

of steak, onions and peppers is ac-companied by tortillas, rice, beans and a dollop of guacamole. Trust us… it’s delicious! Maybe consid-er ordering fajitas next time you visit Las Palmas. Or sample their new summer specials!

White Pines Inn (established in 1927) at White Pines State Park is a superb place for breakfast, lunch or dinner every day of the week from March through December. Dinner entrees include one or two side dishes. We loved the to-die-for onion rings and sweet potato fries. Also, for a slight up-charge, you can order the “loaded pota-to”…bacon, onion, cheese! Or a sweet potato “loaded” with marsh-mallows and brown sugar. NOW is a perfect time to get away to the

White Pines Inn…an idyllic place so very close to home. White Pines’ weekday matinee theatre is a treat too! For information: 815-946-3817

Wendy Johnson, President, SBM Business Equipment Cen-ter, Sterling is a busy and con-summate professional. We admire her! We also are inspired by her special commitment to giving with the CGH “Love on a Leash” program. Wendy and “Cally,” her King Charles Spaniel, have just completed 200 hours of visiting patients at CGH.

We say “Bravo Wendy and Cal-ly!” And we ask all…if a busy lady can devote time to a good cause, what can you do for the good of our community which is

also YOUR community? As Nike made famous, “Just Do it!”

The July 4th holiday HAS TO BE the #1 time for BBQ. If you need anything…a new sauce, new rub, utensils, gadgets and ESPE-CIALLY A NEW GRILL….run, don’t walk, to Jim Prescott’s BBQ and Patio Shop, Sterling (815-625-7778). If you want or need it, Prescott’s BBQ has it. Jim is a long-time pro in the business. He and his team can guide and advise anyone on what is the best purchase for their needs. The Sauk Valley is fortunate to have such a great BBQ resource right here…you don’t have to leave the area for your BBQ needs!

Keep those cards and letter coming…

Tom DemmerState Representative, 90th District

This isn’t a typical summer. If it was a typical summer,

we wouldn’t be driving to and from Springfield every week for overtime session.

By law, the House and the Senate are sched-uled to ad-journ by m i d n i g h t

on May 31 each year. After that adjournment, there are three people who can call us back into extra sessions: the Governor, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. This summer, Speaker Mike Madigan and President John Cullerton have called us back for ex-tra sessions every week.

The primary reason for overtime is that we haven’t approved a budget. Howev-er, the extra sessions have spent very little time work-ing on the budget; instead they’ve been focused on political theater, press con-ferences and sound bites from Madigan and Culler-ton.

The state’s fiscal year

runs July 1 to June 30. That means that starting July 1, the State of Illinois will be without a budget—without the spending authority that provides for every state program, department and service.

In a typical year, we in the legislature would have started the budget process in January by estimating how much revenue the state would bring in during the upcoming year. That makes sense. Look at income before you set spending. Speaker Madigan didn’t al-low that this year. Instead, he skipped the committee process and brought mil-lions of dollars in spend-ing for votes on the House floor. He proposed a budget that spends $4 billion more than we’ll bring in—and he got his fellow Democratic representatives to vote for it.

Governor Rauner and Re-publicans in the House and Senate were excluded from that budget process—and we opposed the $4 billion deficit budget. Common sense and the Constitution require a balanced bud-get, and the Governor has pledged to veto the Madi-gan-Cullerton budget.

In order to find a real solution, we need biparti-san compromise. We stand ready to work with Dem-ocrats in order to pass a balanced budget that ad-dresses our chronic spend-ing growth while protecting critical state services.

The people of Illinois elected a new Governor in November because they want something different in Springfield. After more than a decade of Democrat-ic control, unbalanced bud-gets and runaway spending, let’s try compromise. Let’s try negotiating in good faith. Let’s try working to-gether on a balanced bud-get—let’s try, try, try again and finally deliver for the people of Illinois.

District Office1221 Currency Court, Suite BRochelle, IL 61068815-561-3690

Capitol Office222 North Stratton BuildingSpringfield, IL 62706217-782-0535

tomdemmer.com

Legislator spends summer in Springfield

Dixon is abuzz with events

Dear Editor:Hospice of the Rock River Valley, a

United Way Agency, would like to thank everyone who supported our Hospice Home Fundraiser “Take Me to the Fair.” It was a delightful luncheon and infor-mative program about the 1893 Chica-go World’s Fair by the Tea Ladies from Bloomington, IL.

A special thank you to the members of the Hospice of the Rock River Valley

Baking Brigade who made and donated our delicious desserts for the event. We are especially grateful to Arthur’s Garden Deli for their sponsorship of this fundrais-er. The proceeds will be used for our hos-pice home project, and the communities’ support of our events is truly appreciated.

Sincerely, Karen Voss, Marketing Director, and

Carolyn Spencer, Executive Director, Hospice of the Rock River Valley, Dixon

LETTER TO THE EDITORHospice thank you’s

OOPS!In the Dixon High School Principal’s column, “Ad-

dress to the DHS Class of 2015,” Dr. Michael L. Grady was incorrectly identified as being the Superintendent, Dixon Schools. We apologize for the error.

In the feature “Where will they go,” JD Giesen’s photo identification was misspelled. JD is the son of Jon and Linda Giesen, Dixon. We regret this error.

The excellent article “Tips to protect hair and skin from harmful summer sun” (June issue, page 12) was missing one important detail. It was written by Sally Montavan, owner, Studio 404, Dixon. Sally, we are so grateful for your contributions. Please accept our sin-cere apology for omitting your byline.

Other printing errors were caused by a mix-up in files and a corrupt workstation at the firm that prints the Sauk Valley Sun. They apologize to our readers. They have made plans that these errors will not occur in future issues.

Most sincerely, Judith Bell Publisher

3July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

JULY 1-551st Annual Petunia Festival in Dixon

WED, JULY 17AM- Noon – Dixon Park District’s Farm-ers Market, Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-33068-11AM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.10AM-1:30PM – American Red Cross Blood Drive, American Legion, 1120 W. First St., Dixon 11AM-1PM – Free community meal at Whiteside County Senior Center, Sterling; hamburger, hot dog, potato salad, baked beans, chips, dessert, and pop or water1PM – Make giant paper airplanes, Rock Falls Library, registration required6PM – Knit Wits Knitting Group, Dixon Public Library 7:30PM – Sterling Municipal Band Con-cert, Grandon Civic Center8PM – Complete Works of William Shake-speare (Abridged), Dixon Riverfront 9PM – “Back To The Future” outdoor movie on the riverfront, Dixon

THU, JULY 2 5PM – Girls Night Out at A Cook’s Cor-ner, 2501 Avenue E (YMCA Way), Ster-ling, 815-625-7040, acookscorner.com 7:30PM – Dixon Municipal Band Concert, Page Park

FRI, JULY 33-7PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Fire-house Museum, 403 W. Second St.5PM – Family Fun Night & Ice Cream Social, Old Lee County Courthouse Lawn11AM – Brush, Bloom and Boom, down-town Dixon, street painting event for chil-dren, 815-288-2308 (Gina Bonneur)7-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling 7-8PM – Dixon Municipal Band Mid-sea-son Patriot Concert, Old County Court-house lawn, Dixon

INDEPENDENCE DAYSAT, JULY 434th Annual Nuts About Art, John Dixon Park, Dixon8AM-1PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.8AM-Noon – Twin Cities Farmers Mar-ket, Sterling8AM – 16th Annual Reagan Run, Dixon reaganrun.com10AM-2PM – Firehouse Ministries Muse-um, 403 W. Second St., Rock Falls7-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

SUN, JULY 5 1PM – Pinkly Ever After Parade, Dixon

JULY 6-12Christmas in July shopping and dining specials, downtown Sterling. .

MON, JULY 6 6PM – Dixon Public Library Family Night with “Mr. Steve,” First United Methodist Church

TUE, JULY 710AM – Adult book discussion group, “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” by Katy Butler, Sterling Library, pick up a copy of the book at the main desk12:30-5:30PM – American Red Cross Blood Drive, Knights of Columbus Hall 506 W. Third St., Dixon 8:30PM – Movies at Grandon presents “The Polar Express,” with fun family ac-tivities before the movie, free movie, con-cessions available for purchase, Grandon Civic Center, Sterling, sterlingmainstreet.org

JULY 8-127PM – Into The Woods, a free special presentation of Shakespeare in the Park, presented by Sauk Valley Community College, Woodlawn Arts Academy and Centennial Auditorium on the lawn at Woodlawn Arts Academy, Sterling, bring a chair and a picnic

WED, JULY 8 7AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market,. Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8-11AM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.10AM and 2PM – Dixon Public Library’s “Library Idol” Talent Show, First United Methodist Church 4-7:30PM – Dixon City Market, riverfront between Hennepin and Peoria6PM – Book Discussion Group, “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin, Dixon Public Library

7:30PM – Sterling Municipal Band Con-cert, Grandon Civic Center

THU, JULY 97:30PM – Dixon Municipal Band Concert, Page Park

FRI, JULY 103-7PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Fire-house Museum, 403 W. Second St.11AM – Riverfront Yoga and Musical Fri-days featuring Ray Rose, Heritage Cross-ing, Dixon. Yoga from 11-12, music from 12-1. 815-288-2308, dixonmainstreet.com7-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

SAT, JULY 1110AM-2PM – Firehouse Ministries Muse-um, 403 W. Second St., Rock Falls6-8PM – Second Saturdays cultural event, downtown Dixon 6-8PM – Lowell Park Summer Concert Se-ries, riverfront at Reagan Bath House near Lions Shelter, featuring Big Daddy Woo Woo, the Funkiest Rhythm Section Around, free-will donation at the gate with proceeds to benefit the restoration of the Reagan Bath House, 815-284-3496, info@discoverdixon7AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market, Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8AM-1PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.8AM-Noon – Twin Cities Farmers Mar-ket, SterlingCamp D.R.E.A.M. (Diabetes, Recreation, Ed-ucation, Activities and ME!), with scavenger hunts, crafts, education for parents and sib-lings, and more for ages 5-15 and mentors 16-18 diagnosed with diabetes, 815-284-3371.7-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

WED, JULY 157AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market,. Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8-11AM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.Noon – Dixon Main Street Lunch and Learn, topic: Florissa4-7:30PM – Dixon City Market, riverfront between Hennepin and Peoria6PM – Knit Wits Knitting Group, Dixon Public Library 7:30PM – Sterling Municipal Band Con-cert, Grandon Civic Center

JULY 16-187:30PM – Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Stage Left, Dixon; tickets: $20 at the door, Trein’s, The Crystal Cork or dix-onstageleft.com

THU, JULY 16 7:30PM – Dixon Municipal Band Concert, Page Park

FRI, JULY 1711AM – Riverfront Yoga and Musical Fri-days featuring Jeff Kagay, Heritage Cross-ing, Dixon. Yoga from 11-12, music from 12-1. 815-288-2308, dixonmainstreet.com3-7PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Fire-house Museum, 403 W. Second St.7PM – Summer Musical Revue, Wood-lawn Arts Academy; tickets: $5 at the Academy starting July 137-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

SAT, JULY 187AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market, Haymarket Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8AM-1PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.8AM-Noon – Twin Cities Farmers Mar-ket, Sterling10AM-2PM – Firehouse Ministries Muse-um, 403 W. Second St., Rock Falls2PM – University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners presentation on four season gardening, using native plants, creating a natural fairy garden, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, shade gar-dening and historic gardens, Sterling Pub-lic Library, 815-244-94442PM and 7PM – Summer Musical Revue, Woodlawn Arts Academy; tickets: $5 at the Academy starting July 137-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffee-house, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

TUE, JULY 21 8:30PM – Movies at Grandon presents “Planes-Fire and Rescue,” free movie, concessions available for purchase, Gran-don Civic Center, Sterling, sterlingmain-street.org

JULY 22-25Sterling Fest 2015, sterlingmainstreet.org

JULY COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Compiled by Associate Editors Marc Helf and Jacqueline Sondgeroth, and Sauk Valley Sun Staff • E-mail events to sauksunmarc@gmail.com, sauksundixon@gmail.com or sauksun@gmail.com.

calendar continued on page 4

FIREWORKSDISPLAYSFriday, July 3rd at Dusk – Westwood, Sterling, $5/car, gates open at 5:30PM for family activitiesSunday, July 5th at 9PM – Dixon Waterfront

Photo by Peter Paladino

ANNIVERSARY GALASaturday, July 18th at 6PM – Sauk Val-ley Community College 50th Anniversary Gala, East Mall at SVCC, with dinner, mu-sical entertainment, 50th Anniversary Com-memorative Video, and a cash bar provid-ed by Crystal Cork, Dixon. 815-835-6303 or debra.d.dillow@svcc.edu (Deb Dillow).

