STERLING-JUNE 2013-SAUK VALLEY SUN

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June 2013 | Vol. 1 Issue 3

Sauk Valley Sun

FREETake One!

INSIDE

Memorial Park in Dixon honors military

See pages 5, 10, and 26 for more stories about

military members in our community in honor of

Memorial Day

Home & Garden

see page 25

Local

Every day is a miracle for Amboy teen

see page 7

Business

A hobby and passion for books grew into a book collection and selling business

see page 22

Pets

Wizard of Paws “magically” creates clean, happy dogs

see page 16

Dining

Gazi’s Restaurant, Rock Falls, has international menu, flavors

see page 9

Summer is perfect time to create kitchen of your dreams

Local

Midway Drive-In: A nostaligic look at a family tradition

see page 6

2013 Summer Reading Programs

2013 County Fair Schedule

The Man Behind the Badge - Lee County Sheriff John Varga

Keep your little book-worm’s thirst for literary adventures strong! Discover the many summer reading programs Sauk Valley has to offer.

see page 17

Summer’s coming which means county fairs are right around the corner! Check to see which fairs will be near you and when!

Sheriff Varga grew up around people who did law enforcement and thought it was interesting. He saw what it was like close up and wanted to be involved in it.

see page 2

see page 4

Vietnam Veteran, Roy Randorf of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin made a stop at Memorial Park in Dixon on his way to a motorcycle rally in North Carolina. Randorf said the park is beautiful and well represents each branch of the military.

Staff photo

DIXON - STERLING - ROCK FALLS

POSTALCUSTOMER

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE PAID

DEKALB, ILPERMIT NO.321

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Sauk Valley Sun459 Il. Route #2Dixon, IL 61021

2 June 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Local

People in Mo� on, Stay in Mo� on:The Value of Physical Ac� vity in Health

Home of Hope along with the Dixon Family YMCA is proud to off er you a wellness program on June 14 at 5:30pmLoca� on:Dixon Family YMCA110 North Galena Ave. Please RSVP 815-288-4673

1637 Plock RoadDixon, IL 61021815-288-4673www.homeo� opeonline.com

Michael Petrie, BSE, DC will share knowledge of the importance of physical ac� vity/exercise during and post cancer treatments. He brings with him a wealth of informa� on as he is currently a Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant at the Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilita� on Science at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine.

Publisher’s NoteFocusing on the power of good in our communities

CORRECTION

In the May edition of the Sauk Valley Sun two names were misspelled. Brenda Sis-son was named Glenda Sisson and Jill Straw was identified as Jill Shaw. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Judy Bell, Publisher

Letter to the EditorJust wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading the May edition. Great positive

stories about our community. Very well written. I read it cover to cover. Great job! Keep it up. Andra, Sterling

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

5/24 - Fourth Friday - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street6/28 - Fourth Friday - Dog Days - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street6/29 - Dog Days in the Park; sponsored by Sterling Main Street7/26 - Fourth Friday - Music Fest - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street7/27 - Music Fest in the Park; sponsored by Sterling Main Street8/2 - Sterling Downtown Merchants Hot dog days/Sidewalk sales; sponsored by Downtown

Merchants8/3 - Sauk Valley Shop Small Saturday; sponsored by Lisa Lefevre8/17 - Garden Stock - Distinctive Gardens, Dixon8/23 - Fourth Friday - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street9/21 - Taste of Fiesta in the Park Chilifest Distinctive Gardens, Dixon9/27 - Fourth Friday Fiesta - Downtown Sterling10/4,5,6 - Autumn on Parade - Oregon10/12 - Harvest Moon Festival - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street10/25 - Fourth Friday - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street11/22 - Fourth Friday - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street11/30 - Sauk Valley Shop Small Saturday; Lisa Lefevre12/6 - Sights n Sounds - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sauk Valley Chamber12/27 - Fourth Friday - Downtown Sterling; sponsored by Sterling Main Street

July 9-14Stephenson County FairFreeport, IL

July 25-28 Lee County FairAmboy, IL

July 31- Aug. 4Ogle County FairOregon, IL

Riding a 1974 Interna-tional Harvester tractor, third generation farmer, Leo McCaffrey, tills his land in preparation of planting corn. Although the fourth genera-tion does most of the work, he said he helps his sons, Steve and Ed when he can.

McCaffrey, 88, began farming in his teens, fol-lowing his father’s death from Tuberculosis, acquired during WWI. Never waver-ing from demands of the farm, he also worked at BorgWarner Inc., retiring after 25 years.

They used to raise hogs, however, due to poor re-turns, ended that part of production 15 years ago. A lot has changed he said, since his grandfather Patrick McCaffrey made his mark in 1919, on that same land in rural Dixon.

Calendar of Events 2013 County Fair Schedule

Aug. 6-10 Carroll County FairMilledgeville, IL

Aug. 13-18 Winnebago County FairPecatonica, IL

Aug. 13-17 Whiteside County FairMorrison, IL

Aug. 21-25 Bureau County FairPrinceton, IL

Sept. 4-8 DeKalb County FairSandwich, IL

Soil as rich as its history

Courtesy photoMcCaffrey riding a 1974 International Harvester tractor

Judy Bell

Publisher

In many various ways it is said, “What you focus on expands.” So, if we focus on the good in our commu-nities, will it expand?

The Sauk Valley Sun be-lieves this to be true.

We focus on the good that is happening. We celebrate people and their achieve-ments.

We highlight those times and places where people

chose to help other people.By the conscious choice

of directing our hearts, minds and souls on what is good, it is possible that we see more opportunities to do good. It is possible that we may like our communities more, we may even appre-ciate prior generations for what they accomplished and the legacy that they have left with parks, museums, public buildings, art and a heritage of doing and being our best. We may take better care of

what we have been given.How does this manifest

itself in everyday life? Maybe those who like

their community will take care of it more carefully. Trash and litter may be picked up by citizens more quickly. We may even begin to curb acts of violence as everyone sees the value of respect and honor for all.

The choice is ours.What will you focus on

today as you recall: What you focus on expands.

1. Get your teeth whit-ened…Dr. Hey, Dixon has an amazing offer: FREE! $350 Value.

Call and get the details: 815-288-4731. Ask for Patty.

2. Immediately book your salon consultation and con-firm all bridal party appoint-ments.

Confirm the investment arrangements with the salon. Many have money saving packages that are truly a once-in-lifetime experience.

3. Ask your stylist for a

“practice session”. It could include eyebrow shaping, hair removal, facial and ped-icure. Maybe include your maid of honor, your mom…even your bridal consultant. Your groom may appreciate some special “grooming”, too. Ask him.

4. Plan several “stress-free” days the month or so before your wedding. Sleep late; eat healthy, have an extra massage, take a walk for 20 minutes three times a week….just you and nature to reconnect with the beauti-

ful person God created and the gift of life.

5. Consider an “Air Brush Tan” for your wedding day….its better …healthier and non-toxic…than a “tan-ning bed tan.” Talk to Jeni at Karma.

6. Remember you are to-tally and completely unique-ly beautiful…your salon, stylist and other members of your beauty team are avail-able to help you.

Ann Brandt,owner, Kar-ma Salon, Rock Falls 815-622-7500.

Head’s up for brides and grooms

3June 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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With today’s economy, if there is anything out there that is free -- you better grab it! This sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But this is no gimmick. Go to our parks - they are all around us. Pack a sandwich, grab your fishing pole or the kids and go on over to one of the 58 parks in Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls.

The earliest park is John Dixon Park, donated by Mr. Dixon in 1842 and the most recent one is Joshua Park in Rock Falls, completed in 2012. The parks vary from the .05 acre Liberty Bell Park in Rock Falls (Veteran’s Memorial Park comes pretty close at 0.6 acres) to The

Meadows with 567 acres in Dixon. Coloma Township Park District has 17 parks, Dixon Park District has 22 and the Sterling Park District has 13. There are also city parks that many enjoy.

The parks offer boating, picnicking, bike and horse trails, baseball, ice hockey, skateboarding, soccer, hik-ing, deer and turkey hunting, golfing, snowmobiling, ice skating, shuffleboard, ten-nis, horseshoes and cross-country skiing (I know that I have probably left a few things out. There are just so many things to see and do!) And there is something for our short four-legged friends too - Parks 4 Paws in Dixon. Nobody’s left out!

Recently, the Sterling Park

District, the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls, Coloma Township Park District and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, collabo-rated to form the Sinnissippi Dam Walkway. It links the trail system in Sterling and the Hennepin Feeder Canal to Rock Falls. Dixon has its 6.5 mile walking/biking trail that connects Dixon to Low-ell Park. What a great way to get some exercise and enjoy nature through the seasons! Walking with friends or in a group makes it fun.

Some neat historical items of interest: Sinnissippi Park in Sterling has Hopewillian Indian Mounds that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Kilgour Park was once part of the

The Little Red School House Museum at Centennial Park in Rock Falls Courtesy photos

personal farm of Civil War Colonel William M. Kilgour.

There are a few little quirks in our park systems too. How about parks that no one is allowed to go into? Van Arnam’s Island and Willow Island Park are the islands just above the dam in Dixon. They are kept as a nature preserve as well as several small areas adjacent to trails in the park systems.

Some parks have passed on in history. I live in As-sembly Park in Dixon. It used to be a very important recreational center with a

large hotel, horse races, an auditorium that seated 5,000 and international stars ap-pearing in Christian pro-grams.

There are also delightful city parks. I used to pass Thomas Park in Sterling ev-ery day on my way to work at CGH Medical Center. I always looked for “my heron.” I knew that if I saw him, I was going to have a great day!

I cannot fail to mention the Veteran’s Park in Dixon. It, like it’s counterpart in Rock Falls, stands as a testimonial

to all the soldiers who have put their lives on the line to protect not only our rights and freedoms, but also those of our children and grand-children. God bless our vets!

Well, there you have it! There is a wonderland of nature around us that we probably didn’t know about! For more information call: Coloma Township Park Dis-trict at 815/625-0272; Dixon Park District at 815/284-3306; and the Sterling Park District at 815/622-6200.

Hope to see you at the park!

Centennial Park in Rock Falls

Local parks - Healthy, fun, free activity


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By Jill Horn

Sheriff Varga grew up around people who did law enforcement and thought it was interesting. He saw what it was like close up and wanted to be involved in it. He received his degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University. He then went to work as a private investigator in Rockford, but eventually ended up in Lee County.

Varga has been involved

The Man Behind the Badge – Lee County Sheriff John Vargain law enforcement for 24 years. He started out as a Lee County probation of-ficer. He worked with both juvenile and adult cases then took a job with the Lee County Sheriff ’s Office where he was a correctional officer at the Lee County Jail. He became the adminis-trator of the jail and then was elected Lee County Sheriff. The sheriff is an administra-tor, and he likes the variety of the job. Varga states, “I consider it an honor to serve

as sheriff.”Being the sheriff is like

any other job in that he has good days and bad days. Some challenges that come with being sheriff include covering a large area. It takes him 45 minutes to drive to the other end of the county if he is called to do so. Some of the smaller communities like Franklin Grove and Amboy, don’t have 24-hour local police departments. It is the sheriff’s department’s job to provide protection in

those communities when the part-time local law en-forcement agencies are off-duty. Whenever his office receives a call, they try to serve the public as well as they can. He ensures his deputies are well-trained, so they can serve us to the best of their ability.