Community Calendar is sponsored by Ken Nelson Auto Group

4 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

JULY COMMUNITY CALENDAR (CONT.)

WED, JULY 227AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market,. Hay-market Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8-11AM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Muse-um, 403 W. Second St..4-7:30PM – Dixon City Market, riverfront between Hen-nepin and Peoria6PM – Murder at Six Book Group, “Cocaine Blues” by Kerry Greenwood, Dixon Public Library7:30PM – Sterling Municipal Band Concert, Grandon Civic Center

JULY 23-257:30PM – Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Stage Left, Dixon; tickets: $20 at the door, Trein’s, The Crystal Cork or dixonstageleft.com

JULY 23-26Lee County 4-H Fair and Junior Show, Lee County Fair-grounds, Amboy

THU, JULY 237:30PM – Dixon Municipal Band Concert, Page Park

FRI, JULY 2411AM – Riverfront Yoga and Musical Fridays featuring Charlie Gall, Heritage Crossing, Dixon. Yoga from 11-12, music from 12-1. 815-288-2308, dixonmainstreet.com3-7PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.6:30-9:30PM – Open mic night at Beans Coffeehouse, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

SAT, JULY 25 7AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market, Hay-market Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8AM-1PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Mu-seum, 403 W. Second St.8AM-Noon – Twin Cities Farmers Market, Sterling

10AM-2PM – Firehouse Ministries Museum, 403 W. Sec-ond St., Rock Falls10AM – Home of Hope Family Fun Day10AM – FOOS on Cancer! Human Foosball Tournament, hosted by Home of Hope Cancer Wellness Center at Sauk Valley Community College, with concessions, activitites, 50/50 and awards, 815-288-4673 or jpadilla@hohrrv.com (Joan Padilla)1PM – Main Street Music Fest, food, beverages, 50/50 (drawing at 7pm), last band takes the stage at 8pm, Gran-don Civic Center, Sterling7-9PM – Live music at Beans Coffeehouse, 121 E. Third St., Sterling

SUN, JULY 26 Noon – Old-fashioned Ice Cream Social, hosted by Ster-ling-Rock Falls Historical Society at the site of the future Lincoln Learning Center, 6 E. Third St., Sterling, proceeds to construction of Learning Center

TUE, JULY 28 Noon – Meal and a Movie, Sterling Library1-6PM – American Red Cross Blood Drive, First United Methodist Church, Second and Peoria, Dixon

WED, JULY 297AM-Noon – Dixon Park District Farmers Market,. Hay-market Square, 317 W. Third St., 815-284-3306 8-11AM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Muse-um, 403 W. Second St.4-7:30PM – Dixon City Market, riverfront between Hen-nepin and Peoria6PM – Knit Wits Knitting Group, Dixon Public Library7:30PM – Sterling Municipal Band Concert, Grandon Civic CenterDusk – Free Ronald Reagan movie at the Reagan Home, 810 S. Hennepin, Dixon, reaganhome.org

THU, JULY 30 Noon – Dixon Chamber Golf Outing, Timber Creek7:30PM – Dixon Municipal Band Concert, Page Park

FRI, JULY 313-7PM – Rock Falls Farmers Market, Firehouse Museum, 403 W. Second St.

JULY 29-AUGUST 2 Ogle County Fair, Oregon

JULY 31-AUGUST 2 9AM-5PM – Green Iron Days with early-model John Deere equipment on display, $5 admission or free with non-perishable donation for local food bank, food avail-able for purchase, John Deere Historic Site, Grand Detour11AM – Riverfront Yoga and Musical Fridays featuring Nate Gordon, Heritage Crossing, Dixon. Yoga from 11-12, music from 12-1. 815-288-2308, dixonmainstreet.com

SAVE THE DATE: AUGUST 4-9 Reagan Trail Days, Dixon

PETUNIA CITY BRASSFriday, July 24 at 7PM — Drum and Bugle Corps competition at A.C. Bow-ers Field at Dixon High School. Five top Drum Corps International Open Class Corps. Tickets: $25 reserved best, $20 reserved, $12 general admission, at DCI.org, Kreider Services, Lee County Council on Aging or Venier’s Jewelry. 815-288-6691

5July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

MONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHICMONDAY CHIC

On the last Monday of every month, new guests can receive 50% off haircut and color services from 2:30 - 8:30 pm with featured stylists

head-turns included][compliments and

Studio 404 salon

815.284.4247 www.studio404salon.com112 E. Fellows St. Dixon, IL

A R T SWOODLAWN ACADEMY

SPECIAL THANKS TOOUR TITLE SPONSORSPECIAL THANKS TOOUR TITLE SPONSOR

DETAILS AT SVCC.EDU

“INTO THE WOODS”Music and Lyrics by

STEPHEN SONDHEIMBook by JAMES LAPINEOriginally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine

Orchestrations by Jonathan TunickINTO THE WOODS is presented through special arrangement

with Music Theatre International (MTI).All authorized performance materials are also supplied by

MTI, 421 W. 54th St., New York, NY 10019.Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.mtishows.com

WOOdSInto The

FREE PERFORMANCES AT 7PMJULY 8-12 ON THE LAWN AT

WOODLAWN ARTS ACADEMYIN THE EVENT OF RAIN, AN “INTO THE WOODS” MUSICAL REVUE WILL BE PERFORMED IN THE

J. MARK BEATY PERFORMANCE CENTERINSIDE WOODLAWN ARTS ACADEMY.

WOOdSInto The

DIRECTED BY ANNA K. KURTZFEATURING TALENTED

ADULT ACTORS FROM THESAUK VALLEY & BEYOND!

BRING A PICNIC &ENJOY THE SHOW! THIS EVENT ONLY:ADULT BEVERAGES

ALLOWED IN THE PARK.PARK CLOSES AT 10PM.

Jill Horn and Marc Helf

Both the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA and the Dixon YMCA have

new and improved features this summer.

A ribbon cutting and open house for the Sterling-Rock Falls Fami-ly YMCA’s expanded facility was held mid-June.

Constraints on wellness space at the Sterling location affected the YMCA’s ability not only to serve a growing membership, but also to diversify its programs to meet members’ interests and critical community needs. The ability to provide a facility with adequate space, including state-of-the-art wellness equipment and a dedicat-ed space for enriching the lives of the youngest members in the Wee-Care program while their parents work out, was mission imperative.

“Through community input and member feedback, an addition-al 2,800 square feet of wellness and Wee-Care space was created to allow individuals the opportu-nity to progress further in pursuit of achieving their healthy living goals. In addition, we have created meaningful spaces for community and family development, as out-lined in our strategic plan,” said Board President Tom Myers.

The renovated facility features a new strength and conditioning

center, an expanded cardio center, and a dedicated Wee-Care space. Members and program participants can expect the following new and improved features as part of the Y’s Wellness Expansion plan:

• refreshed and expanded wellness center

• 18 pieces of new equipment• internet and TV capabilities

on most cardio equipment• newly dedicated Wee-Care

area• age-appropriate activities

and spaces for children• off-site administrative of-

fice in Rock Falls• new program center at

Challand Middle School“Healthy, active citizens are the

anchor of a vibrant community,” said Andy Thornton, YMCA Pres-ident and CEO. “This new growth plan will position us to meet the needs of many more people in our community. The Y will now have the capacity to work with more in-dividuals as they aspire to become healthier in spirit, mind and body.”

Learn more at www.srfymca.org, the Y’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/SRFYMCA or by calling 815-535-9622.

Meanwhile, the Dixon YMCA has received a facelift of its own, along with a new motto: “Let us put a little happy in your day.”

Andy McFarlane, CEO of the Dixon YMCA, said, “We want to

build a relationship with people and transform lives forever for the better.”

In the past two years, the Dix-on Y has changed its signage to comply with the Y of USA. There are brighter colors and new mu-rals on the walls. Along with that, KSB has a community wellness center inside the Y. KSB donat-ed the new cardio equipment for the wellness center. There is also new flooring that’s easier to keep clean. Three new pieces of strength equipment are available for per-sons in a wheelchair to help build upper-body strength.

Andy McFarlane wants to be in-tentional in connecting with the pa-trons of the Y. “The history of the Y has always been to help people. We are just reconnecting with our past record. We’ve been helping people for 171 years. We want to find out what the person needs and then help them to meet that need.”

Terry Christian of Dixon was just a step away from going into assisted living. He came into the Y, and his life changed forever for the better. He was morbidly obese and in need of change. He was ashamed of his body and himself, but the staff at the Y wasn’t.

Terry said, “They just told me to come back. They want to include everyone. This is another concept of Christian community in action.” Terry feels if he stops going to the

Y, he will let the staff down, not just himself. He keeps coming back for them as well as himself.

Amber Pitchford of Dixon said, “The Y puts a smile in my stressful

days. I come in and work out and feel the stress go away.”

Whether you’re at the Sterling or Dixon location, let the YMCA put a little happy in your day, too.

YMCAs in Sterling and Dixon undergo renovations, receive updates

Both the Sterling-Rock Falls and Dixon Family YMCAs have undergone major facelifting in recent months. Both facilities have new, remodeled wellness centers, and the Sterling-Rock Falls Y also has a new Wee Care space for its youngest members while their parents work out.

6 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL 2000 18th Ave., Sterling, IL

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Separate classrooms for 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool.

815-625-3800www.christlutheranschool.com

PRESCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!

We are the Family Fun Fair!Free activities daily

Carnival • Livestock showsTractor/truck pulls in the grandstands

NEW: July 26

4-H Fair MarketplaceCrafters • Artisans

Home-based businesses

Lee Co. 4-H Fair & Jr. ShowJuly 23-26 Lee County Fairgrounds

(1/2 mile east of the Rt 52 & 30 junction)

Like us on Facebook for up-to-date informationwww.leecounty4hcenter.com • (815) 857-2603

The Sauk Valley Area Jaycees’ Independence Day Celebration is scheduled for Friday, July

3, at the Westwood Sports Complex on West LeFevre Road, west of Sterling.

This year, in addition to the annual fireworks display at dusk, the event has been expanded to include a variety of family activities,

The Independence Day Celebration will feature:

• Fire truck tours• Ambulance tours• K-9 police car tours• Emergency helicopter tours• National Guard vehicle tours• Combine tractor tours• Glow-in-the-dark face painting• Unique food vendors• Inflatable playground• Corn cob toss contest for all ages• A completely redesigned fire-

works show“We are very excited to share with

you the new additions to this year’s Jay-cees 4th of July Fireworks,” Jaycees President and 2015 Fireworks Co-Chair Adam Johnson said.

“In fact, we’ve changed its name to better reflect this year’s event, and we invite you to be a part of the Jaycees In-dependence Day Celebration!

“This allows for not just those inside the celebration to enjoy our show, but also reaches out to all of those on the outside.”

Gates to Westwood open at 5:30 p.m., with the fireworks show scheduled for a dusk start, or around 9:30 p.m. Admis-sion is $5 per car load!

By the way, did you know that every year no tax dollars are used for the Jay-cees’ fireworks display?

It is 100% fully funded by the Jay-cees’ year-long fundraising efforts and donations from our communities’ busi-nesses, organizations, and individuals citizens.

The Northwest Il-linois Audubon Society invites

all to the Elkhorn Creek Butterfly Festival on Sat-urday, July 25th from 1 until 5 p.m. Participants may join guided tours at 1, 2, 3 or 4 p.m. or look on their own. “Illinois Butterflies and Moths” pocket guides will be distributed at no charge while supplies last. There will be a restroom and a shady area with chairs, cold beverages, and snacks. If the weather is

questionable, call Black-mores at 825-938-3204 or Teresa Smith at 815-238-3963. The preserve is located about 3 miles southwest of Forreston in the southeast corner of West Grove and Freeport Roads. The parking lot is off West Grove Rd.

The Northwest Illi-nois Audubon Society is sponsoring a “Prairie Hop” on Thursday, July 9th, 8 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. Two magnificent prairies will be visited, both of which are dedicated Il-

linois Nature Preserves. Wirth Prairie near Dako-ta is a dry dolomite prai-rie; the Freeport Prairie on Freeport’s south side is the last of the original upland prairie known as the Shannon Prai-rie. There should be a showy display of sum-mer forbs such as Pale Purple Coneflower, Lead Plant, Stiff Coreopsis and many more. Carpool from the Staples lot in Freeport at 7:30 a.m.; expected return time is 11:30 a.m.