One program that has been going on for five or six years is called “Shop With the Sheriff.” This program is to help make sure kids all over the county receive Christmas presents. He wants to make sure that all kids have a good Christmas. He also sees this as a way to help the community see the sheriff’s department in a dif-ferent light. The kids have the opportunity to spend time with police officers in uniform when nothing bad is happening. Everyone in the department participates and enjoys the opportunity to serve the county in this way.

Varga also feels it’s im-portant to have time away from his job. Even though he is always the sheriff and can never be completely away from it, he does relax while doing things with his family. He finds be-ing involved with his kids who are 13-years-old and 16-years-old, to be the best way to spend his time away from the job.

His kids were very young

when he decided to run for sheriff. Since he is in the public eye, his family participated in making the decision about whether he should run for office. His wife and children com-municate openly about his job. His family is the first to hear questions from friends whenever something in the community happens. They also hear and read what is in the media about him. Varga says, “My family handles the spotlight and its pres-sures very well. Open com-munication is what makes that possible.” His wife and kids must take the good with the bad. They have met Senator Bivens and other public figures but also live in a small community where most people know what John Varga does for a living. His kids also know when something bad has happened

at work since they may get a lecture on never texting and driving, for example, after someone in Lee County has had an accident while tex-ting and driving. The Sheriff doesn’t relate any details but the kids know something has happened.

Like Sheriff Wilhelmi, whom I spoke with last month, Sheriff Varga wants to encourage everyone to call the Sheriff’s department whenever seeing something suspicious. He says it’s always best to call the day you see something out of the ordinary. He must rely on the public to report what they see and hear in order to protect the community. Varga says, “Call us and let us sort things out if you are in doubt.”

Thank you Sheriff Varga for serving us and making sure we are safe.

By Jill Straw

The Public Action to De-liver Shelter (PADS) home-less shelter in Dixon is implementing a new mentor-ing program for its residents. Vanessa White, PADS board member, wrote in a press release, that “Our intent is to attract members of the com-munity, ages 21 years and older, to serve as mentors for those persons currently resid-ing at the homeless shelter.” The first step of this goal is to

match each male at the PADS shelter with a male in the community and do the same for the women at the shelter.

The mentoring program will assist residents with life goals such as securing per-manent housing, obtaining job skills, resume building and interviewing tips. Men-tors will spend 5-8 hours a month with the resident with whom they are matched. This time will be used to work on goals and the progress of the resident.

Many of the shelter resi-dents, both men and women of all ages, have fallen on hard times for a variety of reasons. The shelter resi-dents appreciate the mentor program. It offers encourage-ment that they need to help rebuild their lives.

Those interested should contact Vanessa White to ob-tain an application, and have an interview scheduled to go over expectations. She can be reached at (815) 440-6598

PADS homeless shelter implements new mentorship program

Sheriff Varga Courtesy photo

5June 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Vietnam Veteran, Roy Randorf of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin makes a stop at Memorial Park in Dixon on his way to a motorcycle rally in North Carolina. He was in the Army from 1966 to 1972, serving two tours. Preparing for his third tour, he was shot with an AK-47 in his right leg and was honorably discharged. Although his doctors didn’t expect him to walk again, he beat the odds and has, “even surprised” himself. Randorf said the park is beautiful and well represents each branch of the military.

Memorial Park in Dixon

Staff photo

6

LocalJune 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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By Celeste Lightner-Greenwalt

For those of us that grew up in the Sauk Valley area in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the Midway Drive-In was a tradition for the youth of the area.

My memories include seeing how many you could cram into your car to get into the drive-in, to hooking up the speaker to your driver’s side window, getting a ham-burger and French fries at the concession stand, and finally watching a double-feature at the greatest audi-

Midway Drive-In: A nostaligic look at a family tradition

torium in the world…under nature’s own stars.

The Midway Drive-In, located between Dixon and Sterling on Palmyra Road, has been a staple for the Sauk Valley area since open-ing in 1950.

Back then, World War II veterans took their families to the drive-in, and now the baby-boomers are tak-ing advantage of the 1950s atmosphere and taking their families to the Midway. The Midway has been in almost constant operation since its opening, considered a historical landmark, and is

the oldest standing drive-in screen in Illinois. The Mid-way Drive-In is dedicated to preserving the American tradition of the drive-in experience.

The drive-in represents a by-gone era that is recreated at every visit, representing family values and a memory of more innocent times in our culture.

You can get there early and spend time with your beau or your family. Enjoy-ing children playing at the playground is easy while taking in the beautiful land-scape of nature which sur-

rounds the Midway.The Midway Drive-In of-

fers a nostalgic experience to the past with its retro “spaceship” ticket booth and its full service concession stand. “The Midway Diner” has the classic self-serve menu which includes ev-erything from hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, nachos, candy, ice cream, French fries, fried cheese sticks, pizza and cot-ton candy! And of course, popcorn! They also offer the classic dining booths or you can take your conces-sions out to your car for that

outdoor eating experience.The Midway, which can

hold up to 500 cars and boasts a giant 90 foot screen, offers two first run films at an extremely low admission price every weekend, as well as presenting special events and film festivals. Each film presentation begins with the National Anthem and everyone is asked to stand. Classic coming attractions, short subjects, and cartoons entertain before the film begins. During intermis-sion, the classic animated “Dancing Hot Dog” short and other vintage conces-

sion ads play.One th ing tha t has

changed at the Midway is the sound. No more speak-ers to hang on your driver’s side window; now the sound is transmitted through your car’s stereo system.

A night the historic Mid-way Drive-In is full of fam-ily fun and entertainment. For more information, contact the drive-in during regular operating hours at 815-622-2900. Show times are available at 815-288-8700.

Courtesy photos

7


113 E. 1ST ST. SUITE 100, DIXON, IL 61021 • 815.973.5903

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By Jill Horn

Les Floto, whose stage name is the Lonesome Fugi-tive, started calling himself that because Merle Hag-gert’s music made a big impression on him. Haggert

Every day is a miracle for Amboy teenJustin Walls - living on borrowed time

Courtesy photo

The Lonesome Fugitive

recorded “The Lonesome Fugitive” in 1967, and it was the very first song Les learned to play on his gui-tar. You can listen to The Lonesome Fugitive at the Gingko Tree Café in Dixon on Saturday, June 8 from 6

p.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 15 at Aldo’s Pizzeria in Rochelle from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. and Saturday, June 29, at Books on First in Dixon from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Les plays a combination of clas-sic rock and country music.

Les Floto, who named himself the Lonesome Fugitive, plays in Tri-Cities in June

• The Tom Nelson Benefit is June 22 from noon to 12 am the Latin American Club, Sterling. For additional information call Dacia, 815-590-7162.

Please e-mail information for a benefit to [email protected] mail information/flyer to:People Helping Peoplec/o Sauk Valley Sun459 Illinois Rt. #2Dixon IL 61021

People Helping People

AMBOY — Excruciat-ing arthritis, chronic lung disease, partial blindness, a severely compromised im-mune system and memory loss aren’t typical problems 19-year-olds encounter. For Justin Walls, of Amboy, it has become a way of life.

Yet somehow, his eyes sparkle brightly as he smiles more than the average teen. A value beyond measure and greater appreciation for life is where he gives credit for his positive outlook.

Walls, born with a fatal genetic syndrome, known as Weidemann Rautenstrauch, experiences premature ag-ing, putting his physical body

in the state of an 80-year-old man.

It has also severely stunted his growth. He is 3 feet, 7 inches tall.

Doctors warned his family the life expectancy of a per-son with progeria is about 12.

His mother, Jennifer An-derson, said, “Physicians say he is living on borrowed time. He turned 19 on Feb. 18.” Looking at her son, smiling, she added, “Seven years beyond what was ex-pected…”

“It’s pretty awesome,” Jus-tin adds with a smile back.

There are less than 80 known cases worldwide with one of the five forms of

Justin Walls, 19, of Amboy, plays with Akiyah, his 5 month old great dane. She loves waking him early every morning, which he says is not his favorite part about having a big dog.

progeria, which makes him a medical anomaly. Every aspect of his life has been documented for research.

With everything he has endured, he said the tough-est obstacle is simply being ignored. “Some people act like they don’t see me.”

“In our society, people think if they pretend they don’t see you, they don’t have to approach or acknowl-edge you, and they see it as being polite,” Anderson said.

“But the people who know me are nice,” he said.

He attends Dixon High School for a couple of hours a day. “It is more about socialization than educa-tion for him,” Anderson said. She continued, “Dixon schools have always been very accommodating for Justin. They’ve been jump-ing through hoops to meet all of his challenges. They are very supportive and would do anything for him. The kids have been great trying to include him in as much as possible too.”

As a junior, he has made a decision to ditch his wheel-chair and walk to classes with his aide, Sue Sprenger.

Walls said, “She kind of walks me to class and helps me with my schoolwork.”

At school Walls said he feels like a small town ce-lebrity, but this year has been rough, causing him to miss a lot of school.

Anderson said, “We have to weigh the exposing him to illness, versus the social interaction. It’s a catch 22. Something little can turn into something very ugly, very

quickly.”“I like school, when I am

there. [Vice Principal Chris] Mr. Tennyson and [School Resource Officer] Jason LaMendola, have taken me under their wings.”

The developmental delays he has faced are one more hurdle in his day-to-day.

Anderson said, “We’ve made a shift. The first 15 years was medical — medi-cal discovery and main-tenance. About four years ago, we switched to psy-chological issues. Medical aspects were easier than the emotional guessing game.”

The confusion similar to an 80-year-old, in conjunc-tion with the teenage mind, is often overwhelming. His mother wonders if he is dif-ferent as a result of meshing two worlds, that of elderly and adolescence.

As summer approaches,

Walls said he hopes to spend more time making friends and hanging out with his best friend David Bulfer. He also hopes to spend time volunteering, being outside, walking, fishing, visiting Niabi Zoo and he is hopeful to see Tom Meents, driver of Maximum Destruction, monster truck.

Justin has quite a Facebook and Twitter following and often interacts with friends online. Some of his other hobbies include watching the Chicago Cubs, Monster Jam, NASCAR especially driver Jimmie Johnson, and listening to Brad Paisley, his favorite country music performer.

In spite of the latest chang-es, he said, “I’m doing pretty good. I’m happy. Guess I want people to know, I’m just still around.”

Justin enjoys staying connected via Facebook and Twitter on his iPad. Monster Truck Driver Tom Meents is one of many who Walls chats with online.

Courtesy photos


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reason and we are both still taking lessons from Emma to support the tennis pro-gram in Dixon. Rose says, “As I look back, Emma was an important person in my life and made an impact on me because she made me feel special as she does with everyone.” Jim was friends with Emma’s son and Emma helped Jim get a tennis scholarship to play for Doane College in Nebraska. Jim played throughout college and was, for some time, a tennis pro and instructor in Florida where he now lives. He is retired now but still plays.

I also met Julie Deutsch while taking tennis les-sons. Her daughter, Bridget Prendergast, started taking tennis lessons when she was 4 years old and played throughout high school and college. She worked with

Emma giving tennis lessons during the summer while she was in high school. Bridget has graduated from college now and still plays tennis recreationally where she lives and works in Mad-ison, WI.