Butterfly Festival and Prairie Hop

Jaycees to host Independence Day celebration at Westwood

Sterling Main Street announces 50/50 raffle Janna GroharingSterling Main Street Executive Director

Ticket sales for Sterling Main Street’s annual 50/50 raffle got off to a great start at its May Car

Show. Tickets are on sale through July, and a single winner will be drawn during Sterling Main Street’s annual Music Fest on July 25, 2015 at the Grandon Civic Center.

“Main Street has a number of projects and events underway,” says Janna Grohar-ing, the organization’s executive director. “Ramping up our fundraising efforts for the year is just a part of the process to be able to continue to meet our goals.”

“We had a great response to our raffle last year - we gave away over $800 to one lucky winner, and are hoping to grow the prize fund even larger this year,” says Ed Cox, Main Street’s fundraising chairper-son. “We are very proud to be able to say that 100% of our fundraising dollars is put back into the community through our ac-tivities and events.”

In addition to Main Street’s annual partnership campaign and sponsorship contributions, ongoing fundraising efforts help the organization be able to continue to grow annual community events such as Movies at Grandon, Music Fest, Hot Dog Day, Harvest Moon Festival and the

Seasonal Sights & Sounds activities. In addition to annual events and downtown promotions, Main Street focuses efforts on historic preservation and downtown beautification. Lamp post flower baskets were installed for the first time in 2014 and the organization more than doubled the number installed for 2015. Plans are also in the works for historical markers to be placed on a number of the significant buildings in the downtown district, along with other projects to continue to make downtown Sterling a vibrant destination for the community and visitors alike.

Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20, and will be available through July 24th at the following businesses: Sterling Main Street office, the Sterling Welcome Center & Gallery, Golden Key Gifts, Showplace Antiques & Treasures, Grummert’s Hard-ware and SBM. Main Street volunteers will also be at select Movies at Grandon, Sterling Municipal Band Concerts and the Twin City Farmers Market with tickets for sale. Tickets will also be available at the July 25th Music Fest until 7:00 p.m. The winner will be drawn that evening around 7:45 p.m., just before the last band takes the stage.

For more information about Sterling Main Street, its programs and projects, please contact 815-626-8610 or visit www.sterlingmainstreet.org.

7July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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The University of Illinois Exten-sion’s 2015 Wh-

iteside County 4-H Show promises to offer fun for people of all ages. The show will run from July 16-18 at the Whiteside County Fairgrounds in Morrison.

Kids are invited to par-ticipate in “Paint the 4-H Show” on opening day, Thursday, July 16, where they will have the chance to paint pictures related to 4-H.

The annual Pork Chop BBQ dinner is Friday, July 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tick-ets are $7 for each meal or two meals for $9. The meal includes a pork chop, chips, applesauce, cookie and a drink.

Tickets to the Pork Chop BBQ dinner are available at the Extension office, 100 E. Knox St., Morrison, or from any Whiteside Coun-ty 4-H member.

The Whiteside County 4-H Show will conclude on Saturday July 18, with a Craft and Vendors Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Among the booths will be DoTerra, MakeUp Eras-er, Thirty One, Jamberry, ItWorks, and Mary Kay. In addition, crafters will be selling a variety of items such as hair bows, wood-work, sewn projects, yard art and much more!

Crafters, businesses and vendors can still sign up to participate in the show. Contact the Extension of-fice at 815-772-4075 or email Allie Lancaster at lancast@illinois.edu.

After the project judg-

ing, 4-H members, fami-lies and community mem-bers are invited to the grandstands for the parade of champions and special awards presentation as a wrap up of the 4-H Show week.

The Whiteside Coun-ty 4-H program is always looking for new members and volunteers. Please contact Allie Lancaster at 815-772-4075 or at lan-cast@illinois.edu if you are interested in becoming a member or volunteer.

Whiteside County 4-H Fair offers fun for the whole family

United Way of Lee County is looking for volunteers as

it plans its inaugural com-munity-wide Day of Caring event for Aug. 15. The day will provide volunteers the opportunity to work together and make a difference in the community while promot-ing volunteerism within Lee County.

Day of Caring matches teams of volunteers with non-profit agencies in Lee County that are in need of hands-on assistance for a specific project.

“We’re very excited about this new event,” said Sarah Partington, Day of Caring committee member. “Our hope is Day of Caring catch-es on and becomes a large community-wide event each year.”

Members of the Day of

Caring committee are Tim Broos, Sam Ramirez, Sarah Partington, Ruth Senn, Mike Smith, Renee Ryan, Caroli-na Vitale, Kayla Halfacre, Debmitra Das, Nichole Becker, Kelly Shroyer, Wil-lie Wierman, Jodi Murdock and Jenny Koch.

The committee has many exciting activities planned for the day. Volunteers and representatives from each non-profit will start the day with breakfast at the KSB Town Square Centre upper deck. Volunteers will receive a t-shirt and sack lunch be-fore proceeding to their as-signed location.

Currently projects have been scheduled with Kreider, Goodfellows of Lee County, Lee County Council on Ag-ing, Habitat for Humanity, Hospice of the Rock River Valley, Lutheran Social Ser-

vices, Bright Beginnings and United Way of Lee County.

Projects will be simple enough to finish in four to five hours and consist of tasks such as building, paint-ing, cleaning and organizing.

“Day of Caring is the per-fect event to kick off our campaign season, which begins in September each year,” noted Jenny Koch, Executive Director of Unit-ed Way Lee County. “The event brings to light all of the wonderful services, pro-grams and agencies United Way partners with in our community.”

For additional informa-tion, including volunteer or project sign-up forms, contact Jenny at the United Way of Lee County office at 815-284-3339 or visit www.unitedwayofleecounty.org to download forms.

United Way plans inaugural community-wide Day of Caring

8 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

9July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Giana BonneurDixon Main Street

The 16th Annual Reagan 5K Run is on Saturday,

July 4 in downtown Dix-on. The race begins at 8 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home at 810 S. Hennepin Ave. The unique course takes runners through downtown Dix-on, across the Rock Riv-er, through wooded paths and finishes at Haymar-ket Square. The race is a Petunia Festival tradition for area runners/walkers as well as the premier 5K race in the Sauk Valley.

The Reagan Run 5K benefits several groups in Dixon, including the Dixon Athletic Boosters, Dixon Main Street, Dixon Park District, and the Dix-on YMCA Strong Kids.

Online registration is available until July 2 at www.reaganrun.com. Registration is $25 through July 3, and $30 on the day of the race. Early packet pickup is Friday, July 3, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dixon YMCA (110 N. Galena Ave.) Race day packet pickup is at Hay-market Square on 255 Highland Ave.

Included with the Rea-

gan Run is the Kids’ Fun Run for kids 9 and under. Check-in and race day registration will end at 7:15 a.m. The Fun Run will begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Eighth Street and will end at Haymarket Square. The first 100 registrants receive a FREE t-shirt! (Sizes are first come, first served.)

The KSB Corporate Challenge is also in con-junction with the Reagan Run. Corporate Challenge teams must have five par-ticipants from the same company.

16th Annual Reagan Run to take place July 4th

“At Dixon Ford it’s a team ap-

proach,” says Valerie Ford, General Manager for the Dixon dealership. “Every-one has a say in what we do and how we do it.”

When the dealership be-gan to consider remodeling, everyone was encouraged to contribute their sugges-tions.

So what began several years ago culminated in a “groundbreaking” in June.

“Enhanced customer ser-vice was our primary driv-ing force. We communicat-ed that to our architectural designer, Richard Bierman, and continued to refine con-cepts and ideas for almost two years,’ she said.

Richard said he received great direction from Valeria and her team at Dixon Ford.

“Valerie and her team had very specific ideas and di-rections for me to consider,” he said, “so the project total-ly reflects their concepts.”

Richard has been associ-ated with other dealerships for many years. The final rendering (pictured) of the project shows what every-one sought: a bright, fresh look for the dealership that focuses on customer com-

fort, customer needs and improved work flow for sales and services.

“We are all so excit-ed about what we will be achieving that even going through the throes of re-modeling, we believe we will maintain the highest level of customer care, comfort and friendliness long associated with Dixon Ford, “ Valerie said.

Sjostrom Construction was selected for the project. The 100-year-old company was started by a stone cut-ter from Sweden. One of the company’s best known projects is Rockford Col-lege.

The Sjostrom Company was selected for its many years of working within the automotive industry on a variety of projects.

“We had a ground break-

ing. We will have a Grand Re-opening in early Fall,” Valerie said.

“We are eager for all to see what will be created for the Sauk Valley…it’s going to be a real joy for people to come to our dealership!” she concluded.

‘Enhanced customer service’ sparks Dixon Ford remodel

Dixon Ford, Mazda, VW Automotive Sales Service for all makes and models489 IL Route #2Dixon815-288-3366www.DixonFLM.com

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Gemma, cradled in the arms of “grandpa” Ray Ford (Valerie Ford’s husband) seems to squirm with delight at the recent groundbreaking party celebrating the remodel of Dix-on Ford. Employees gather to celebrate the occasion. They were part an integral part of the design process and are eager for the project’s completion scheduled for fall.

10 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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July 1-5 Dixon Petunia Festival – DixonJuly 17 Blues & Bluegrass, Lincoln Store – Franklin GroveJuly 18 Brooklyn Fest – West BrooklynJuly 23-26 Lee County 4-H Fair & Jr. Show – AmboyJuly 31-Aug 2 36th Harvest Festival – Franklin Grove Green Iron Days, John Deere Site – Grand Detour

Outdoor Summer MarketsAmboy – Tuesdays, 11am-3pm, Depot Museum Parking LotDixon – Wednesdays & Saturdays, 7am-Noon, Haymarket SquareDixon – Wednesdays, 4-7:30pm, RiverfrontPaw Paw – Fridays, 2-6pm, Community Center Parking LotSublette – Saturdays, 8am-Noon, Route 52 next to BP Gas Station

www. seelee.info815-288-1840

Fun Events for July & August 2015!

Sublette – Saturdays, 8am-Noon, Route 52 next to BP Gas Station

Len Michaels

Patriotic displays, barbecues, merri-ment with the fam-

ily and friends, fireworks and parades. These are a few of the many ways we celebrate the birth of our country.

We would also do well to reserve some time to re-member the meaning and significance of the freedom

the Ameri-can people d e c l a r e d that July day more than 200 years ago. Not only was it the birth of a new country, but the birth of a new form of gov-ernment, the likes of which the world had never seen. The enlightenment philoso-phers of Europe referred to

the event as the American Experiment.

A government was estab-lished in which the pow-er remained in the hands of the people, and elect-ed government officials were but trusted servants expressing the will of the people. Every citizen was granted certain inalienable rights by their Creator that no law, no court, no ambi-tious politician could ar-

bitrarily take away. Each individual was granted the Liberty of Conscience to believe and act according to what they thought was right and proper, providing it did not impinge on the rights of others.

To preserve these Ameri-can freedoms, the power of the federal government was limited by the Constitution, with unspecified governing functions remaining the province of the states. Pow-er of all elected officials was limited and temporary in duration. No elected offi-cial was allowed to possess special entitlement or title, nor have the power to en-force any religious or ideal-istic belief system.

The Constitution was based upon the belief that a deliberate moral consensus of the people is superior to the judgment of elite lead-ers, no matter how noble their motivations may be. Only through Liberty of Conscience could sustained moral growth occur.

The American Exper-iment worked. Initially

plagued with many cultur-al social injustices of their European heritage, such as slavery, women’s rights and monopolistic government/industry alliances, America has evolved to become the moral leader of the world. Far from perfect, the coun-try continues to struggle with moral issues, but the individual Liberty of Con-science has been proven to be both resilient and effec-tive in producing progress.

Remember the rarity of our American freedom this year as the bombs burst in air. Remember the debt we owe to those who have died preserving it. Remember our responsibility to not take freedom for granted and to preserve it for our children. History shows that neither foreign enemies nor corrupt, power-driven politicians promising secu-rity can take it away – but only if we let them.

The Fourth of July: A time for reflection as well as celebration

Photo by Peter Paladino

Photo by Peter Paladino

Hells Angels “Monte Lamont” Memorial Tribute“Monte” Lamont who was murdered in Rockford, IL on June 28th 1994 received a memori-al tribute by members of the Hells Angels from several states. They convened in Sterling, IL where the grave of “Monte” Lamont is located in Oak Knoll cementary. Hells Angels motorcycles lined 3rd Street on both sides from Locust to 1st Ave. An estimated 100 Hells Angels had broken up the ride home to stop to get something to eat. It was curious to see members of one of the most notorious and largest motorcycle gangs, in the United States mount up to leave, all the out-of-staters wore helmets since most states require helmets. Illinois doesn’t.