Kimi Wegner and Bridget went through the tennis pro-gram at Dixon together and worked with Emma togeth-er. Kimi too started when she was 4 years old and also started volunteering at the tennis courts with Emma when she was 11 or 12 years old. They worked with the tiny tots. Kimi says, “My mom would drop me off in the mornings and just leave me there all day. It’s where I wanted to be.” Kimi went on to play tennis for Monmouth College and has since graduated from col-lege and is now the tennis coach at Monmouth. She

continues to teach lessons at the park district with Emma during the summers. Les-sons at Page Park in Dixon begin June 10. Participants sign up for 3-week ses-sions. There are two other sessions later in the sum-mer along with two tennis tournaments. One is during the Petunia Festival. This tournament is for youth and adults. The second tourna-ment is July 29-August 2 and is only for youths. You can contact the Dixon Park District at 815-284-3306 for more information regarding lessons or tournaments

Someone in Dixon said to me that Emma has impacted thousands of young people in the Dixon area. I have only given a few examples of the many people of all ages Emma has affected by making us feel special.

Courtesy photo

Tennis Forever in Dixon

L-R Kimi Wegner, Emma Hubbs, and Bridget Prendergast

By Jill Horn

When I first moved to Dixon in 1997, I signed up for tennis lessons and met the extraordinary Emma Hubbs, who continues to show up each weekday, teaching tennis to people of all ages even though she is in her 80s. She has worked for the Dixon Park District for a total of 67 years and still counting.

Here are a few of the

people who have been on the courts receiving ten-nis instruction and have been positively impacted by Emma and her love for people and tennis.

Rose Johnson, retired nursing instructor and ad-ministrator from SVCC, started playing when she was 10 years old. She took lessons from Emma along with her brother, Jim Concotelli, and sister, Mary Jane Ceffalio. They lived a

block from the tennis courts and would run up the hill to take lessons from Emma. Rose played until she got too involved with other things in junior high, high school and college. She picked up a racquet again when she was an adult. She started taking lessons then because she wanted to play but couldn’t find people to play with. That’s how I met Rose. We were taking lessons for the same

DIXON – One in three seniors in the United States is a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran. Every day, many of these men and women go without the healthcare they need simply because of lack of informa-tion or assistance.

Recognizing this, inde-pendently owned and oper-ated Dixon-based Home Helpers of the Valleys, has teamed up with Veterans Care Coordination.

This collaboration will provide an easier path to receive the benefits they are entitled to and the home care they deserve.

Home Helpers Director of Operations, Ty Rogers, said “One of the biggest challenges people face is how they will pay for the care they need. What many do not realize is that they may be eligible for up to $24,228 per year of tax-free money to pay for home care services.”

Together they assist quali-fying veterans and their spouses apply for and obtain the Aid and Attendance

Benefit through the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs to help cover their medical expenses, including Home Helpers home care services.

VCC President Kyle Laramie said, “What makes this partnership unique is the fact that we can offer interest-free loan assistance to clients that cannot afford the up-front, out-of-pocket expense that is required. Our company assists seniors in their qualification for the benefit, reducing the stress commonly associated with applying for assistance. We are thrilled to partner with Home Helpers to pro-vide local veterans with the benefits to which they are entitled.”

Locally-owned and oper-ated Home Helpers of the Valleys provides compre-hensive home healthcare services. Although many of its clients are senior citizens, new and expectant moth-ers, individuals recovering from surgeries, illnesses or injuries, as well as those with lifelong challenges are among its clientele.

Caregivers work with clients one-on-one to tailor flexible care plans to meet specific needs and budgets.

A broad range of services are available and include transportation, light house-keeping, meal preparation, medication reminders and bathing, among others.

“We’re honored to sup-port our local veterans and provide them with the af-fordable home care they deserve,” said Dena Ellis, President and Director of Care at Home Helpers. “Vet-erans hold a special place in my heart since both of my sons and my daughter are currently serving.”

For more information about Home Helpers of the Valleys, cal l 815-677-9657 or visit www.TheVal leysHomeCare .com. Find and Like us on Facebook by searching Home Helpers Dixon IL.

For more information a b o u t Ve t e r a n s C a r e Coordination, visit www.veteranscarecoordination.com.

Home Helpers of the Valleys partners with Veterans Care CoordinationNew program helps veterans and surviving spouses apply for and obtain Aid and Attendance pension benefits through Department of Veterans Affairs to help pay for safe, affordable home care.


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Dining

By Spencer Schein

Whether you’re looking for a touch of Italy, a fami-ly dinner or a well-rounded breakfast, your destination should be Gazi’s Restau-rant of Rock Falls.

Gazi’s is a full-service restaurant, with breakfast served all day, sandwiches and gyros, and specials for lunch and dinner, which include the soup and salad bar.

A friend and I made our way to the restaurant, 901 1st Ave., on a Tuesday af-

Gazi’s Restaurant, Rock Falls, has international menu, flavors

The bowtie pasta with meat sauce is filled with seasoned ground beef in a great tasting marinara sauce.

The lasagna is delightful, tasty, and wonderful. A great Touch of Italy.

Gazi’s Restaurant, 901 1st Ave., is a great Rock Falls institution.

ternoon. Even though it was not at a prime dining time, the salad bar was full of fresh products, our waitress was attentive and our food was served shortly after ordering.

Specials for the day included a chicken with broccoli and rice, lem-on chicken, a gyro with French fries and lasagna. Soups for the day were ham and bean and chicken dumpling.

Both of us ordered Touch of Italy meals. I went with the lasagna (after confer-

ring with the waitress that the lasagna didn’t have cottage cheese), while my friend went with bow-tie pasta and meat sauce. Each came with a warm breadstick.

The lasagna was served with a fresh layer of shred-ded cheese on top, which in a matter of minutes melted into the top layer. The sauce was very authentic tasting with Italian spices and mixed with the pasta, meat and cheese. It was a good choice which I would reorder.

The salad bar had some-thing for everyone. Fresh iceberg salad is the first item, followed by selec-tions of egg slices, beets, rotini pasta, coleslaw, po-tato salad, seafood salad, pea salad, croutons, as well as tapioca, rice pud-ding, breadsticks, and other selections. Salad dress-ings were ranch, French and Thousand Island. The soups were placed at the end of the salad bar, but on a hot day, neither of us tried them.

Following the meal, I

went back to the salad bar for a small bowl of rice pudding, which was very tasty.

A full-lineup for break-fast is served throughout the day, with eggs served beside a choice of toast or pancakes, as well as a choice of hash browns or a fruit cup. Seven different skillets are made to order, from all meat to vegetar-ian in small and regular portions.

Dinners range from meatloaf, a rib eye, pork chops, liver and onions,

fried chicken and shrimp. A Mexican menu is served, and special selections are made available at a discount for seniors 60 years and older. Burgers, open face hot sandwiches, wraps, and salads are also served.

Gazi’s is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and Sunday, and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday thru Saturday. To place an order or for catering infor-mation, call Gazi’s at (815) 626-4294.

Spencer Schein photos


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Beginning with the Revo-lutionary War in 1774, our soldiers have defended our country, secured our rights and guaranteed our free-doms. We have gone from fighting the British on our own soil to fighting in the heat and dust of foreign lands thousands of miles away. But this has never deterred the bravest among us as they leave their loved ones behind with the pos-sibility that they may never see them again -- all for you and me.

I wish that I could per-sonally thank all those men and women who have stood between me and danger, but I can’t. All I can do is try to thank those who are near me. So today I am going to thank Staff Sergeant David Geesey of Savanna. He returned from Iraq just one year ago and was kind enough to share his story with me.

Dave was born in Gene-seo, but grew up in Savanna as the oldest of eight siblings in a blended family. The Army is a tradition in his family; his grandfather, his father and brother are also Army veterans. He received training between his junior and senior year in high school after the disaster of 9/11 brought a significant change in his life. He joined the 1644th in Rock Falls and plans on making the Army National Guard his lifetime career.

The Army National Guard traces its origins to Ameri-can colonies as far back as December 13, 1636, but was officially established in 1903 during a reorganiza-tion of militias following the Spanish-American War.

Dave joined the Army National Guard and was assigned to Logistical Sup-port. He served as convoy security during his first tour from 2008 to 2009. In his second tour from 2011 to

Returning WarriorStaff Sergeant David Geesey

2012, he carried supplies for the bases from Kuwait to Iraq. The cargoes varied from trucks to mail and per-sonal items. They operated in the “Green Zone”, which was considered a hostile zone. In the time between his tours of 2009 and 2011, Dave took training as a CNA and worked at the Morrison Community Hospital.

When asked what he missed most, his first re-sponse was his wife Lindsay and his three year-old son, David Jr., affectionately known as “Bubba.” After a little thought, he said that he also missed McDon-ald’s! He and his fellow soldiers did, however, have some movies from the PX, Wifi games and a limited TV network. A real treat was the local bazaars when the people came on base (after being thoroughly searched) and sold hookahs and elec-tronics such as I-pads and headphones.

Dave was in the last con-voy to leave Iraq as the U. S. closed operations there.

He is still on active re-serve with the National

Guard, spending two days a month and two weeks a year continuing to fulfill the necessary requirements. In cases such as floods, bomb-ings, tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters, the National Guard always responds to assist those in times of need.

There is one fact that Dave explained to me that I had not known: the Army is under federal law while the National Guard is under state law and supported by state funds. What a legacy the National Guard has for our country! It not only protects us overseas, but here at home as well.

After his second tour ended, Dave found himself unemployed but has recently been hired by the Dixon Correctional Center. He will start attending the acad-emy on Monday.

Thank you, Dave, for being willing to stand up not only for my rights and freedoms but also those of my children and grandchil-dren. Thank God for our vets!

Staff Sergeant David Geesey

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STERLING — Blood do-nor John Buyers, 66, started donating blood when he was 18 years old. It wasn’t until long after his stint in the Army with the 101st Airborne, that he became “religious” about giving.

He served three years as a Spec. 5, with A-troop 2nd of the 17th Calvary in Vietnam, during 1966 and 1967.

He said, “We did convoys, cleared roads, ambushed at night, had a bunch of search and destroy missions… jack of all trades you could say.”

Once retired, he said he wanted to “be the best he could — give back.” Amber Wood, executive director of the American Red Cross, said he was indeed one of the best donors and inspiring people she’d met.

Buyers had the potential of saving an estimated 633 lives with the 211 pints or 26-plus gallons he donated.

Wood said, “It is amazing that one person can touch that many lives.”

Eligible donors can give every 56 days, and Buyers was always ready. Less than 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, though only 5 percent do. It is because of the dedication from people like Buyers that keep the supply replenished.

Local Sterling resident’s gift lives on

“We have tremendous supporters and donors in our community,” Wood said. “We certainly are looking for more people to contribute to make sure there is an ad-equate supply.”

Quite frequently, Wood said type O-, falls beyond a scarce level. It can be trans-fused into patients with all blood types. “But all types are essential,” she stresses.

Proud of his rare B- blood, he said, “They are always

looking for guys like me.”“Every two seconds some-

one in the United States needs blood,” Wood said. “That is why this program is so critical.”

“To be able to maybe save three lives in just an hour of time, there’s no reason not to. Plus there’s the free lunch or snacks they give ya,” he said.