11July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Tuesday, July 21st Movies at Grandon

“Planes: Fire & Rescue” sponsored by Sterling Federal Bank begins at Dusk. Join us before the movie for a touch-a-truck event with Firehouse of God Museum, Move B4 the Movies with the YMCA , concessions and more!

Wednesday, July 22nd Music Under the Stars

Join the Sterling Municipal Symphony Band for their weekly concert at the Grandon Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Come early and enjoy an ice cream social provided by the Sterling Noon Rotary and other concessions from Royal Neighbors and Boy Scout Troop 305.

Guest conductor Col. Tim Foley, recently retired director of the President's White House Marine Band will start the concert with J.J. Richards' march "Salute to Sterling" composed especially for the City of Sterling.

Thursday, July 23rd Business After Hours

Thursday will mark special anniversary celebrations of the United Way of Whiteside County (70 years), Woodlawn Arts Academy and the Twin City Farmer’s Market (each 10 years), with a special Sauk Valley Area Chamber Business After Hours event "Growing through the Decades" to be held at Woodlawn Arts Academy. Friday, July 24th

Sterling Schools Foundation Annual Corn Boil

and Family Fun Fest

Serving from 11AM until 7PM at the Sterling High School Commons and Cul-de-Sac, stop by for lunch or dinner!

The Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Family Fun Fest from 4 PM - 6:30PM, with various youth groups and youth serving organizations providing games and activities for youth and their families.

Saturday, July 25th Main Street Music Fest

returns to the Grandon Civic Center for this day-long Music Festival featuring The Defeated Royals, The Hershey Squirts, Small Town Hymnal, Mr. Myers and Elephant Gun. All ages are welcome to attend, just $5 for ages 13 and up. Gates open at 1PM. Food & Beverage are available for purchase. No pets. Whiteside County Genealogists Rural School Project at the Sterling Public Library.

Sunday, July 26th History Comes Alive

Sunday marks a day full of history. Begin the day with a CommUNITY Church Service at the Grandon Civic Center, followed by an ice cream social hosted by the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society on the grounds of the Lincoln-Manahan Home. The community and visitors are encouraged to tour the home, along with the Dillon Home and the Carriage House Museum that afternoon. The Sterling Mural Society is hoping to be able to dedicate its 20th mural on this date, as fundraising efforts continue to bring this mural to life.

For more information about Sterling Fest, please contact

Sterling Main Street Sauk Valley Area Chamber 815-626-8610 815-625-2400 www.sterlingmainstreet.org www.saukvalleyareachamber.com

Chautauqua revived

The Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is ex-

cited to announce the addi-tion of Brenda Van Horn as Financial Specialist. In ad-dition to the financial duties at the chamber, Brenda will be the office manager and assist in marketing as well.

She is a graduate of Rock Falls High School and Sauk

Valley Community Col-lege. Brenda leaves a local business in Dixon where she was the accounting and

office manager and brings her financial expertise and enthusiasm to the chamber.

The chamber is excited for Brenda to undertake her new position with the chamber in ways that fur-ther the chamber’s mission “To enhance the econom-ic climate and the quality of life in the Sauk Valley Area.”

BRENDA VAN HORN

Van Horn joins Chamber staff

Duane Paulsen

The Franklin Grove Creek and Preservation Committee is re-viving a long-standing tradition

by hosting the first annual Singing Bird Chautauqua at Franklin Creek State Natu-ral Area.

This modern-day Chautauqua, sched-uled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, will be a family-oriented event where one will hear important voices from yesterday and today with inspiring storytelling, excit-ing new ideas and engaging musical per-formances.

Attendees will hear the true tales of what shaped us as a nation, from the people who lived it as well as presenters with exciting ideas that will shape our lives and commu-nities in the years to come.

The Chautauqua movement is distinctly American. The name is Indian and means “A Foggy Place.” It began in 1874 in Chautauqua, NY as a system of popular education and soon spread throughout the United States.

The annual Chautauqua was usually held in late summer, lasting for up to two weeks, and covered a variety of topics, from reli-gion to art and nature. Daily sessions fea-tured noted speakers, musical groups and entertainers.

This year’s Chautauqua in Franklin Grove will give visitors the opportunity to meet characters who step out of the pages of history to regale us with the stories of Abraham Lincoln’s life and times.

With a theme of “Lincoln and the Civil War,” attendees will meet Abe and Mary Lincoln; his boyhood friend, Austin Gu-lihur; Elizabeth Keckley, a freed woman; Lincoln’s law partner, William Herndon; and James Munroe, the drummer boy of Shiloh.

Along with the stories, visitors will hear the music and taste the food and fun of America in 1865 to mark the 150th anni-versary of both the end of the Civil War and Lincoln’s life. Nature hikes, corn grinding, children’s games, art and local product shops are all part of the festivities.

For people who have never visited the Franklin Creek Grist Mill, this is an op-portunity to visit a working mill built by volunteer labor in the early 1990s.

All programs will be held at the Frank-lin Creek State Natural Area in the big tent at the Norwegian Hill Day Area, 1601 Old Mill Road, Franklin Grove, Illinois.

For tickets and additional information visit www.franklincreekgristmill.com or call Alyssa at 815-456-2718.

In its early days, the Chautauqua move-ment spread throughout the U.S., and the first in this area was held in Dixon in 1887 on the grounds of Hazelwood, Col. Alex-ander Charter’s estate.

In 1890, the local organization, the Rock River Assembly, purchased 34 acres on the northeast edge of Dixon for a permanent site. A tabernacle that could seat 5,000 people, a three-story hotel and various other small structures soon were built on landscaped grounds. The Sterling, Dixon and Eastern Railway built a branch line on Fellows Street to the Assembly site in 1904 to accommodate visitors, many who came by train to attend the Chautauqua.

The expense of the annual sessions was underwritten by sponsors, subscriptions and daily entrance fees and tent rental sites.

By the mid-1920s, attendance was on the decline and the Chautauqua was discon-tinued. The tabernacle was turned into a skating rink that burned down on Nov. 23, 1949. The land was sold off for housing, and the area is known today as Assembly Park.

Smaller versions of Chautauqua were held in numerous towns in this area, in-cluding Franklin Grove and Sterling. They brought entertainment and culture to rural areas that were somewhat isolated from the rest of the country.

Once people could afford to own auto-mobiles, making travel easier, attendance declined and the Chautauqua all but disap-peared, with only a few surviving into the 21st century.

Recently the Chautauqua movement has been revived, and this year there will be five held in Illinois.

12 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Summertime is an excellent time for your children to learn about God’s unconditional love for us. There

are many opportunities for children to ex-plore God’s love at area churches.

Wednesday eveningsMessiah Evangelical Lutheran ChurchEvery Wednesday through August 12thDinner at 5:15 p.m. followed by Vacation Bible School at 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.Call church for registration information at (815) 625-2284

JulyFirst Presbyterian ChurchJuly 13th to July 17th8:30 a.m. to noon Snacks and lunch will be providedAges 1st grade thru 5th gradeCall church office for registration infor-mation at (815) 284-7741

Harvest Time Bible ChurchJuly 13th to July 17th9 a.m. to noonAges 4 years-6th gradeCall church for registration information at (815) 626-1234

CommUNITY VBSThere are six churches in Sterling that

combine their vacation Bible schools. July 19th to July 23rdDinner at 5 p.m. followed by Bible School from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Ages pre-K to 5th gradeCall any of the following churches about registration information:• St. John’s Church at (815) 625-2634• Grace Episcopal Church at (815) 625-

0442• St. Paul’s Church at (815) 625-3069• Bethel Reformed Church at (815) 626-

1816• First Presbyterian Church at (815)

625-0445• First Christian Church at (815) 626-

2271Vacation Bible School will be held at Bethel Reformed Church.

First Congregational Church of SterlingJuly 20th to July 24th5 p.m. light supper provided followed by program 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Call church for registration information at (815) 625-5112

Amazing Grace ChurchJuly 27th to July 31st9 a.m. to 12 noonAges pre–K to 6th gradeRegistration information at (815) 625-9300

Vacation Bible Schools in the tri-city area

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& Fellowship.Children welcome!

Brad is a Dixon High School graduate, a veteran of the US Army, is a graduate of Illinois State University and earned a Master’s Degree in Business from Western Illinois University. He was in the insurance industry for 20 years. Brad knows and loves business! Put him to work for you.

WANTED: RESULTSIt’s your business…Brad Monson can make it grow!

Brad M. MonsonSENIOR MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Marketing your business is an investment. You deserve a Return on your Investment. (ROI). Reaching your entire marketplace with the Sauk Valley Sun

every month will give you want you want: RESULTS!

Contact Brad… his marketing education, experience and enthusiasm will serve you!

Call/Text 779-348-0937Email: sauksunbrad@gmail.com

Hard rock band Scarlet Raven will be per-

forming outdoors Wednes-day, July 1st at Turning Point Citi Church, 944 Stony Point Road in Dix-on. Gates open at 7 pm. The concert starts at 8 pm and admission is $5 per person, $10 per family.

Coming together in ear-ly 2013, Scarlet Raven is a hard rock band with a positive Christian message

hailing from northern Indi-ana. Through a powerhouse of original songs, the band sounds like Skillet, Creed, Shinedown and RED. The band’s sheer energy and powerful sound give the audience a performance they will never forget.

“This is an upcoming band with a very tight sound,” said Don Beasley, 104.3 FM Life Point Radio, event sponsor. “We are ex-cited to bring them to Dix-

on and hope to offer more outdoor concerts like this.”

Bring the family and your lawn chairs and enjoy this powerful concert. Con-cessions will be available. 50/50 drawing. Parking is free.

For more information on Scarlet Raven or concert details, please visit, www.tpointchurch.net or call (815) 288-2625, hear their music on 104.3 FM Life Point Radio.

Outdoor Freedom Concert at Turning Point Citi Church

In Fairview (near Rochelle) a hollowed-out tree seemed the perfect place to carve a cross and make a place for the statue of Mary. Fairview suffered a tornado’s in-tense damage.

13July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Express Lane • Gas & Food Marts

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Brenda Fiorini

The beginning of 2015 has been the best ever

in the housing recovery. “The housing market this spring and summer has had a strong start and continues to make gains,” says Jenni Dace, realtor for Judy Powell Realty. “With interest rates so low and incentive and assis-tance programs offered by lenders, we expect more buyers to seize the oppor-tunity to buy a home.”

Predictions for the 2015 housing market have been consistent: demand for housing is strong accord-ing to traffic, searches, and listing views online. Hous-ing inventory is growing, but it is still tight. Supply

is not keeping up with de-mand, and so homes are selling more quickly. Pric-es are competitive there-fore it is still a seller’s market. “This provides encouragement for home-owners to get their house on the market,” said Dace. Despite a fewer number of homes available for sale, buyers are enthusiastic about making purchases. The current dynamics with opportunities for both sell-ers and buyers makes the housing market – hot, hot, hot!

Real estate is hot, hot, hot

JENNI DACE, REALTOR WITH JUDY POWELL REALTY

Gary ScottB.S. Horticulture Sciences

“Come one, come all to the greatest

exhibition on earth.” Those may have been the words one may have seen or heard as a call to the Columbian Exhibition (World’s Fair) in Chicago the summer of 1893.

Among the thousands of attractions, new inventions, and discoveries of that time was the pavilion hosted by Japan. Buildings on the fair-grounds housed traditional crafts, artwork, and featured Japanese innovations. One such traditional cultural art form or attraction was the multiple ‘miniature gar-dens’ on display. Perfectly proportioned tiny worlds making use of plants, build-ings, walkways, bridges, stones….you name it. Unit-ed States citizens in partic-ular became fascinated with these tiny worlds, and the craze of creating and main-taining ‘miniature gardens’ was born. Today, we often see these gardens called ‘fairy gardens.’ These are pretty much the same thing and make use of all the same elements: plants, structures, paths, etc.

However, one element in most modern miniature gar-dens is missing: real trees or bonsai (correctly pro-nounced “bone-sigh”). Bon-sai is a Japanese term which means “planted in a contain-er”. This art form is derived from an ancient horticultural practice and has been around for well over a thousand years. The ultimate goal of growing a bonsai is to create a miniaturized but realistic representation of nature in the form of a tree.

Techniques such as pinch-ing buds, pruning and wiring branches, and carefully re-stricting fertilizers are used to limit and redirect healthy growth. Commonly kept un-der four feet in height, bonsai are not genetically dwarfed plants. However, plants with smaller leaves do make these compositions easier to de-sign. Any plant species that has a woody stem or trunk and grows true branches can be successfully grown in a container to restrict its roots/food storage capability and create a bonsai.

Containers for miniature gardens incorporating bon-sai trees can be an interest in themselves. The match-ing up of a pot to a designed miniature layout can be a wonderful challenge, for the pot must support the plants and trees as well as be an attractive but non-intrusive frame to the entire picture.

There are many types of trees and shrubs which can be used in the miniature landscape. Some specimens bloom and produce fruit while others are evergreen (such as juniper). By choos-ing to incorporate bonsai into a miniature garden, not only are you increasing the believability factor in your

creation, you are embarking on the long-term adventure of arboriculture.

Mark your calendars for August 13th through 16th as the Chicago Botanic Gar-den hosts the Mid-America Bonsai Society Show and Sale. This show draws visi-tors from across the country and is one of the top shows of its kind in the country. Enjoy a display of 200 bon-sai trees and shop more than a dozen vendors for start-er trees and supplies. Free demonstrations and lectures will be available and work-shops will be held through-out the weekend for en-thusiasts of all skill levels. Need a taste of Bosai before that? Locally, you can stop in at Palmyra Greenhouse and enjoy a display of some younger specimens (15 years and under) to whet your appetite.

Gary Scott holds an ad-vanced degree in Horticul-ture Sciences from the Uni-versity of Minnesota and is co-owner/head grower at Palmyra Greenhouse locat-ed at 489 Palmyra Rd. in Dixon. Gary can be reached at 815-285-2800. You may email questions to him at gary@palmyragreenhouse.com.

Miniature Gardens and the Living Art of Bonsai

14 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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815.284.4247 www.studio404salon.com112 E. Fellows St. Dixon, IL

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The Illinois Toll-way will re-surface several

miles of highways and interstates in the Sauk Val-ley area during 2015.

Among the repairs scheduled are 21 miles of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), between Illinois Route 251 near Rochelle and U.S. Route 52 near Dixon. This will include repairs to the Il-linois Route 251 inter-change.

Roadway resurfacing work will include milling off two inches of asphalt pavement in both direc-tions and replacing it with a new six-inch asphalt overlay. The work will provide a smoother riding surface for the traveling public, as well as extend the life of the road bed.

I-88 will be reduced to one lane in both directions between Illinois Route 251 and U.S. Route 52 throughout the construc-tion season. The work was initiated this spring and is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

Concurrently, repairs

will be made on 14 local crossroad bridges carrying traffic over I-88 between Illinois Route 251 near Rochelle and U.S. Route 52 near Dixon. The local crossroad bridges are be-ing rehabilitated to extend the life of the structures.

Closure of the local crossroad bridges is nec-essary as each is repaired because the bridge struc-tures are not wide enough to maintain traffic and pro-vide a work zone. In addi-tion to providing a safe work zone for construc-tion workers and drivers, closure of the bridges will allow the work to be com-pleted in half the time.

Bridge work will be staggered so that adjacent bridges are not under con-struction at the same time. Most bridges will close for an estimated four weeks, except for Nachusa Road and Ashton Road, which will require longer clo-sures. No detours will be posted.

This year’s work is part of the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $12 billion cap-ital program, Move Illi-nois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.

Fourteen local Crossroad Bridges will be repaired

Twenty-one miles of road will be resurfaced between Route 52 and Route 251

Major repairs to cause delays on I-88, Dixon to Rochelle

Buddy Bags Culver’s Night

Buddy Bags of Dixon will host a “Culver’s Night” on Tuesday, July 14, from 5- 8 p.m. at the Dixon Culver’s restaurant, 1317 N. Galena.

Buddy Bags of Dixon will receive 10% of the proceeds during the 3-hour period. This non-profit program pro-vides food for students in the Dixon School District whose guardians may need some as-sistance over the weekends.

Please come and join us in supporting this program for our children.

For more information, contact Carrie Simonton at 815-994-1350 or MaryLee Dogwiler at 815-626-5846.

Area fair datesannouncedBoone CountyAugust 11-16Bureau CountyAugust 26-30Carroll CountyAugust 4-8LaSalle CountyJuly 8-12Lee CountyJuly 23-26Ogle CountyJuly 29-August 2Stephenson CountyJuly 15-19Whiteside CountyAugust 18-22Winnebago CountyAugust 18-23

15July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Tricia Lewis

It is the question of the century: what makes a hot dog, “a

Chicago Style Hot Dog?” Is it the relish? Is it the bun? Where can you get one since the tri city area of Dixon, Sterling, and Rock Falls is at least 100 miles from Chicago? Nev-er fear, “the Chicago Style Hot Dog detective” has been on the case.

Chicago Style Hot Dogs can be found at Blue Moo Hot Dogs located in Dix-on. It is owned by Kate and Ken Jongerwaard. Blue Moo Hot Dogs was named in memory of Kate’s moth-er, whose nickname was Blue Moo.

Blue Moo’s serves Chicago Style Hot Dogs and fresh cut, homemade french fries five days a week from Tuesday to Sat-urday. They are open from

11 a.m. until 8 a.m. and are located at 211 North Hennepin Ave.

Chicago Hot Dogs can also be found at Sow Bel-ly’s, located at 92 S. Peo-ria Ave. in Dixon. Sow Belly’s is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

In Sterling, the Dog House is the place to go for Chicago Style Hot Dogs.

The Dog House has been in business since 1999 and is located at 2323 East Lincolnway. The hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Did you give up on the age-old question of what makes a hot dog a “Chica-go Style Hot Dog? It’s the beef. It has to be a Vienna Beef Hotdog!

What makes a dog ‘Chicago style’?

Peter Paladino

I have never been a big fan of pickled herring, I did not like the oili-

ness or the fishy after taste. Then one day I discovered that there was a type of pickled fish that I liked. I was visiting some friends in Spirit Lake, Iowa, where we had been on an ice-fishing excursion for yellow perch. My friend’s father-in-law was a serious ice fisherman, who caught a lot of fish. He took some of his catches and converted them into pickled yellow perch. These were sweet, sour, firm and less oily and fishy tasting than pickled herring.

Since this discovery, I have pickled yellow perch, bluegill, crappie and large-mouth bass. Each of these kinds of fish has resulted in an excellent batch of pick-led fish. Not everyone likes pickled foods, but those who do have had nothing but pos-itive comments about these delicacies.

The process is quite easy and requires a minimum of effort. The major task is the filleting of the fish. I fillet all my fish. Since, I have filleted several thousand fish, primarily bluegill, this part of the process is not a big thing for me. However, for some it might take some time to come up with 4-to-5 cups of cut-up fish.

Preparation of fish prior to pickling

Take your cut up fish and place in a bowl, large enough to spread the fish out. Mix 1 quart of water with 1/2 cup of salt. Pour this salt brine over the cut up fish. Let the fish set in the brine for ap-proximately 8 hours. Drain off the salt brine and then cover the fish with white vin-egar and let sit for 24 hours. Drain the vinegar off the fish.

Pickling the fishYou are going to need

jars, you can use either pint

or quart size. If you plan on giving some of your pickled fish to friends you might opt for the smaller jars. I gener-ally use the 1-quart size and 4 or 5 jars should be enough.

Take your previously pro-cessed fish and place in the jars. Layer fish, then layer with onion slices, fish, on-ions, fish, onions until jar is filled. I like to add red bell peppers to accent my jars of pickled fish.

The last and final step is the preparation of the pick-ling mixture. Place in a kettle the following: 1 cup of wa-ter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of pickling spices (found in spice section of your local grocery store). Bring this mixture to a boil and boil for five minutes. OPTIONAL: Add one cup of white port wine to mixture. Carefully, pour mixture into the jars covering the fish and onions. Place lids on jars, place jars into refrigerator, wait two or three weeks. Open a jar, eat and enjoy.

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Photo by Peter Paladino Plenty of blue-gills to fillet and pickle.

16 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Brenda Fiorini

Because pets are so susceptible to heat stroke

in the summer months, it’s vital to keep them cool. There are a few ba-sic rules to follow: plenty of cool water replenished often, lots of shade and shelter from the sun, and limiting exercise to cool-er hours – early morning or evening.

But the most critical rule is avoiding confine-ment. Never leave a pet in a parked car. Accord-ing to the National Hu-mane Education Soci-ety, even with windows

open, temperatures can go over 120 degrees, and pets can experience (or die from) heat stroke within minutes. In addi-tion, avoid taking pets to community events such as fairs and carnivals on hot summer days as the heat and crowds can be quite stressful on your pet. Although we like to take pets with us, it is kinder and safer to leave them at home.

Signs of heat stroke to watch for with your pet include heavy pant-ing, drooling, bright red tongue and gums, and collapsing. If these signs are apparent, get the ani-

mal into cool water or a cold shower immediate-ly, or rush your pet to the vet. Pets cool themselves by panting, but this cool-ing mechanism doesn’t always work during pe-riods of high humidity and extreme heat. As a result, heat stroke can happen within minutes. Allowing your pet in air conditioned areas during hot weather will avoid chances of heat stroke and keep him or her cool and comfortable. For more information about caring for your pet during summer months, contact your local veter-inarian.

Keeping pets coolBrenda Fiorini

Meet Julia Velazquez, owner and groomer of “Puppy Love Grooming Salon.” She is locat-

ed on the lower level of Tuff Dog Bakery, 7 East Third Street, in Sterling. She offers all breed dog-grooming. She specializes in small dogs.

Julia’s services include nail trims, ear cleaning, baths and haircuts. If requested, she is able to grind nails at no additional charge. Added services such as flea baths, deep conditioning treatments and cleaning glands are also available for an extra fee.

Julia has been grooming since 1996. Orig-inally she attended cosmetology school, quickly discovering that because of her love for animals, “pet” grooming rather than “people” grooming was her calling.

When a grooming position opened up at a local veterinary clinic, Julia was a perfect fit. Her training and experience with sheers and clippers gave her an advantage over other candidates, and she was hired for the posi-tion. She has been grooming ever since and now runs her own business.

“The most obvious reason for people to groom their pets is so they look and smell clean, and for the pet it is important for their health,” Julia said.

She explained that an animal’s skin and coat need to be cleaned regularly to promote the pet’s proper hygiene. Grooming should be done a minimum of every eight weeks. Six weeks between appointments is optimal

year-round, especially if the dog has curly hair.

Dead skin cells need to come off, and if the dog has long hair, you have to avoid mats, which can trap in moisture or fleas, cause sore and are just downright painful for the dog. Regular grooming also cuts down on allergy problems for both the dog and owner.

Julia said she believes that making a pet comfortable during a grooming service is a key factor to pleasing the pet and their owner.

She will ask her clients if there are any new instructions with their dog when it is being dropped off. That way she can find out the specific type of groom the client wants as well as if there have been any changes in the health of the pet that may affect its ability to be groomed.

“I make checking over the dog for lumps and growths part of my routine,” Julia said. “It’s important to note where warts and skin tags are so I can avoid accidentally brushing one too hard.”

On many occasions, Julia has examined lumps that needed to be checked out by a veterinarian, ones that the owner had not found.

“Most recently I found a mass rather deep within one of my dog client’s front legs, and the owner was so grateful I found it,” she noted. The lump needed to be removed and the biopsy came back benign.

“It’s such a relief to catch something early on before it progresses and becomes serious or life-threatening,” Julia continued.

Customers are extremely pleased and sat-isfied with the grooming services at Puppy Love Grooming Salon.

“I think customers prefer my grooming services because I offer quality grooming for an affordable price,” Julia added. “I just have a way with dogs and love talking to people.”

Patrons are amazed at how well behaved her dog clients are and the mutual respect she and her customers have for each other.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I really enjoy dog grooming because dogs generally love a day at the spa. It feels good for them to get the attention and feel clean. That is very rewarding for me.”

Puppy Love Grooming Salon is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday starting at 9 a.m.

Pamper Your Pet at Puppy Love Grooming Salon

Dog grooming salons in the Sauk Valley

DixonDianna’s Doggie Depot527 Depot Ave., 815-716-3621

River Ridge Animal Hospital273 IL Rte. 2, 815-288-3394

Rock FallsAdvanced Animal Health Center601 W. Rt. 30, 815-626-4008

Wizard of Paws119 W. 2nd St., 815-716-8490

SterlingPuppy Love Grooming Salon7 E. 3rd St., 815-718-5706

Pet Smart3210 E. Lynn Blvd., 815-564-0147

Muddy Paws Pet Spa301 W. Third St., 815-915-7747

17July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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duce Dr. Trisha Cooper as the newest member of its veterinarian team. Dr. Cooper comes to Dixon from Chillicothe. As a high school student, she ex-celled in math and science and just always knew that a veterinary career was in her future. She began her post-secondary studies at Bradley University in Peo-ria to obtain degrees in bi-ology and chemistry. She

then attended the Univer-sity of Illinois for veteri-nary medicine and recently graduated in 2014. She is a member of the Illinois State Veterinary Medicine Association (ISVMA) and American Veterinary Med-ical Association (AVMA).