With a chuckle he added, “Culver’s is a pint-for-pint sponsor of The American Red Cross. They give a pint

of frozen custard for every pint of blood we donate. I’ve been trying, but I can’t seem to talk them into giving a pint of beer instead.”

He feels the Red Cross is one of the best organizations, not just because of the life-saving aspect.

“If you are in need of as-sistance because of a fire or something they’re there too. I like the fact that they help other people. It’s a good feel-ing knowing you are keeping

somebody alive.”

Editor’s note: John Buy-ers passed away in his sleep three days after our inter-view. His wife Lisa, of 35 years, said his passion for giving is his legacy that she would like people to be inspired by and how he

should be remembered. Be-fore he left this world, he saved as many as 633 lives with his donations, certainly leaving a positive impact. He is survived by his wife, three children Christopher and Douglas Buyers, and Stephanie Cruz, along with four grandchildren.

Blood donor John Buyers, 66, of Sterling and his granddaughter Emma, age 1, stop at Culver’s in Dixon for a treat. Culver’s is a pint-for-pint sponsor of The American Red Cross. Buyers has donated nearly 30 gallons of blood in his lifetime. John Buyers, 66, of Sterling had the potential of saving

an estimated 633 lives with the 70 pints he has donated. Culver’s is a pint-for-pint sponsor of The American Red Cross, giving blood donors free frozen custard for their efforts, something his 1-year-old granddaughter Emma helps him enjoy. Courtesy photos


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35 Years Experience!

By Cody Cutter

As a gas station cashier, it is my job to provide our customers with information when they ask us to.

If they ask me who the 7th Prime Minister of France is, I’m not going to know.

The most frequently asked questions unrelated to gas station operations I get from customers are related to driving direc-tions. In Sterling, the most asked after destinations are Interstate 88, Sterling High School, Westwood Sports Complex, and the Wal-Mart Distribution Center.

I try to make it as simple as possible. When guiding people to Interstate 88, I tell them the following, “Go five stoplights and make a left. That’s Route 40. Keep following Route 40 for a

A matter of directionmile-and-a-half, and you’ll be there.”

Simple and precise. Just three sentences. I always assume that those who don’t know where they’re going will keep an eye on the route signs. After all, they got here that way, right?

I have noticed that when a customer asks me for directions, the other people around the store will also raise their hand and ask, “Where is it you’re heading to?” I get asked the question, and there are other people willing to give directions.

“Where ‘ya going?”“You’re looking for

what?”Chances are, those five

people will tell the person five different ways to get to I-88. More than likely, they’ll do it in more than three sentences.

Or perhaps, they will de-scribe it like this:

“You’re going to make a right out of this parking lot. There’ll be a stoplight with a BP gas station on the corner. Okay, keep going straight. You’re going to go past the Parkway restaurant, and across the corner from that is Majeski Motors ...

“There’ll be another curve to the left next to Dale Park. Go around the curve and right then you’ll hit a stop light. Make sure you’re in the right lane. You’re going to turn right at that stoplight. You’re going to then go un-der a set of railroad tracks. After that, you’re going to go up a small hill. You’re going to go across the bridge into Rock Falls. You just keep going ...”

That’s just half of what’s said.

In my many years of di-rection-telling, I have found that the more words you say the more confused the person becomes.

Sterling has some oddi-ties that are perceived as common knowledge to the locals, but not so much for the passer-by. When we say, “Just keep following Fourth Street past downtown to the Driver’s License Bureau,” we are telling the person to drive through a grocery store parking lot. One which is signed “No Thru Traf-fic.” Therefore, we have to explain the drive-around on Fifth Street.

When we say “Keep fol-lowing Route 2 to Como.” we don’t think about Illinois

Route 2 actually ending at Locust Street. So what hap-pens when they see the sign signaling the route’s end? Route 2 ended in downtown Sterling in 1974, but over the years the locals have al-ways considered it as having still existed. Sometimes that reference has even passed down to the next generation.

Another directional mis-conception is that Free-port Road, when leaving Sterling, goes to Freeport. In reality, if one were to leave Sterling on Freeport Road and not make any turns (“just keep going”), they would be driving into Dixon on Galena Avenue. Therefore, we have to guide them through all of the

curves, and even the two turns they’ll have to make to get to Freeport.

Need a GPS system? I have found them unreliable 100 percent of the time when it comes to Sterling. Some systems still recog-nize the nine-block area that changed for downtown redevelopment in 1993 as intact. Going up Avenue B from West Third Street to Locust Street is no longer an option, and neither is cutting through Spring Street from LeFevre Road to Woodlawn Road.

We may think we know – and we’re right – but we sometimes forget to see things they way others see them.

Tom Demmer

State Representative, 90th Distruct

It’s a busy season in the capitol. We’re working our way through the budget process, and we’re voting on a wide variety of legisla-tion. And of course, we’re surrounded by proposals and negotiations on pension reform.

Pension reform is as big a challenge as the state has ever faced. We’re standing at the foot of a mountain of unfunded pension liability, around $100 billion of it. We’re facing a massive

jump in our yearly pension contribution; next year’s payment will require a $936 million increase over this year.

Our pension crisis is the result of several factors: years of underfunding by the state, pension benefit increases that weren’t ad-equately paid for, longer life expectancies, lower invest-ment yields, and more.

The current path is un-sustainable. If we don’t do something, the pension system will implode.

To help meet our growing annual pension contribu-tion, the state has taken several steps over the past few years. Personal and corporate income taxes were significantly increased. Cuts were made to nearly every state program, including education and public safety. State facilities were closed. Entitlement programs like Medicaid saw major reform laws. And yet we’re still struggling to keep our head above water because of the huge pension obligation.

Earlier this session, some drastic pension changes were proposed by Speaker Michael Madigan, includ-ing elimination of cost of living increases, an across the board retirement age in-crease, and a large employ-ee contribution increase. I didn’t support those propos-als. But I knew something needed to be done.

I voted for SB1, a bi-partisan, compromise bill that protects cost of living adjustments but sets an up-per limit. It increases retire-ment age, but not if you’re a month away from retire-ment, only if you’re under 45 years old. It includes a smaller employee contribu-tion increase.

And, just as importantly, it includes a requirement that the state make its contribu-tion to the pension system every year. We can’t con-tinue the underfunding that led us to today’s crisis.

This bill brings stability and security to the pension system. It ensures that retir-ees will still get a monthly

Legislative update

We are here to serve you. Please stop by or contact my office with questions or comments. Springfield office: 222-N Stratton Office BuildingSpringfield, IL 62706(217) 782-0535District office:1221 Currency CourtSuite BRochelle, IL 61068(815) 561-3690Email: [email protected]: www.tomdemmer.com

check in the future. And it prevents us from having to make cuts year after year to critical state services like education, public safety, developmental disability and mental health services, and important community safety nets.

This bill, SB1, passed the House and was sent back to the Senate for consideration. Governor Quinn indicated he would sign it if the Sen-ate concurs with the House amendment.

Another proposal has sur-faced, originated by Senate President John Cullerton. That proposal is SB2404 and is supported by several public employee unions. The bill is different from the House pension reform plan in that it includes the concept of consideration. In this plan, employees would be given a choice between changes to annual cost of living adjustments and ac-cess to subsidized healthcare in retirement. Though it has the support of several unions, it’s still opposed by

some retiree groups. And there aren’t any actuarial estimates of the savings the plan would bring, though unofficial projections say it could reduce the unfunded liability by 10%--or just a third as much as the House proposal would save.

I’m keeping an open mind about the Senate proposal, though I’m worried that it wouldn’t solve the prob-lem. An incomplete solu-tion would just delay the inevitable, and put us back in the same boat within a few years.

There’s plenty of blame to go around for causing the situation we’re in today. But I ran for office with a pledge that I’d work to solve problems and stop kicking the can down the road. No pension reform solution is easy—just as the cuts to all other state spending haven’t been easy over the past sev-eral years. But something needs to be done, and I’ll be in Springfield for the rest of the month to try and get the job done.

13


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Does Flynnie’s Diner have a great Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Cheese burger? Apparently one QVC pro-gram host agrees.

David Venable, one of the top hosts on QVC, who hosts “In the Kitchen with David” three times a week, is a big foodie who loves cheese.

About six hours after eat-

ing at Flynnies, I went on Twitter and saw the follow-ing message from @Da-vidVenableQVC – “Happy #MayDay #Foodies! What are you doing to gear up for the summer season?”

In response, I sent this message – “This afternoon I had a Bacon, Egg, Cheddar Cheese Half-Pound Burger at Flynnie’s Diner, Dixon, IL, and I’m still stuffed.”

Venable re-tweeted the

message to all of his 15,300 followers.

I then sent a photo of the burger with this message, “This is the burger, served on a pretzel bun. You gotta get it!” Venable re-tweeted that message, too.

Venable hosts a live ver-sion of “In the Kitchen with David” on QVC from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, and 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays.

QVC host re-tweets Flynnie’s tweets

Matt Gabel, second from right, Sauk Valley Insurance, was recently inducted into the Dixon Rotary Club. Matt’s sponsor is Aaron Young to Matt’s right. To the left of Matt is Chad Weigle, Membership Chairperson for the Rotary Club and Joan Roth, Rotary Club President. Rotary is an international service organization. The motto of Rotary is “Service Above Self.”

Rotary: “Service above self”

Courtesy photo


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Tucked nicely in Sin-nissippi Park in Sterling is a disc golf course that is “considered to be one of the best courses in the state.” A major tournament is head-ing there on June 22-23. Spectators are encouraged to come out and see just how competitive and fun this sport can be. Competi-tion is available in divisions ranging from the novice to the professional.

The Sterling/Rock Falls Men’s Club will be on hand as well, serving food both days to help raise funds for their scholarship programs.

As for that comment on the course being “one of the best,” it comes from Nate Nelson, disc golf player. Not only does Nelson believe that, he knows it since he plays the course. Plus, he is a sponsored disc player. His sponsorship comes from Air Play Sports, also in Sterling. He sat down with Sauk Valley Sun recently and talked about the sport and the upcoming tournament in the park.

Nelson wants people to come out and watch this sport because it may bring a better understanding of it and make people want to

play. “I first got interested when I was 15 while play-ing with my dad,” Nelson said. He also noted that it is very popular on college campuses. The recent Uni-versity of Illinois graduate experienced that first-hand.

Nelson was quick to ex-plain that “anyone can play” and it is not expensive to start. Unlike golf, where one needs a set of clubs, one only needs a disc at first, or yes, a Frisbee. But, from there comes the tricky part, and the fun.

What exactly is disc golf? To many, disc golf is pick-ing up a Frisbee and firing away until the target is hit. It is much more than that, as Nelson explained. One only has to look at Air Play Sports and the discs on display, to get that point. While talking to Nelson, one could sense that the game is much deeper. There are disc drivers for throwing off a tee area, discs to use in fairways and disc putters. He explained how to use all of them. Hand gripping, throwing positions and even a disc retrieval cord were all part of the conversation. All of this and more can be held in a bag not so dissimilar from a golf bag. This game is not only fun to play; it can

Sinnissippi Park “one of the best” Disc Golf courses...

Air Play Sports has plenty of discs for sale. Nate Nelson throws a disc at Air Play Sports...he scores.