Before joining River Ridge Animal Hospital, Dr. Cooper worked for a mixed animal practice in Effingham, IL. “Working in Dixon brings me closer to home,” said Dr. Cooper. “It also allows me to focus

on small animal medicine and help owners play an active role in their pet’s healthcare.” She believes

in helping clients keep their pets healthy by offer-ing educational tools and resources that they may use and practice at home. Her special interests as a new veterinarian include ophthalmology and ultra-sound. There are a wide range of eye disorders that pets can experience, and Dr. Cooper hopes to build clientele in this area of medicine as well as all other areas. She also likes using new ultrasound tech-niques to better diagnose

any medical issues that come her way with pets she treats.

Dr. Cooper comes to Dix-on with her 4 pets: a husky, a yorkie, a pit-bull, and a cat that likes to play fetch! Cooper’s first pet, who taught her about responsi-bility, love, and compas-sion for animals, is Saddie, her 11-year-old Yorkie. While in college, she ad-opted a Husky named Jaxx from an animal shelter, and she recently brought one more playmate into her

pet family when she met Scarlett, a 3-month-old pit-bull. Emmersyn, her long-haired, tiger-striped cat, is a bit shy. When Dr. Cooper is not caring for pets, she enjoys anything outdoors: fishing, running races, and hiking with her curious pets.

Dr. Erin Graves states, “With the addition of an-other doctor at River Ridge Animal Hospital, it will help us continue to provide quality service in a timely manner.”

River Ridge Animal Hospital welcomes Trisha Cooper, DVM

Lonnie C Miller

Peggy Muse of Dixon waited several years to consider adopting a pet

after losing her dog, Charlie. Charlie had been adopted, and the two had formed a tight bond. As time passed and her heart healed, Peggy began to consider a new pet. For several months her search took her to different shelters with-in a 50-mile radius of Dixon. She was determined to give a home to a shelter pet, so she was thorough and particular in her search. She knew exactly the size and type of dog she wanted. She also knew what habits she could tolerate, and those that wouldn’t fit into her lifestyle. She wanted a small dog

that didn’t shed much. A sassy personality would be the perfect compliment to her own personali-ty, which is a bit sassy too.

Peggy works full-time away from home, so she needed a pet that was house-trained and had no anxiety over being left alone

for the duration of her work shift. While she searched she also made arrangements for pet care in her absence.

Finally, she made another stop into Granny Rose Animal Shelter. It was a stop she’d made for sev-eral months in a row. Each time before, all the little dogs had al-ready been adopted. She really had no expectation of finding just the right pet. But, on this partic-ular day, there was Joey. He had just finished his round of vaccina-tions and neutering. He looked a bit scruffy and the staff was call-ing him “Tramp,” after the little dog in the Disney movie, “Lady and the Tramp.”

He was rather quiet, but he opened up during playtime while

Peggy got to know him. She filled out all the necessary forms and then waited.

Judy Lohse, who’s been with the Granny Rose Animal Shelter for over 20 years and is now man-ager, is just as particular. She is committed to finding homes with the perfect owner for a pet. The two women shared the idea that adopting a pet has to be carefully thought out, and the commitment is for the life of the pet. Neither of these gals wanted a “failed adoption.” Neither wanted an un-happy pet or owner. Both wom-en believe pets should be not just owned by, but also loved by their families for the duration of the pet’s life.

Judy and her staff conduct an

intensive interview and question potential owners to ascertain whether pets and owners will blend into a happy family. Peg-gy thought the adoption process went very smoothly once the pa-perwork was completed.

In her case, it was a match made in heaven. She says, “Joey means the world to me, he’s so good for me. I get exercise, and he’s my little buddy. My home would just not be the same without Joey.”

Adopting a pet is a very serious but rewarding endeavor. Many shelter pets are available in our area. If you’re looking for an an-imal companion, call 815-288-7387 or stop in to Granny Rose Animal Shelter at 613 River Lane in Dixon.

Shelter animals make great family pets

18 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Marc Helf

Walking is free. It’s easy to do, and it’s easy on the joints.

And there’s no question that walk-ing is good for you. The tri-cities area offers miles of safe trails and paths that you can use to take ad-vantage of the many benefits of walking.

You can enter Hoover Park on Woodlawn Road in Sterling and walk through beautiful wooded areas along and over the Rock River, connecting in Rock Falls to over 100 miles of the Hennepin Canal State Trail. Watch squirrels and chipmunks scurry across your path. Pick wild raspberries and enjoy the aroma of honeysuck-le. Or you can walk along Lynn Boulevard from Locust Street to Elkhorn Creek and the Westwood Fitness and Sports Center.

Dixon offers walking trails in the city as well as grass and gravel trails in the Meadows. The paved Lowell Parkway trail runs for 3.5 miles from Dixon to Lowell Park, where over 5 miles of wooded and river view trails await.

Walking is an aerobic exercise; people who walk have less body fat than those who don’t. It also lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a pump, con-tracting and pumping blood from the feet and legs back to the heart, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for you in other ways, as well.

It improves circulation. It also

wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pres-sure and strengthens the heart. Studies at the University of Colo-rado at Boulder found that people who walked just one to two miles a day lowered blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks. Those who walked 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of stroke by 20 percent – by 40 percent when they stepped up the pace.

It strengthens your bones. It can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis. In fact, a study of post-menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent.

It leads to a longer life. Recent research says that people in their 50s and 60s who exercise regu-larly are much less likely to die over the next eight years than their non-walking counterparts.

It lightens your mood. A Cal-ifornia State University study showed that the more steps peo-ple took during the day, the better their moods were. Why? Walking releases natural pain-killing en-dorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise.

It strengthens muscles. It tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints and muscles, helping to lessen arthritis pain.

It improves sleep. A study from a cancer research center in Seattle

found that people ages 50 to 75 who took one-hour morning walks were less likely to experience insomnia than those who didn’t walk.

It supports your joints. The majority of joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from joint fluid that cir-culates as we move. Impact that comes from movement or com-pression, such as walking, com-presses the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area. If you don’t walk, joints are de-prived of life-giving fluid, which can speed deterioration.

It improves your heal-ing. When walking, your breath-ing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through the blood-stream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal.

It strengthens memory. Ac-cording to a 2011 study, elderly subjects who walked for 40 min-utes three times a week for a year experienced an increase in size of the part of the brain that controls memory and emotion. Another study found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of de-mentia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who walked less.

Take advantage of the resources available in your community. Feel better, live longer, meet new peo-ple and enjoy the beauty of nature up close.

Walking is good medicine

Walk With a Doc program promotes physical activityBy Danielle Fitzpatrick

A nationwide program that began in Mt. Car-mel and created by Dr.

David Sabgir, a board-certified cardiologist, has made its way to KSB Hospital in Dixon. Dr. L. Iyer, MD and cardiologist at KSB Medical Group, encourag-es people in the community to join the program. The mission of ‘Walk with a Doc’ is to promote physical activity for all ages. Its purpose is to improve the health and well-being of people in our communities across America. It helps change the course of heart disease, obesity, and quality of life. There are hundreds of bene-fits to walking. It reduces strokes, heart attacks, and certain types of cancer to name just a few. It improves every part of our bod-ies from lungs, to muscles, joints, bones and internal organs. Visit

www.walkwithadoc.org to read more about the benefits of walk-ing.

Dr. Iyer states, “If you walk ev-ery day, you will see results, and it’s good for your mental health.” Dr. Iyer teaches about cardiac fitness, exercise, nutrition, pre-vention and motivation. This pro-gram offers everyone a chance to walk and talk with a local doctor in a setting different than the tra-ditional encounter. ‘Walk With a Doc’ takes place every Saturday morning rain or shine at Lowell Park/Pinetum area. Folks can just show up a little before 7 a.m. on Saturday. The group will walk for an hour. This program will run through October.

Check with your doctor to dis-cuss how walking can improve the quality of your life. Get start-ed today and join ‘Walk With a Doc’. For more information, call Dr. Iyer’s office at 815-285-5853.

Dr. Iyer and walkers promote Walk With A Doc, a health and wellness program of KSB Medical Group.

19July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Dr. Donald R. LewisMD, FACS

Sometimes getting a second opinion can be the very smartest

thing that you could do. This is especially so if the treat-ment or operation is risky or toxic, when the diagnosis is unclear, when it is consid-ered experimental, or when your doctors are not in com-plete agreement. If you have a cancer, you might wish to make yourself aware of drug trials or an experimental ap-proach.

I generally get along with my patients very well. While that is nice for me, it can provide a barrier because they might not want to get a

second opinion for fear that I will be insulted. I would not be, because the focus is the patient, not the doctor. I do not know any good doctors who would be at all chal-lenged by their patient wanting a sec-ond opinion.

That second opinion does not mean that you necessar-ily transfer your care to that institution or to that doctor. If the opinion is substantial-ly the same as your initial doctor’s opinion, you might return to your regular sur-geon and get that operation or to your regular doctor and

get that sort of intervention.All of us want to be po-

lite and civil, and we do not want to spark an adversarial relationship with our doc-tors. None of us wants to be a demanding patient, but I think any time a patient rais-es the issue of a second opin-ion, the physician should not only endorse it but welcome it.

In my own case, my office staff and I will often print a list of doctors at noted in-stitutions. If the patient has heard of one of them, we will print out the web page, and then we will either of-fer to make an appointment for them or have their fam-ily doctor make the appoint-ment for them. We will al-

ways send their records by fax and also provide them with hard copies of those records, as they would not want to arrive for a second opinion without records be-ing available, including all CTs, MRIs, etc.

Normally, I do not recom-mend a specific doctor for a second opinion, but usually advise going to a major cen-ter of excellence, someone at an entirely different insti-tution. “Cultures” in institu-tions are very real things, so getting out of town for a sec-ond opinion is a good idea.

Sometimes having your health plan go along with you for a second opinion can be challenging. If you are restricted to seeing some-

one inside the network, you might not be able to get that second opinion without paying for it unless your first surgeon, already in the network, is willing to go to bat for you and write a letter to the insurance company. I have done that many times.

A good doctor is con-cerned with the health of the patient, not whether the surgery or treatment is done by one particular doctor or another. Sometimes we even send biopsy slides to other institutions to make sure we do not have a misdiagnosis. In other words, we are al-ready exercising our options to get second opinions. Our pathologists at KSB send all slides out in which they

have diagnosed a malignant process, sometimes to Mayo Clinic and sometimes to other locations. This second opinion is very valuable.

Thus, if the doctors seek second opinions to make sure their diagnoses are correct, you should feel comfortable in asking for a second opinion before you undergo any dangerous ther-apeutic or diagnostic proce-dure. While I try to present my own opinion as clearly as I can, I often do recom-mend that patients seek oth-er specialists because some-times just hearing it again from another specialist may carry more weight. The ul-timate choice is always the patient’s.

CGH Medical Center announced that it has received the Health-

grades 2015 Outstanding Pa-tient Experience Award™. CGH Medical Center was iden-tified as providing outstanding performance in the delivery of a positive experience for pa-tients during their hospital stay, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

Healthgrades evaluated the 3,575 hospitals that submitted patient surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Ser-vices (CMS), covering admis-sions from January 2014 to De-cember 2014 in order to identify hospital performance.

“We’re proud to be recognized for our high level of perfor-mance across different depart-ments,” said Dr. Paul Steinke, CGH President and CEO. “This validates that we always strive

to provide the highest quality care for all our patients.”

Healthgrades evaluated per-formance by applying a scoring methodology to 10 patient ex-perience measures, using data collected from a 27-question survey of the hospital’s own patients. The survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital. Question topics range from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to factors such as

pain management and respon-siveness to patients’ needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital.

In order to be recognized by Healthgrades, hospitals must meet eligibility requirements for consideration, which, in addition to number of survey responses, includes clinical per-formance thresholds. Nation-ally, 3,005 hospitals met those requirements with 452 hospitals

outperforming their peers, based on their patients’ responses, in order to achieve this distinction. CGH Medical Center’s perfor-mance places themAMong the top 10 percent in the nation.

“Today, more than ever be-fore, consumers face decisions – and research their options – relating to where to obtain care, so factors like patient experi-ence are increasingly import-ant,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer, Healthgrades.