Sinnissippi offers up disc golf.

be a big business.The professional disc golf

association says it is impos-sible to trace the exact his-tory of who first began to play golf with flat spinning discs. The image that comes to mind is playful people in 1960s beachwear living the life of free spirits and just goofing around without precision or scoring being a concern.

We do know that in 1926 Vancouver school children played a game dubbed tin lid golf on the school grounds with… you guessed it, tin lids! This appears to be the modest beginnings of the game played with passion today.

Wham-o, the makers of Frisbee, supplied hula hoops

for targets and discs for the first formal tournament organized by a recreation counselor, George Sap-penfield, in 1965. Wham-O promptly forgot about disc golf in any form for seven years. In the mean-

time, discs were spinning across the country, from Los Angeles to Rochester, New York. A sport was born. The company would catch up and cash in.

Disc golfers became seri-ous about their tools as a

Phil Mickelson would be about drivers, irons and putters. Today they carry a bag with specialized discs to meet the demands of the shot they need to win the round.

Disc golf is played like

This is the eventual goal or hole for disc golfers. This shot is from Sinnissippi Park in Sterling. Courtesy photos

15


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golf with clubs. This includes observing good etiquette and penalties if you interfere with the placement of the disc. Scoring terms such as par, birdie and bogey are the same. Hazards are not created on a course, but many occur naturally and pedestrians always have the

right of way since disc golf is usually played in public parks.

Each hole is a standing basket with chains hanging from an upper ring down-ward toward a center pole as pictured. Hitting the chains allow the disc to be trapped and fall into the

lower basket.Nelson was backed up

by his “anyone can play” comment as well from the PDGA. “Disc golf can be played from school age to old age, making it one of the greatest lifetime fitness sports available. Specially-abled and disabled players

are able to participate, giv-ing them the opportunity to take part in a mainstream activity. Because disc golf is so easy to learn, no one is excluded. Players merely match their pace to their capabilities, and proceed from there.”

The Sinnissippi Park has a

hilly, wooded 18 hole course along the Rock River with 6 additional holes added in June of 2012.

Fees range from $20 - $50, with $5 additional to register the day of the event. You may register online at krupicka.org/ios/preregister-ios-56 or write:

Mike Krupicka1119 Sara LaneNaperville, IL 60565Air Play Sports and The

Precinct in Downtown Ster-ling are sponsors of the event. Air Play Sports also has a full range of accesso-ries for disc golfers.

...and Disc Golf is more of a challenge than one might believe


Pets

The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. Answer key is found on page 23.

Sudoku Puzzle By Jill Horn

Ten years ago Jane Man-drell (yes, a “kissing cousin” to THE Mandrells) saw an upscale restaurant for dogs in New York City. It inspired her to create Tuff Dog Bak-ery in Sterling, which is a retail store featuring unique dog treats Jane creates and bakes.

Tuff Dog Bakery just celebrated eight years in March. Jane says, “People love shopping for their dogs, their friends’ dogs, and their grandchildren’s dogs. It’s simply just fun--affordable fun.

Most folks who come in the door for the first time cannot believe the assort-ment. There are treats that look like cupcakes and stuffed cookies. For almost any confection that people eat, Jane has created a coun-terpart doggie treat.

And “create” is an im-portant concept for Jane be-cause she creates 90% of the dog treats. The commercial-style kitchen in the back of the shop is where she bakes the treats.

Jane is a Sterling native and can remember walking

“Well groomed dogs are happy,” says Dawn Sea-man, owner and creator of the Wizard of Paws Dog Grooming Salon, Rock Falls. Dawn says the dogs seem to “know why they are here…it’s as if it is their ‘spa’ day.”

Dawn admits it is worse for the dog’s owners. “They feel guilty leaving their pets…yet really it is good for both. The owners can use the time for lunch with a friend or shopping. We like to have the dogs for about three hours to be sure their coats are dry when they leave. So, owners have a 3-hour window for them-selves.”

Dawn started working with dogs as a teenager working with her brother to show Shelties in the Chicago area. It seemed natural that her brother did the showing and she did the grooming. She said she learned a lot from other groomers….ideas and techniques that she uses today.

“We don’t go by ‘the book.’ We do what our dog owners want and what is best for the pet and we take our time.” Dawn and her staff have worked on the corporate side of dog grooming, doing so many animals per day, and they said they are grateful that they can provide the services they do ‘without watching a time clock’ or ‘having to do so many dogs a day and know that you are not doing your best,’ just because you don’t have the time.”

The “Wizard of Paws” was named thusly simply because Dawn is a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz and thought it was a great name for her business she opened just four months ago. “We did the play in high school and I’ve loved it and the music since then for my business, ‘Wizard of Paws’ just came to me and it seemed right.”

Dawn says her staff en-visions what the dog will look like when it is prop-erly groomed and that is where they start. She said that a clean dog prevents health problems. This in-cludes clipped nails, which prevents deformed toes. Untreated pads can splay the toes. Dawn also said it is important for dogs to have their teeth brushed frequently.

For the summer, Dawn says don’t let your dog get matted as this can develop into skin problems. Don’t let the dog get too dirty as this contributes to skin issues. If you let the dog swim in a river or a lake, be sure to bathe the dog after and look for ticks at the same time.

Dawn, her daughter Kirst-en Fries, Tammy Myers and Kayla Hunt are experienced groomers. Dawn said her daughter has worked with her as her “assistant” since she was 12 years old.

“Clean dogs are happy dogs. We see it with every dog every day,” Dawn said, “We love what we do for the dogs and their owners.”

Wizard of Paws “magically” creates clean, happy dogs

Tuff Dog Bakery offers Unique Dog Treats

the downtown streets when she was a kid. Her parents, Homer and Faye Mandrell met at the soda fountain at Scotts (no longer in Ster-ling). They recently cel-ebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

At Tuff Dog there are many other doggie items, including carriers for small dogs, “costumers” leashes, neck ties and assorted other creations by local artists for our canine companions.

If dogs could talk, they’d likely say, “Take me to Tuff Dog Bakery and let’s shop.”

Jada, a cocker, enjoys Tammy's loving attention.

It was a special day for Gracie, a Yorkie, at Wizard of Paws.

Joey, a miniature Havenese is feeling "beautiful" after grooming.

Wizard of Paws handles larger dogs, too, such as Ralph, a golden.

Courtesy photos

Jane has created an unique business "treating" dogs...and their owners.

Celeste Lightner-Greenwalt photo

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EducationJune 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Unsung Hero Brooke Emmerson

Courtesy photo

Each month we would like to tell the story of unsung heroes. In every organiza-tion that functions well you find those who demonstrate a special spirit. These people go above and beyond the call. It is the purpose of the Sauk Valley Sun to highlight them believing they elevate the community; and that they are much more the norm in our communities than the head-line grabber who steals our attention.

When the concept of the Unsung Heroes Column was explained at Franklin Elemen-tary School in Sterling all fingers immediately pointed to School Counselor Brooke Emmerson; whose sincere protest was met with smiles of appreciation and resolve from coworkers that would not be shaken.

Growing up in Annawan IL, Brooke found that helping others always came naturally. With dad as a farmer and Mom a school cook, Brooke is now married to Nick who works in agriculture. They have a

beautiful daughter, Avery. Brooke spoke of how com-

fortable she is in Sterling. She came to Franklin from the Bi-County Cooperative and tells of the immediate warmth in the welcome she received in this Kindergarten through Second grade community.

A co-worker Amanda said, “…very compassionate and understanding. Brooke would do anything for her Franklin family of students and peers. Principal Suzi Hesser de-scribes Brooke as “incredibly knowledgeable about student’s emotional health, skilled in deescalating difficult situa-tions; and gifted in planning and implementing things that help students succeed”.

The work Brooke does pro-vide insight into the effort not only of her school, but of the entire school district. Brooke describes the positive nature of several district programs. Brooke is Franklin’s Internal Coach for PBIS: Positive Be-havior Interventions and Sup-ports. “PBIS is a broad range of pro-active, systematic and

individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes in a safe and effective environment, while preventing problem be-havior with all students.” She also works with student needs individually and in groups. Brooke praises the problem solving team she serves with on matters academic, emo-tional and behavioral.

Each school chooses core values. When a Franklin Student demonstrates Respect, Responsibility, or Self-Con-trol, they receive a cheerful “Good Catch” card noting their specific success; and signed by the person who observed them. They show these to family and friends. When a student is awarded 5 times they make a trip to the “Good Catch Cart” and choose a reward. School supplies are a favorite choice.

Jerry Binder and Janet Freed, with strong support from the District Staff insti-tuted a Mentoring program this year with the primary purpose of uplifting students.

Brooke and her fellow school counselors oversee this pro-gram. Already this is paying dividends.

Providing a place free from bullying and bad behavior is also a priority. Once to im-prove conduct on buses they developed a comprehensive response. A time of teach-ing through video, assembly, classwork and skits taught the students with positive and sometimes funny messages. Brooke developed a “Peace Tree”. Each student provided very grown up ideas on how, they together could make Franklin School a peaceful, enjoyable place. These ideas were written on leaves for all to see.

I asked Brooke what in-spires her at Franklin. She leaned forward in the chair smiling and gesturing as she spoke about the parents of her students. “The parents inspire me.” They all work so hard in so many ways to help their children. Some can come to school others cannot, but each inspires Brooke. It may

be reading with their children or attention to the homework or the response to the concern of the teacher or staff. “Our parents are responsive! They love their children. When we have an Open House the place is packed. The parents, they inspire me,” she repeated

In closing Brooke showed

her heart again when she said, “If you did this for recognition, you would not do it long. It is seeing the way the whole School Staff works together; impacting the kids and watch-ing them grow”.

Write to Jeff Coester with suggestions at [email protected].

Brooke Emmerson

2013 Summer Reading ProgramsBy Jill Straw

DixonRegistration started May 1,

2013 for “Visit Book Island.” The Summer Reading Pro-gram will run June 3- July 13, 2013 and is free to those with a Dixon Public Library card in good standing. Children living outside of Dixon city limits may purchase a Summer Reading Program card for $10. This card will allow children to attend Wednesday Drop-In Craft Days and, for ages 11-14, Fantastic Fridays. Monday Family Nights are for all ages and are open to the public.

I spoke with Kathleen Schaeffer, Children’s Pro-gram Coordinator in the Youth Department. She said that the theme of this year’s reading program is getting kids inter-ested in “reading ‘outside the box’”. At the time we spoke, 139 children had registered

for the program. Children registered for the summer reading program who check out books during four out of five of the first five weeks of the program may attend a pool party during week six. Readers who complete their “Fiction is Fun” reading log by the end of “Wrap-Up Week” may enter a drawing for one of the large stuffed animals that decorate the Youth Department. The drawing will take place on Saturday, July 20. Ask for “Fiction is Fun” reading logs at the Youth Circulation Desk.

Rock FallsRegistration runs from May

25 to June 8 for ”Dig Into Reading”. The Summer Read-ing Program will run June 10 through July 30, 2013. The program is for youth of all ages, with programs geared toward children between the age of three and fifth grade.

I spoke with Kendra Law, Library Assistant, about the program. She said each week of the program would be fo-cused on something that digs. One week would be dinosaurs and another will be pirates. Each week, there will be morn-ing and afternoon programs for different age groups based on that week’s topic. Children will receive 2 Book Bucks and 1 Dino Buck when they check out books. When they attend a program, they will receive 2

Book Bucks. Book Bucks may be used to purchase items from the Library Store. The store will be open June 24-29 and July 22-27. Dino Bucks may be used to enter into a drawing for one of the stuffed animals displayed around the library.

Participants in the adult reading program can receive weekly prizes. Reading seven books will allow adults a one-time entry into a drawing for a Keurig coffee maker. If you live outside Rock Falls city

limits, have a valid library card, and wish to participate, a Summer Reading Program card is available for $10.

SterlingRegistration for “Have

Book-Will Travel” is from May 28 through June 15. This program covers all ages, from pre-K to adult. The Summer Reading Program runs May 28 through July 26, 2013.

There is a wrap-up party on July 26 at 1:30 for children and youth by invitation only. To receive an invitation, the recommended goals for each age group must be met.

Preschool: Listen to 6 hours of stories; Kindergarten – 2nd grade: Read 12 books; 3rd-5th grade: read 8 books.

Young Adults (6th-12th grade) must read eight books between June 1 and July 20. For each book read, you may fill out a drawing slip and put it

in the YA jar at the adult desk. Every Monday, a name will be drawn and the winner will get a prize.

Adult readers must read 8 books May 28 through July 26. For every book read, you may fill out a drawing slip and put it in the jar at the adult desk. Every Monday, two names will be drawn and the winners will select a prize.

Family Fun Literacy Nights will be June 11, June 25, and July 9 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. These are free and open to the public.

I spoke with Library Di-rector Jennifer Slaney, who mentioned that the wrap-up party on Friday, July 26, was for those who had met the goals of the Summer Reading Program and had received an invitation. Internationally known storyteller Brian Fox will be there to tell fables.

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goes for every joint in the body. The more muscle balance you have around a joint, the better range of motion that joint will have. This ultimately leads to the most optimal position for the joint so it can function without injury and improved performance. Another rea-son to be cautious while stretching is if there is pain involved. This can be due to nerve tension and you will not be able to stretch the pain away. This will more than likely make your pain worse and could prolong it.

There was a recent study on the website of USA Track and Field, the sport’s nation-al governing body, which involved 1400 runners who were assigned to two groups. The first group did not stretch before their runs, but maintained their normal workout routine: same mile-age and warm-up minus any stretching. The second group performed a series of simple static stretching before running. This regi-men was maintained for 3 months and the goal was to see if the stretching pre-vented injury. The results of the study showed that static stretching proved to be a wash in terms of protecting against injury.

This study gives us an-other aspect of stretching to talk about: static vs. dy-namic stretching. Static stretching is performed by holding a stretch for a spe-cific amount of time; this is the type of stretch most of us are familiar with. Although

Stretching: Good or Bad?Jacob W. Stegmaier DC

This is a question I get on a regular basis. Should I be stretching? The answer is not a simple, yes or no. There are a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration before making such a blanket statement that stretching is good or bad.

I would first like to ad-dress what you are trying to accomplish from the stretch. Are you trying to “stay loose” or is your intent to

truly lengthen the muscle from the stretch? If staying loose or being more flex-ible is your goal then it is not about stretching every muscle, it is about target-ing the right areas for each individual. Also, stretching should be performed to cor-rect asymmetry. The most important areas to main-tain flexibility are the hips, ankles and shoulders. The area that needs more stabil-ity than flexibility would be the low back, so please,

don’t reach down and touch your toes. If the intent is to lengthen the muscle, then it is important to make sure that the muscle is not tight because it is weak. A good example of this is the hamstrings. Everyone wants to stretch their hamstrings, but I find that most of the time their hamstrings are tight because they are weak. Once their hamstrings are strengthened the normal range of motion is restored without any stretching. This

popular, studies show that static stretching provokes a reflex that prevents the muscle from being stretched too much. This stretch reflex is protecting the muscles and joints from damage and in turn induces the muscle to become tighter. Static stretching has also been linked to affecting perfor-mance in sports if done before the activity. Again, I will use the hamstrings as an example. Using a static stretch for your hamstrings before an athletic event can actually decrease your performance because your hamstrings are your springs for jumping and running. For these reasons above I prefer dynamic stretch-

ing over static. Dynamic stretching are exercises that increase the range of motion of your joints via constant movement and more im-portantly, it does not invoke the stretch reflex that I ad-dressed earlier.

So, is stretching good or bad? I again say that any stretching regimen should be tailored to the individual. If you do any static stretch-ing it should be performed after any athletic event and should not provoke pain. If you are not sure what you should and should not be stretching,schedule an ap-pointment with a healthcare practitioner for a profes-sional opinion.

By Anita Shore

Licensed Massage Therapist

Massage is often seen as a luxury, but receiving mas-sage on a regular basis can have a profound impact on your long-term health.

All of us experience stressful situations in our daily life that are unique to each of us. This sustained stressful physical, mental, and emotional sensory in-put has an impact on our central nervous system and our musculoskeletal system. The result is tension in our bodies that left unattended can leave us vulnerable to injury and illness. Massage can help release this physi-cal and mental tension. Not only does it feel great to receive massage, but among its many benefits massage has also been shown to help lower blood pressure, reduce pain, boost immune function by assisting lym-phatic drainage, increase range of motion, improve balance, increase local cir-culation, and improve sleep

Massage Moment Why should I get a massage?

quality.The healthful effects of

massage are cumulative. By incorporating massage into your life at regular intervals you are assisting and encouraging your body to maintain a state of re-duced tension and improved health. These intervals can vary from once per week, twice per month, once per

month, or once every few months based on your in-dividual needs and avail-ability.

Stress happens and mas-sage can be a powerful tool for you to use to help your body and your mind to counter balance its nega-tive effects and to help you improve the quality of your life.

There are a variety of ways to stretch as well as reasons not to stretch.

Massage has proven health benefits that are cumulative.

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This can get trapped in the lower lobes of our lungs and cause irritability and other harmful side effects.

Here’s an inquiry for you to do. It is preferable to do this laying on your back, with your thighs supported over a bolster or pillows (by the thighs). You should feel no strain or effort lay-ing here.

Once you’re settled, start counting the length each inhale and exhale. You use whatever speed you’d like to count, you’ll just count 1-2-3 etc. on each inhale, and each exhale. Do this for about a minute and you’ll get an average of the length of your inhales and exhales.

Are your inhales or ex-hales longer? Or, are they equal in length. When the inhale is longer, you may not be adequately eliminat-ing the toxins from your body. You may notice that you might be agitated by nature, or perhaps just at that moment. Is this your personality? Hmmm.

Having a longer exhale allows the parasympathet-ic nervous system to be “turned on.” This is the relax and repose part of our nervous system. So, if you are upset about something, focus on making your ex-hales longer. Do this gently,

don’t force or strain. You will find yourself calmer, better able to make smarter decisions; you’re respond-ing instead of reacting.

One way to do this is to use a straw. Place the straw in your mouth, holding it with one hand, keep the lips relaxed. Place the tip of your tongue on the end of the straw as you inhale through your nostrils. You’ll exhale through the straw, nice and easy and slow. Do this for about a minute, then count your inhales and exhales again, see if there’s a change. If you don’t have a straw, just gently purse your lips and as you exhale, imagine you’re breathing out of a straw.

Notice how you feel be-fore and after. Remember not to force a “deeper” breath or try to create a big breath. Just breathe using the same volume you would normally use.

Have fun with this ex-ploration.

Nancy Nesyto-Freske is a Certified Yoga Teacher and a Certified Yoga Therapist, helping people “get the kinks out” and relieving pain. She can be reached at 815-509-6479 or you can visit her website at www.journeyyogastudio.com.

Yoga and your breath

Nancy Nesyto-Freske

Certified Yoga Instructor

The first thing we do in my Yoga class is to feel our breath. Nice and easy, in and out of the nostrils.

How is it today? At that particular moment? Does it feel:

Fast or slow?Rough or smoothLabored or easy and light?We take about 20,000

breaths every single day! And most of us rarely notice even one-except when we’re walking up stairs or up a hill, or having a breathing issue!

Our breath is very impor-tant to us. Not only does it mix in the blood to nourish every single cell in the body, but also helps to eliminate waste from the body when we exhale. If our breath isn’t complete, if our exhales are short, we do not adequately eliminate this toxic waste.

Breathing correctly is fundamental to the practice of yoga exercises.

20


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Special to the Sauk Valley Sun

So, your eyes are water-ing, your nose is stuffed up and dripping at the same time, the roof of your mouth itches and you feel like you’re in a fog, right? Yeah, well, welcome to Northern Illinois in the spring!

The symptoms above, as well as red, watery eyes, ear congestion, coughing, and even headaches go along with the wonderful malady of allergic rhinitis, other-wise known as hay fever, even though it has precious little to do with hay, and you don’t often have a fever. While other problems can mimic this, such as “colds”

The Doctor is In: The Sniffles of Spring(viral upper respiratory ill-nesses), and non-allergic re-actions to pollutants, almost everyone can pretty well spot allergies. It isn’t rocket science, and often there is a family history of allergies, allergic eczema (a flakey skin condition), atopic (al-lergic) conjunctivitis (that red, itchy eye thing!), and even asthma.

When you have an al-lergic attack, circulating proteins called antibodies attach to mast cells, which contain all sorts of chemi-cals. The mast cells open up, spread the chemicals throughout your body, and you get what used to be called a “histaminic reac-tion,” because histamine was the first of those nasty chemicals to be identified. That is why the first effec-tive medicines were the ANTI-histamines. They are still effective now, even the older ones, although some of them may dry your mouth and make you sleepy. For this reason, newer, non-

sedating medicines were developed.

Now what causes all this misery? There are four main groups of offending agents. These are the pollens, dan-ders, molds, and dust mites.

P o l l e n s c o m e f r o m blooming trees, grasses, and weeds. You can go online and get the pollen count and often noted in the news on radio and TV. If you can, stay inside more during the days when the count is particularly high, and limit you time outside on the windier days. If you have been working outside, take a bath or shower and put on different clothing.

Animal danders and hair are a real problem, but bath-ing pets really helps a great deal. Washing after touch-ing your pet helps. I never tell patients to get rid of their pets, because what they will end up doing is getting rid of their doctor! Even if you do get rid of your pet, the dander, hair, and other pet allergens can

last for two years or more.Mold is more common

than you might think, grow-ing outdoors and indoors, tending to grow in damp areas, but may become air-borne. Dehumidifiers help in the house as does cleaning the bathroom shower well. Keeping your yard clear of piles of wet, rotting leaves is a good idea too! Find water leaks and fix them. Wetness predisposes to mold, includ-ing behind wallboard and under rugs.

The last offender is the hardest to battle: Dust! It is really the little critters in dust, the mites, which cause the problems. If you were to see one under a high-power microscope, it would look like some alien creature, and these mites just love your sheets, pillowcases, stuffed animal, and books. Washing bedclothes in very hot water helps, and damp-dusting helps to capture the dust, not just move it around.

I am not going to prac-tice medicine here, because your doctor can do a better job at that, but I will share with you that flushing your nose and sinuses every day with saline can do wonders. You might try it as I do. There are all sorts of pills and some very effective prescription sprays to help, and of course allergy desen-sitization shots, but again, see your own doctor. Hope-fully, you will have found a few good hints here.