CGH recognized for providing outstanding patient experience

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Getting a second opinion

20 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Kat Metzger is a five-year veteran of the

Budweiser Hitch based in Louisville, MO. Kat has a 5-year-old daugh-ter who she tries to spend as much time with as 300 days on the road permits. Kat is the only lady on the seven-person team, which covers a good portion of the Midwest. Two other hitches are in the U.S., one is in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and the other is in Merra-mack, New Hampshire?

Roger and Donny, the wheel horses of the Clydesdale Hitch, are the biggest and do most of the pulling. They are the most experienced and con-trol the wagon’s direction.

Donny and Roger went to driving school togeth-er and are friends. Levi and Lucky are called body horses; the two in front of them are called swing

horses; finally the two at the front are called the lead horses. They must be very confident and com-fortable leading the hitch. All the horses in the hitch are stallions who have been gelded.

The hitch is based in Louisville, Missouri. Each year about 50 fillies and colts are born at theLou-isville facility. Training starts as soon as they are weaned. They are usually about four years old before they go on the road.

These very famous horses make a great many friends wherever they go. They are like rock stars traveling 300 days each year. Everybody knows the Budweiser Clydes-dales and show up in the hundreds to view them.

Lonnie C. Miller

Prohibition was a difficult time for America, espe-

cially for those who were engaged in the business of providing beer to the mass-es.

Anheuser-Busch was one such company. August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III decided a cel-ebration was in order to mark the repeal of Prohi-

bition for beer sales in the United States.

So the two Busches planned an especially fes-tive gift for their father. On April 7, 1933, the broth-ers presented a hitch of Clydesdale horses to dear old Dad, bringing him the first case of post-Prohibi-tion beer from the Anheus-er-Busch brewery in St. Louis, MO. The hitch has been thundering down city streets ever since to pro-

mote the brand. Not just any Clydesdale

can be in the parade.“To qualify for one of the

traveling hitches, a Bud-weiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age, stand 72 inches at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800-2,300 pounds, have a bay coat, four white legs, a white blaze and a black mane and tail.”--Fact sheet from Anheuser-Busch.

Photo by Peter PaladinoKat Metzger, caregiver to eight 2,000 pound Clydes-dales.

300 days and counting

Clydesdales have celebratory start

Photos by Larry Hammelman

Clydesdales Visit Sauk ValleyGarrett Jackson (above) of Sterling accepts the Folds of Honor scholarship from LRB Dis-tributors General Manager Dave Cain as Garrett’s parents, Pastor Aaron and Lisa Jack-son, look on. The Budweiser Clydesdale horses personally delivered the scholarship to Garrett. LRB is the local Anheuser-Busch distributor and contributed to the funding of the scholarship, which goes to deserving family members of military veterans. Pastor Jackson served in the U.S. Air Force for 16 years and then transitioned to the U.S. Army as a chap-lain. He is pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling. Meantime, Addison Heaton (below) of Dixon gets a close-up look at one of the giant Clydesdales, who also marched in Ashton’s 150th anniversary parade and made several appearances in the area.

21July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Antony Deter is the new Dixon library director. He is a tall

man with a delightful English accent. He and his wife, De-nise, and their two children, 10-year-old Lillian and 8-year-old Leonard, have lived in Dixon for approximately nine years.

“When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a librarian,” said Deter. “My first job was in a book store.”

Deter also worked for a pub-lisher for several years and then became interested in being a teacher. He graduated from Ab-erystwyth University in Wales, which is highly rated in Europe.

“We finally decided to move to Dixon to be close to family after living in London for six years,” Deter said.

Deter taught at Morrison Ju-nior High School for six years and then at Morrison High School for three years. “But this is what I have wanted as my career,” he said, referring to his new position.

Deter said that Dixon “spoke to us.” His favorite place is Books on First. He and his fam-ily also appreciate that Dixon is affordable, demonstrates col-laboration between city groups, and has the Loveland Commu-nity Building, the Northwest Territory Historic Center, the library and many other out-standing features.

Deter is glad to be here in his new capacity. His past ex-perience gives him knowledge on all aspects of working with books, from publishing to sell-ing to purchasing for schools to – most especially – assisting readers of all ages in selecting books for their enjoyment.

ANTONY DETER

... Dixon welcomes new librarian

Features by Carol ChandlerBoard member, Dixon Public Library

A very familiar face is not going to be seen as of-ten around Dixon these

days. Lynn Roe, Director of the Dixon Public Library has chosen to retire and garden and help in her husband’s business. Lynn rais-es all kinds of berries, vegetables, herbs, and different fruit trees. Her husband is the owner of American Leak Detection. Lynn will be the office staff during the busy season of June and July.

When asked what her future plans are, she replied, “We are taking sailing lessons in Traverse,

Michigan. You take classes for 4 days and if you pass, you can go solo for 3 days in a 32 foot sail-boat. Then we hope to get a Bare Boat Charter License so we can rent a boat and go to the Caribbe-an or anywhere!”

Lynn got her bachelor’s degree in English literature and education at Lake Forest College and started working at the Dixon Public Li-brary in 1985, “but I had breaks

in there when I had my boys.” She retired in 2015, so that adds up to 30 years! She worked part-time for 15 years and then another 15 years as director. She returned to “library school” at the University of Illinois in 1997-98 and earned her master’s degree in library sci-ence.

When asked what she misses most, Lynn replied, “The people. All the people I worked with. I miss the busy-ness too.” When asked about future endeavors, she replied, “I’d like to learn to play the piano. I’d like to exercise more too. I do yoga and I run.”

We hope that Lynn does what-ever her heart desires; she de-serves it.

Lynn Roe is moving on ...

LYNN ROE

Books on First, Dixon, is the area’s premier independent book store. If you want it, they’ll get it for you.

Also if you ever need guidance, everyone at Books on First is helpful…be it a book for your teen grandchildren or a take-it-to-the-beach romance or biography…they know their books.

Here are some children’s summer books recommended from the team at Books on First:

• Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer• Ice Cream Summer• Martha Speaks: Campfire Stories• The Night Before the Fourth of July• Goodnight Loon• Froggy Goes to Camp• Aqualicious• Rand McNally’s: Are We There Yet?• Brain Quest for the Car• Flat Stanley Goes Camping

The Sterling-Rock Falls YMCA is participat-ing again in the free

Summer Food Program to help keep children healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long. The program, which will contin-ue through Aug. 7, is open to kids and teens ages 18 and under.

Made possible through a $5.3 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, the Y Summer Food Program will serve 5 million nu-tritious meals and snacks along with fun learning activities to 200,000 kids and teens across the country.

Locally, the Sterling-Rock Falls Y will serve more than 400 chil-dren and 20,000 meals throughout the summer.

The Sterling-Rock Falls Y is offering food programs at sever-al different schools throughout our communities. The youth are

being served breakfast, lunch and a snack daily. The United Way of Whiteside County also is a key player in the food programs, and the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA is a United Way agency.

In addition, The Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA is taking the Summer Food Program into the community to reach more youth who may be unable to visit the schools or participate in the day camp program.

Kids will have access to healthy meals and snacks and fun activi-ties through the Y’s partnership with the Whiteside County Hous-ing Authority and the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Please visit the YMCA or its website, www.srfymca.org, call the Y at 815-535-9622 or email Melissa Ryan at mryan@srfymca.org to get more information about these Outreach Programs.

Recommended kids’ summer reading

YMCA free Summer Food Program

22 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

23July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Nestled among the pines in an au-thentic log cabin

is one of the most entertain-ing and delightful experienc-es to be found in North West Illinois. The White Pines Dinner Theater located in White Pines Forest State Park is truly a spectacle not to be missed. Live stage shows with talented singers, actors and comedians and a delicious home cooked meal are presented at each show. The mostly senior audiences absolutely love the nostal-gic musicals and charming entertainers who perform in this intimate 125-seat, open-beamed lodge.

Celebrating its 27th sea-son of operation, the White Pines Dinner Theater is con-stantly presenting new and dynamic shows. The 2015 season is show casing ev-erything from country trib-ute artists like George Strait, Alan Jackson and Johnny Cash to stage plays like Steel Magnolias. This year even offers Beatle lovers a show. See everything from The Templeton’s, a very tal-ented family singing group with mom, dad & their 9 children to RobbyVee & his Rock n Roll Caravan. Performers come from Chi-

cago, Branson, Phoenix and even Nashville as well as other areas across the coun-try.

The mid-week after-noon Matinees, usually on Wednesdays and Thurs-days, run from April thru December. “Scrooge the Comedy”, the annual Christmas show, offers the only weekend and evening performances. Ticket pric-es are very reasonable; in-clude both the show and a wonderful home cooked

country style buffet with dessert. The Inn also offers overnight theatre and cabin packages that include a light dinner and delicious break-fast.

White Pines is a natural selection for bus groups of all sizes, church groups and Red Hatters. Participants can enjoy a little shopping in the country gift store before or after the show or take a few minutes to en-joy nature while sitting on the patio. And for visitor’s

added enjoyment, the Pines can offer a Personal Sound System for those who are hearing impaired.

Whether you need a little mid-day break or a romantic overnight get-away, adding the White Pines Dinner The-ater to your itinerary is sure to entertain.

For additional informa-tion and a complete listing of shows or to make res-ervations visit us at www.whitepinesinn.com or call 815-946-3817.

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Anita CarneyEmployer & Career Ser-vices Coordinator, SVCC

At Sauk Valley Com-munity College (SVCC), we know the reason you come to school is to gain the skills you need to pre-pare for a career in today’s fastest growing job fields. Sauk’s Career Services can help keep you up-to-date on the latest job search techniques and resources with current jobs listings and attention-getting re-sumes.

Career Services helps you conquer the competi-tive job market by provid-ing the following services at no cost to Sauk students or the community: Resume Writing & Review, Cov-er Letter & Follow-Up Letter Writing, Interview Techniques, Soft Skills Enhancement, Job Appli-cations & Essentials, Job Posts & Announcements, and Marketing Skills to po-tential employers.

Our services appeal to all students. Whether looking for full or part-time posi-tions, internships or want to sharpen job skills, Sauk can provide students with the tools for career success. Sauk’s career placement services offer resources to help identify career oppor-

tunities, find information on the latest job market trends, acquire work ex-perience and develop job search skills for a success-ful transition from school to work.

Services are also avail-able to the Sauk Valley community.Individuals such as dislocated work-ers, graduates of other programs, and the general public often take advantage of our services on a regular basis, free of charge.

There will be three work-shops offered this fall in addition to the regular in-dividualized services. Fall workshops include, Inter-view Do’s and Don’ts, Soft Skills –What are they, and do you really need them? and Developing a Powerful Resume. These classes are typically offered on a Tues-day afternoon at Sauk. For specific dates, times and lo-cations, visit svcc.edu/bcc.

SVCC Career Services is currently located in room 3K14 just inside the Busi-ness Office on the third floor of the east end of campus. Classroom activ-ities are located in various rooms on our campus as well. In late fall of 2015, we will be moving to the first floor. To learn more, visit svcc.edu/bcc or email anita.j.carney@svcc.edu.

White Pines offers Midweek Matinee Dinner Theatre

SVCC program provides tools for career success

24 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Sauk Valley Sunwww.saukvalleysun.com

©Sauk Valley Sun, 2015

Judy BellPublisher

Robert BellCo-Publisher

PRODUCTIONJanel Stahr

VP Creative Services

Nathan StahrSenior Technology Manager

Liz DavisGraphics Associate

WRITERS/CONTRIBUTORSErika Blackburn

Carol Chandler, RN Pastor Jeff Coester

Randy Ernst Brenda Fiorini

Larry Hammelman Marc Helf Jill Horn

Reanna KelmPhillip LeFevre

Ann LewisDonald R. Lewis, MD, FACS

Patricia Lewis Len Michaels Lonnie Miller Brad Monson

Frances O’Dorrell Peter PaladinoDuane Paulsen

Gary Scott Greg Smith

Jacqueline SondgerothJill Straw

Lauren StyczynskiThe opinions expressed in the Sauk Valley Sun do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of Sauk Valley Sun staff or advertisers. Advertising Policy: Acceptance of an advertisement by Sauk Valley Sun does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of its sponsors or the products offered. We will not knowingly publish advertisements that are fraudu-lent, libelous, misleading or contrary to the policies of Sauk Valley Sun. We re-serve the right to reject any advertise-ment we fi nd unsuitable. Please direct all advertising inquiries and correspon-dence to the address below. Editorial Contributions, Letters to the Editor, and Advertising Inquiries: Please submit all correspondence to our offi ce by e-mail at sauksun@gmail.com. All correspondence must be dat-ed and signed and include the writer’s full address and phone number in order to be considered for publication. All edi-torial content is subject to editing to the publication’s format. Maximum word count for letters is 250.