21

EducationJune 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

Carol Chandler and Larry Hammelman photos

Seniors for seniors

a beautiful short-haired tortoiseshell cat who just celebrated her 15th birthday, but the only picture that I was able to get was blurry and part of her head was not included. She was too busy checking out things in the room. Ditto Clara, a 10 year-old orange colored short-hair -- oops, only a rear view that I didn’t feel appropriate for publica-tion. These two were busy doing their own thing and didn’t feel like holding still at the moment. Just shows you that your personality doesn’t disappear just be-cause you’re old!

T h e g r e a t e s t t h i n g

about this program (other than finding companion-ship for each other) is the fact that adoption fees are waived! Add to that the fact that if a situation arises in the future where you can’t keep your little buddy, Granny Rose will take him/her back without charge! Talk about a win-win situation!

There are about 28 cats and 17 dogs now await-ing adoption at the shel-ter. They would love to have a “forever home” with you. In return for food, comfort and a few pets a day, they will return love, companionship and keep

your feet warm at night in the winter.

If you want to be met at the door by someone who loves and trusts you (well, with cats it might be some of the time), then come out to Granny Rose Animal Shelter and find that lov-ing, new member of your family. Their hours are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The shelter is closed on Sun-days. Their telephone num-ber is: 815/288-7387. This could be the start of a new chapter in your life.

If you would like to make life easier for these

By Carol Chandler

The Granny Rose Animal Shelter in Dixon is initiating a wonderful, compassionate program encouraging the adoption of senior animals by senior people. To quali-fy, the human must be over 65 years of age and the ani-mal over 10 years of age. I am over 50 (way over!) and I have a twenty year-old cat named Maya who is a great companion. However, like Nicky (the handsome guy in the picture), she divides her time between lying in the sun and snuggling up next to me. I wanted to show you a picture of Sophie,

Nicky is a sixteen year-old gentleman who is looking for a lap just like yours.

beautiful animals, but can-not adopt one right now, feel free to donate needed articles: postage stamps, pet toys, Iams Dog Food, Purina Dog Chow (in the green bag, please), Kitten Chow, canned cat and dog food, bleach, paper towels,

kitty litter, old blankets and towels. Or, just come out and take a dog for a walk.

Interaction with animals has been proven to be ben-eficial for your health. An-other win-win situation!

Dunkin, the mascot for the Sterling Predators Bas-ketball team was seen at the Moose Family Center in Sterling posing for pictures with residents of all ages. Surrounded by bean bag games, karaoke, numerous items for a silent auction and people laughing and eating, Dunkin was also showing his dance moves to 15 poised young women from the Illinois House at Mooseheart.

There is more to tell, but the story begins long ago with a little boy named Bill Taber. Bill was experienc-ing liver failure as a child and had a liver transplant at age six. The Sterling Moose became the hub of a com-

munity effort to raise funds in 1986.

Bills connection to the Moose ran deep, his father and grandfathers all hav-ing been past Presidents of the Sterling Chapter. He is the third generation, but he and dad were quick to point out that the Moose was one organization among many who met this challenge. The American Legion and Kroger were also at the forefront. A boy in Lyndon even ran a lemonade stand to help six-year-old Bill.

Bill had his transplant and has been saying thank you ever since by championing causes that enrich the lives of others. He regularly tours Mooseheart, a residential

home in Batavia. This quote is taken from their website, also noting their 100 year anniversary.

“Dedicated in July 1913 by the Moose fraternal orga-nization, MOOSEHEART cares for youth whose fami-lies are unable, for a wide variety of reasons, to care for them. Some have lost one or both parents; others are living in environments that are simply not condu-cive to healthy growth and development. Whatever the reason, the men and women of the Moose, through un-paralleled generosity and volunteerism, furnish the resources necessary to care for children in need. The Moose fraternity provides

Mooseheart cares for people in need with generositychildren with a wholesome home-like environment and the best possible training and education.”

On a recent visit Bill felt inspired to help modernize the furnishings for the Illi-nois House at Mooseheart. The Illinois House is the residence for the 10 girls, ages 14-18 who attended the fundraiser. With much humor, each girl told some of their story, answered questions and spoke of their life goals. From this group will come well educated women with impressive professional and vocational skills. The Illinois House is one of thirty residences, all worthy of support.

17-year-old Kyshona will

study Veterinary Science at Tuskegee Institute on Schol-arship. She spoke freely on how the Mooseheart experience prepares them to live successfully, not just receive diplomas. Her house parent and teacher Brianna was calm, detailed and self-assured.

This writer’s family has been involved in The Moose since my childhood, but this event helped me see how truly special the result of their effort continues to be.

The generosity of our communities made it pos-sible for Bill Taber to “pay it forward.” He and the Members of the Sterling Moose Lodge continue to do it well.


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By Spencer Schein

With more than 40,000 books in his collection, Chris White doesn’t hesitate when asked if he has a par-ticular title.

“Usually if someone asks me if I have a book, I can usually tell them off the top of my head,” said White, speaking in the main room of his four booths at the Showplace Antiques and Treasures mall, at 307 1st Ave., Sterling.

White has been involved with the purchase and sell-ing of books, toys, records and other collectibles since he was a youngster.

“He’s been in it since he was 8-years-old,” said White’s dad, Jim White, who with his wife and Chris’s mom, Marilyn, sells furniture and antiques at the mall.

When not working as the maintenance supervisor at Bay Valley Foods in Dixon, White spends time scan-ning ads for people who want to sell their collection of books and stopping by garage sales.

About a year and half ago, White made his big-gest “score” in terms of the

A hobby and passion for books grew into a book collection and selling businesslargest collection of books he purchased.

“I saw an ad in a news-paper, a guy said he was selling 1,000 books, I called and he actually had 3,000,” White said.

Some of the best sellers White has are books about war, mainly World War II and the Civil War, and children’s books, such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, and Little Gold-en books from the 1940s to the present.

During an interview for this story, a woman walked into the main room White has and appeared very hap-py. She knelt down in front of a bookshelf and said, “Oh, Little Golden books!”

The people purchasing the war books, White sur-mises, are those who have an interest in the Civil War, for example. Parents gener-ally purchase the children’s books.

“They want their kids to read what they read as a child,” White said.

Just about every week-end White comes over to the Mall and restocks his shelves.

“This is just a hobby-kind-of-business that makes

Spencer Schein photos

Chris White inside the bookstore space he rents on the top floor at Showplace Antiques and Treasures, 307 1st Ave., Sterling.

Just a few of the hundreds of old board games Chris White sells.

Chris White holds one of the old catalogues he sells in the bookstore.

money, I guess,” White said.Born in Sterling, White

now lives in Rock Falls with his wife, Gina, and their youngest of three children, Brandon, 22, who attends college. Their two daugh-ters are Danielle, 30, and Amanda, 28.

While White has had books from the early 1800s, many of his books are from the 20th Century. He shies away from purchasing new books.

“I have sold books for a dollar and I have sold books for hundreds of dollars,” he said.

White also has magazines such as Life, Mad Magazine,

This is the time of the year when a lot of people decide to sell their home. Maybe they are moving to a different town, or maybe the family has grown and it’s time to find a bigger house. Whatever the reason is, the first thing that needs to be done is to get the house ready to sell.

Let’s take a look at some very important things that should be done to help get the most out of the sale, and to get your house sold as quickly as possible.

I think we have all heard that making a first impres-sion is important in so many of the things that we do in life. The same holds true when selling your home. That means the first thing a potential buyer will see is the front of your house.

Here are some tips for

giving the house some good curb appeal.

Keep the lawn mowed, and nice and tidy

Plant flowers along the sidewalk leading to the house, or plant in pots and put on the porch, or steps.(Yellow is suppose to evoke a buying emotion )

Make sure the windows are clean, and in good repair.

Wash the siding, or paint if necessary.

Make sure gutters and downspouts are in good condition, and working properly.

Tips for the insideThe old adage less is more

really applies here. You need to streamline here, even if it means that you have to store some of your items with family members, or some other form of storage, until the house is sold.

Go through the house room by room, and pack up as much stuff as you can. You want it as clutter free as possible.

Furniture is another thing that should be reduced, if it makes the room look smaller, or if it blocks the flow of the house.

Clean the closets, and organize the clothing, and shoes. It will make the closet seem bigger.

Clean light fixtures, and replace burned out bulbs.

If you are going to paint some rooms, use a neutral color.

These are just a few of the things that you can do, there are many, many more, but every little thing helps. If your home is already on the market, ask your real estate agent for ideas, they know what it takes to sell a home.

Time, Sports Illustrated, Hot Rod and other titles.

He has about 40,000 comic books, ranging from Marvel, DC, westerns such as “Gunsmoke,” science fic-tion, comedy, “Flinstones” and more.

Among the games he sells is an old Roy Rogers Paint Set, an old Barnabas Col-lins Dark Shadows game, a Voyage Under the Sea game, and a James Bond game. He also sells lunch boxes and thermoses.

He has old Cubs pro-grams, one from the July 23, 1973 game, old local items, such as a Sterling High School commencement pro-gram from 1936.

White’s collections are not alphabetized, but are placed in the following categories:

Westerns, nautical, air-planes, poetry, nature, fan-tasy and science fiction, sports, cookbooks, high school annuals, biographies and others.

Most of White’s books are located on the third floor of the mall, in a large room at the south end of the building, a long shelf and in a little nook, and also in a case near the cashier’s desk on the first floor.

When White buys books, it’s usually 10 to 12 at a time, and not a large collection. He goes to garage sales, sometimes leaving his busi-

ness cards behind and later receives calls from people who have books to sell. He also takes requests, and if he doesn’t have the book someone wants, he usually can find it and calls the per-son back.

“Usually when I go to someone’s house to look at their collection, I purchase what they show me,” he said.

When asked if he reads books, White said, “I used to be an avid reader. Now I just don’t have the time.”

If you want to purchase a book, or have a collection of books to sell, send an e-mail to White at [email protected].

Preparing your home for sale

23

Home & GardenJune 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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A Trip to a Farmer’s Market

D o y o u h a v e f o n d memories of home-grown tomatoes, red, ripe and juicy? How about green beans so crisp they snap with the slightest bend? Have you husked sweet corn so sweet that the juice ran off your chin when you ate it?

Those fond memories can be experienced again by taking a quick drive to a local farmer’s market located Sterling, Dixon or Rock Falls.

Morrison Farmer’s Market

The Morrison Farmer’s Market opened Saturday, May 18, 2013. The hours are 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays unt i l October 5 . I t i s located at 202 E. Lincoln Way, behind the Heritage Museum.

Twin Cities MarketThe Twin Cities Market,

located in Sterling at 106 Ave. A is open Saturdays year-round from 8 a.m. to noon.

Farmer’s Market in Dixon

The Farmer’s Market in Dixon is located in the Haymarket Square at the corner of Highland Avenue and 3rd Street.

Haymarket’s SquareHaymarket’s Square,

located kitty-corner across from the Dixon Post Office is operated by the Dixon Park District. It was platted in 1842 as a Farmer’s Market, which makes it one of the oldest farmer’s markets in Illinois. Originally hay and cows were bought and

sold there, thus the name Haymaker’s Square.

It is open from May through Thanksgiving on Wednesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until noon. Today you cannot purchase a cow or a bale of hay, but you will find a variety of items such as honey, organic frozen meat and produce grown locally. Occasionally, you will find handcrafted items such as bird houses and other hand made items.