SAUK VALLEY SUN815-260-4350

P.O. Box 678, Dixon, IL 61021sauksun@gmail.com

27,859 copies published monthly27,159 copies direct-mailed to

homes and business addresses inDixon, Sterling, Rock Falls, Galt,

Harmon and Woosung.700 copies are provided to

high-traffi c retailers/organizations.

Postage paid at Rockford, ILPermit No. 28

CLASSIFIEDSE-MAIL YOUR AD TO SAUKSUN@GMAIL.COM

GIVE & SHARELeydig CenterWarp RoadDixon10am-4pm M, Th, Sa

Caring Center210 First Ave.Sterling10am-3pm M, W

CLS Thrift Store607 First Ave.Rock Falls. 9am-4pm M-Sa

Salvation Army409 Ave. FSterling9am-noon M-F1:30-4:30pm M-F

Self Help Stage Two205 St. Mary’s RoadSterling9am-5pm M-Sa

Goodwill2216 E. Fourth St.SterlingDonations: 8am-8pm M-F8am-6pm Sa9am-5pm SunStore: 9am-9pm M-F9am-7pm Sa10am-6pm Su

We service all makes and brands!1245 N. GALENA AVE. DIXON, IL 610212424 HOUR

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“Marion and I are pleased with our decision to move to Parkway Center. We are very happy here; everyone is so nice.”

Dr. John Erickson, Resident

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PARKWAY CENTERRetirement Living at its best!

APARTMENTS NOW AVAILABLEFOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY

1801 Avenue G., Sterling

SEEKINGEMPLOYMENT

Looking for part-time weekend and/or evening work. Expertise and experience in market-ing and sales, customer service, telemarketing, and security. Call Brad @ (779) 348-0937

Tutoring for children ages 5 to 8, Kindergarten readiness, reading and writing skills. Reason-able rates. Grant writing for non-profi ts, employee hand books and proce-dure manuals. Call Tri-cia 815-285-2659.

FOR SALEBY OWNER

4 BR Victorian on dou-ble corner lot. Single-car detached garage. Nice, older family home near St. Mary’s School in Dix-on. $72,500. Call 815-440-8951 or 815-973-2735 for information and/or appointment to see

FOR SALE250 Honda 2007 Motor-cycle, 3000 miles, beau-tiful red in great conditionCall 815-973-2735 $1000 OBO

Women’s golf clubs with cart and club covers, Like new $125. Orig. $300. In Dixon. Call 815-288-6310.

Fender acoustic gui-tar and hardshell case. Used only a few times. Paid $300; asking $270. Call or text 815-441-3664.

Wards Power Craft Ra-dial Arm Saw. No stand. $300. Pickup or I will deliver in Dixon-Rock Falls-Sterling. Phone: 815-625-4572

RAILROAD ITEMS. Two neat signs, $20 each. One RR crossing light…works $20. Call Don at 815-973-5067

HAVE THIS 1 1/2” CLASSIFIED AD SPACE FOR $35.

Your ad will go to 27,000-plus homes in our free monthly publi-cation. E-mail your ad to sauksun@gmail.com.

1995 Fleetwood South-wind Storm 30’ class A motor-home in excellent condition with six new tires, new tow dolly, com-puter station, fl at screen TV, new mattress and new hot water heater. 68,000 miles. $11,500. 815-251-2090 or 815-973-4590.

McCullough 7000 watt gas-powered generator, open frame, on wheels. Original price $1,000.

Like brand new. Will sell for $500 or best offer. Call Don 815-973-5067

WANTEDCamry in good condi-tion that runs well from private owner. Would prefer older model year (2001-2003). Call 815-973-3613.

Meeting space for sup-port group. Must be handicapped acces-sible with reasonable rent and offer space for up to 100 guests. We also need room for au-dio-visual presentations, guest speaker presen-tations and/or a cook-ing demonstration area. Please contact Lonnie at 815-440-8951 or lonniescatering@gmail.com.

WANTED: People who are interested in healthy, plant-based eating. We are starting a support group where we will share educational mate-rials, speakers and prac-tical tips once a month. If you are interested in this lifestyle group, please contact Lonnie at 815-440-8951 or at lonniescatering@gmail.com.

LOST & FOUNDFound: White male cat, very loving, near Lan-ewood Drive in Dixon. No collar. Needs a lov-ing home. Call 815-288-6310.

MOBILE HOMES FOR SALE

Vacation, retirement, or a new lifestyle. Affordable mobile homes for sale near beautiful Florida beaches: Cocoa, Vero, Melbourne and more. View homes now at www.sunsethomesales.com. Call 815-440-1320 for more information.

2-3 bedroom mobile homes available in Dix-on, Freeport, Davis Junction & Mt. Morris. We may be able to help with fi nancing. 815-284-2000.

HELP WANTEDProperty Mgmt. com-pany seeking full-time, experienced carpenter/maintenance person for remodeling, main-tenance, light electri-cal, plumbing, concrete and other. $10-$16/hr based on exp. Stop at Hauck Homes to fi ll out an application Mon - Fri 8:30-3, 291 IL Rte 2, Dix-on.

BRANDYWINE: Part-time, as needed, ban-quet servers & kitch-en help. $8.50-$10/hr based on exp. Stop by tofi ll out an application Mon, Tues, Thurs 10-3. 441 IL Rte 2, Dixon.

Small company seeks full-time employee to up-date website, manage social media, create print and video marketing ma-terials and design sim-ple webpages. Perfect candidate profi cient in resolving simple com-puter issues. $10-$18 per hour based on expe-rience and knowledge. Send salary require-ments and resume to m a n a g e r n e e d e d 4 @gmail.com.

Private Dixon school: Af-ter Care Supervisor Aug 10, 2015- June 10, 2016. M-F 2:30-5:45PM. Cer-tifi ed/Licensed teacher pref. Salary negotiable. Send resume: Education c/o Sauk Valley Sun, PO Box 678, Dixon IL 61021.

25July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Mind-Body-Spirit ConnectionDonette Considine, Ph.D.Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Counseling services for adults,adolescents and couples

(815) 677-8405

1254 N. Galena, Ste. CDixon, Illinois www.mbs-connection.com

ö r ö m308 W. 1st St. Dixon

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Chef Framke

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1254 N. Galena Ave. Ste. B behind Heartland Realty in DixonHours: Saturdays 10am-5pm

www.blueheroncrystals.com815-284-6856

Save the dates for upcoming classes & workshops:See our website for more information and follow us on Facebook!

August 1 Intro to West African Drumming workshop (4-hour hands-on class; drums provided)August 22 Basic Course in Animal Communication 9:30am-5pm

Blue Heron Crystals & Minerals

Crystals and MineralsCrystals and MineralsHimalayan Salt Lamps

1254 N. Galena Ave. Ste. B

815-284-6856

Save the dates for upcoming classes & workshops:Save the dates for upcoming classes & workshops:See our website for more information and follow us on Facebook!

August 1 Intro to West African Drumming workshop (4-hour hands-on class; drums provided)August 22 Basic Course in Animal Communication

SCREEN PRINTING • EMBROIDERY

•Screenprint & Embroidery of Apparel•Heat Press TransfersOPEN MON-FRI 9AM-5PM

815.677.93161308 West 7th Street, Dixonprintsandstitches@comcast.net

Chris and Kelly Jones, Owners

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Je� & Leanne White, Owners

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Get a new lease on renters insurance.

Gary Presley, Agent221 Crawford Avenue

Dixon, IL 61021Bus: 815-288-1020

Just pennies a day.Did you know your landlord’s insurance only covers the building?

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26 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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SAVE THE DATE!Veterans’ Event

September 12th

Len Michaels

The musical play “Into the Woods” is an ambitious joint poroduction of the Sauk Valley Community College The-

ater Department, Woodlawn Arts Academy and Sterling’s Centennial Auditorium.

It will be presented outdoors July 8-12 on the lawn at Woodlawn Arts Academy, Woodlawn Road, Sterling; performances begin at 7 p.m..

“This is probably one of the biggest shows I have ever directed,” explained SVCC Drama Program Director Anna Kurtz during a recent complete-cast sing-through rehearsal. “The play draws from an incredible amount of talent from the area ranging in age from 17-78.There are 25 actors and a great deal of the script is music. With that many people and schedules to juggle and that much music to learn, the process re-quires more time and coordination than most shows.”

Anna said rehearsals began on May 4 with solo music pieces and small-group music en-sembles as well as some character development work. Rehearsals involving the entire cast began on May 18.

“Since music is so integral to the progression of the story, initially most of our time is on the music presentation, slowly encompassing the other aspects as we go along,” Anna said.

Weather is a factor not only in the rehearsal process but with the performances as well. If the outdoor production gets rained out, the play will be performed inside at Woodlawn Arts Acade-my’s J. Mark Beaty Performance Center.

The production brings together actors and de-signers from across the Sauk Valley area, includ-ing local communities, high schools and Sauk Valley Community College. The cast includes Dylan Hinrichs, Monique Elmendorf, Rachel Pashon, Evan Lobdell, Meghan Clodfelter, Sar-ah Baxter, Mavrik McMeekan, Steven Whitney, Emily Sheaffer, Katlyn Bay, Jay Pauley, Suzie

Branch, Abby Langner, Calista Kern-Lyons, Kevin Tumelson, Molly Pashon, Hunter Wolfe, Mardi Huffstutler, Samantha O’Keefe, Ed Davis, Maddie Kull, Mackenzie Davis, Annie Etchison, and Joey Janke.

The creative team consists of Anna K. Kurtz (director), Kevin O’Keefe (music director), Zachary Lawson (stage manager), Chuck Price (set designer), Ian Wankerl (technical director), Faith Morrison and Ashley Aurand (costumes), Kaitlin Haley (props/set dressing), Michael Far-ringer (assistant stage manager) and Spencer Aurand (backstage crew).

The performances are free to the public and promises an entertaining family experience available close to home.

“We appreciate the wonderful support we have received from the community, especial-ly from Savant Capital Management, our title sponsor,” Anna said.

In “Into the Woods,” the main characters of several fairy tales, including “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” reveal that all is not as it appears to be in the original stories, and that desires, fears and expectations can quickly darken the brightest day.

The play introduces a new fairy tale about a

baker and his wife who desire a child, and the devious witch who places a curse on them. Their exploits provide the twine that ties the original tales together so as to question the real meaning of happiness.

While superficially entertaining and capti-vating, the play has many layers. It is rich in metaphors and parodies, and possesses a witty script that has an almost Shakespearian sparkle at times. Felt more than heard in Act II are the rich philosophical insights revealed as the char-acters struggle with what it means to be human. Don’t miss this gem of the Sauk Valley summer.

Bring a chair and grab a place on the lawn at Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling. Guests may bring their own snacks and beverages. For this performance only, alcohol will be allowed in the park. The park closes at 10 p.m.

Come to “Shakespeare in the Park” early on Friday, July 10. At 6 p.m., students from Shakespearience!, a two-week camp present-ed by Woodlawn Arts Academy & Sauk Valley Community College, will perform on the Shake-speare in the Park stage.

Additional play information and information on weather location changes can be obtained at https://www.svcc.edu/ or the SVCC Facebook page.

Back stage at ‘Into The Woods’ Local students named to Dean’s List at Ashford

The faculty and staff of Ashford University have announced the

recent 2015 Dean’s List for the university’s online program and the on-campus traditional pro-grams.

Online students are recog-nized if they completed 12 or more credits, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above, began and completed at least one course since the time the previous Dean’s List was determined (Dec. 15, 2014), and are currently enrolled, attend-ing or on an approved academ-ic leave, and in good academic standing as of May 11, 2015.

Students in the on-campus traditional program are rec-ognized if they completed six or more credits and received a grade point average of 3.5 or above during the semester end-ing on May 8, 2015.

Christopher Oester, Am-boy; Nicole Bergschneider, Angela Dixon, Ashton; Emily Bush, Jenifer Ritenour, Chad-wick; Dustin Coss, Stephanie Englund, Caitlyn Fellows, Amanda McCracken, Brittany Schwartz, Jennifer Smith, Dix-on; Laura Ford, Polo; Nicole Benitez, Alivia Hatten, Ash-ley Schmitt, David Williams, Rock Falls; Nicholas Barthel, Kirsten Filippi, Katie Guthrie, Rebecca Wolf, Heather Wolf, Sterling.

A circle cluster of cast members from “Into the Woods” weave into and out of the action in the multilayered plot having 25 players.

27July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Beth@SaukValleyProperties.com

Beth WilsonBROKER/OWNER

815-440-8307Sauk Valley

PropertiesWilson & AssociatesBeth@SaukValleyProperties.comBeth@SaukValleyProperties.com

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28 July 2015 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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