Selmi’s Farm MarketSelmi’s had it’s beginnings

as a family farm in the early 1990s. The Selmi farm has become one of the five percent of the farms left in the United States that made it to the fourth generation. The legacy has continued with a fifth generation of children. Selmi’s is located

on Dixon Avenue, Rock Falls; open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Selmi’s has additional summer locations, open daily mid July until the sweet corn is done, at Northland Mall, Sterling, which is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Farley’s Parking Lot, Dixon which is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Selmi’s is known for their super sweet bi-colored corn. Green peppers, tomatoes,

green beans, cucumbers, melons and other in-season produce can be found at Se lmi ’s . A l l p roduce is grown locally and is handpicked for quality and freshness except for peaches and apples that come from Michigan.

Rock Falls Farmer’s Market

The Rock Falls Farmer’s Market has been in exis-tence since the 1980s and is

located on Fourth Avenue and Second Street. It is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until the last farmer leaves midday. Open from early Summer until Labor Day.

All the produce is local-ly-grown and handpicked for quality and freshness. Anyone selling perishables like homemade bread must check in with the Whiteside County Health Department to get a permit.


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A cook looks at booksJudy Bell, MS

Food and Nutrition

The Pat Conroy Cook-book…a readers’ feast

What a joy it is to be im-mersed in the pages of a good book! Larry Dunphy, Books on First in Dixon, and I are both book lovers and cookbook lovers. Thus it was no surprise when Larry suggested we review “The Pat Conroy Cookbook…Recipes and Stories of My Life (Doubleday). Conroy is, of course, the author of eight or so really good books including “The Prince of Tides.”

What Conroy may never have revealed in his novels was his passion for cook-ing. And, from his book, I suspect that the stories sur-rounding the food he loves to prepare are as almost as important as the food itself.

This is a readers’ book, a food lovers’ book and story tellers’ book all in one. I eagerly lit into the pages and found myself immersed in his life….just as if I was there. And, how I wanted to be at the oyster roasts, at his

home making crab cakes or simply at a dinner just listen-ing to tales.

Well, we can all have these experiences in his book!

Interestingly enough Larry and I independently chose shrimp recipes from this book. Larry was more of a trooper than I. He was inspired by a humorous and totally bizarre tale of a young Emeril Lagasse who had a “hot new restaurant in New Orleans” the celebra-tion choice for the introduc-tion of “The Prince of Tides” at the American Booksellers Association. Thus he tested Conroy’s recipe for Emeril’s Barbecued Shrimp with Rosemary Biscuits. His re-port: “It was complicated…yet worth it.” Spoken like a true cook. Sometimes we will immerse ourselves into a project and judge it later as a challenge yet one you’d do again someday.

I could not resist one of Conroy’s statements: “I think I made the best crab cakes and shrimp salad in the world and will take on all comers.”

Wow…the shrimp gaunt-

let was thrown. I took it on….and Conroy does make an amazing shrimp salad. It

is as good as I’ve eaten in recent history. You be the judge.

And, if you are going to buy the book as a Father’s Day gift for some lucky

guy…buy it soon and read it. You will likely want your very own copy!

A Cook Looks at Books is sponsored, in part, by Books on First, Dixon, 815-285-2665.

All books reviewed are immediately avail-able from Books on First.

Pat Conroy’s Shrimp Salad(Serves 4 as a first course or sandwich filling, Serves 2 as a light lunch)

• 1 pound large (21-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise• 2 tablespoons sour cream• 1 tableespoon finely minced fresh tarragon• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice• 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar• ¼ cup finely diced celery• ¼ cup finely minced scallions• 1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1. In a medium stockpot over high heat, bring 4 quarts abundantly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the shrimp and cooking until just pink, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a colander and run under cool water to stop the shrimp from cooking any further (only takes several seconds; shrimp should still be slightly warm when dressed). Shake the colander to drain any excess water.

2. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream and tarragon. Set aside.3. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the warm shrimp with the lemon juice and vinegar.

Stir in the celery and scallions. Add the mayonnaise mixture, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Taste to correct seasoning.

25

Home & GardenJune 2013 • www.saukvalleysun.com • Sauk Valley Sun

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Publisher

“Summertime is a great time to redo your kitchen”, says Angie Rosengren, Home Décor Specialist, Frary Lum-ber, Sterling.

“You can create an outdoor kitchen, even use dispos-able products for dish and glassware and your life can be ‘almost” normal….even as the new kitchen is being created and the necessary construction is taking place,” Angie said.

Also, during the summer, life can be a bit more ca-sual with the typical school schedule set aside. Angie says she thinks summer is the ideal time for creating a new kitchen/dining area.

If you have been consider-ing a remodel of your kitchen area or might be in the process of designing a new home, An-gie suggests you visit with her at Frary Lumber to help refine what you want and even see how it might look….before making any definite decisions.

“We have the ability to design the kitchen and then, our clients can simply look at the monitor above my desk area….and they can see the plan and even get a 3-dimen-sional look at that specific kitchen,” she said. Angie re-

Summer is perfect time to create kitchen of your dreamsfers to a very technical design process she has mastered that makes it simple for her clients to have a real picture of how their kitchen will look.

When you make an ap-pointment with Angie, she suggests that you identify what current situations are the most problematic. Maybe you don’t have enough storage space or your kitchen counter work space is very limited. Or, maybe your children are growing up and you need more space so the whole fam-ily can have meals together.

“It is important to prioritize what the family needs, “ An-gie says, “because even in a very large kitchen….you can seldom have everything… and you will likely need to make choices.”

You might also take a good look at your appliances. You need to know which appli-ances might need replace-ment…now or soon. Angie said that sometimes a “dying” appliance is the beginning of a domino affect that starts the action toward a new kitchen.

Lastly Angie suggests that you look at what “new” spac-es might serve you best….today there is often a space in the kitchen for a computer “workstation”, a media center and even a designed space for the storage of kitchen collect-

ibles. “In my many years of working with many clients, I am always interested in what is important to them and we make sure that we plan for it in their kitchen,”she said.

“Frary Lumber”, Angie says, “is a one-stop shop….we have a blue print service, cabinetry, doors, design….almost every product you will need from start to finish.”

At your first appointment Angie will give you a tour of the Design Center, assist in focusing on what you want to achieve and show you pho-tographs some of her many, many kitchens designed for area clients.

After visiting with Angie you will likely believe that it is possible to have the “kitch-en of your dreams”

Angie of Frary Lumber helped a family take a old dated kitchen in a dilapidated farmhouse and make it into the “Kitchen of their dreams.”

“Make it as authentic as possible” was the desire of the people who asked Angie, Frary Lumber, to create a farm-style kitchen in their home. A glass shelf connects the upper cabinets above a two-tier island. Angie Rosengren photos


Faith

Sunday School 9:00 amSunday Church Service 10:00amYouth Group meets 2nd and 4th Wednesdays

311 2nd Ave., Sterling815-625-5112

Courtney Akker, Youth Coordinator

Questions? Call Courtney at 815-441-7533 or email at

[email protected]

Vacation Bible SchoolJUNE 24, 25 & 26

Light supper served at 5PM for attendees & family

Vacation Bible School 5:30-8PM

VBS Closing PartySUNDAY, JUNE 30 at 10AM

To register, call the church office.

Dennis Jernigan Concert at Grandon Civic Center - July 13, 2013

Family StoneMEMORIALS815-716-8047

200 E. 4th St. Rock Falls, IL

familystonememorials.com

“We want you to have a unique and personal experience with our top quality artists. Our memorials are hand-crafted by Gaston and his brothers who are trained artists. We design memorials of all kinds..glass etchings and pencil portraits as memorial carvings...just to name a few.”

� e Gragert Family

Like us on Facebook!

Following in our father's artistic footsteps, we hand engrave memorials

to cherish for a lifetime.

Gaston Gragert, Memorial Designer

Today, I’d like to give you the true story of an American hero, named Ed-die Rickenbacker. Meeting a challenge was never a big problem for him, whether it was physical, mental or economic. When he was twelve his father died and he quit school to become the family’s primary breadwin-ner. He sold newspapers, eggs, and goat’s milk. He worked in a glass factory, brewery, shoe factory and foundry. Then as a teenager, he started working as a race car mechanic, and at age twenty-two, he began rac-ing. Two years later, he set the world speed record.

When the United States entered World War I, Rick-

enbacker tried to enlist as a fighter pilot, but he was too old, and didn’t have enough education. So he started work as a chauffeur and talked his superiors into sending him to flight school. He didn’t fit in well with his college educated fellow aviators, yet he excelled as a pilot. By the time the war was over, he was promoted to Captain, had logged 300 combat hours (the most of any American pilot), sur-vived 134 aerial encounters with the enemy, claimed 26 kills, earned the Congres-sional Medal of Honor, eight Distinguished Service Crosses, and the French Legion of Honor. The press dubbed him, the “American

Ace of Aces.” When asked about his courage in combat, he admitted that he had been afraid.

“Courage,” he said, “is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no cour-age unless you’re scared.” When Rickenbacker died, at age 83, his son William wrote, “If he had a motto, it must have been the phrase I’ve heard a thousand times: ‘I’ll fight like a wildcat!’”

When you look at a life like Eddie Rickenbacker’s, you cannot help but see great courage. It’s easy to see in war heroes, but it’s also present in every great leader in business, govern-ment, the church, and the home. John Maxwell once

said, “Whenever you see significant progress in an organization, you know that the leader made courageous decisions.” One trait stands out with courageous people-the willingness to risk all to obey God.

As you approach the tough decisions that chal-lenge you, recognize these truths about courage. Cour-age begins with an inward battle. Every test you face in life begins with you. The test of courage is no dif-ferent. All the significant battles are waged within your self. Courage isn’t an absence of fear. It’s doing what you are afraid to do. It’s having the power to let go of the familiar, and forge

ahead into new territory. That was true for Ricken-backer, it’s true for me, and it’s true for you.

Your life expands in pro-portion to your courage. Fear limits a leader. Roman historian Tacitus wrote, “The desire for safety stands against every GREAT and NOBLE enterprise.” But courage has the opposite effect. It opens doors, and that’s one of its most won-derful benefits.

What is ironic is that those who don’t have the courage to take risks and those who do, experience the same amount of fear in life. The only difference is that those who don’t take chances worry about trivial things.

If you’re going to have to overcome your fear and doubts anyway, you might as well make it count.

Hello, my name is Scott Porter. I am the pastor of Abiding Word Church in Sterling, Illinois. I have been in ministry at Abiding Word for 27 years. I was born in Dixon, raised in Rock Falls, and I now live in Sterling. I have been invited to share with you each month, a column I call PASTOR SCOTT’S CORNER. I hope you enjoy it. You can send questions or comments to [email protected] or check out our church website at www.abidingwordchurch.org

Pastor Scott’s CornerAmerican Hero Eddie Rickenbacker- A Profile of Courage

United Methodist Pastor Rich Rubietta from Gray-slake, Illinois will lead spe-cial Musical services of worship on Sunday, June 2, at 9 am at Coleta Unit-ed Methodist Church on J. and then at 10:45 am at East Jordan United Methodist Church, also

on Sunday June 2. Rubietta is a songwriter and worship consultant who conducts high-energy, interactive worship experiences which include sing-alongs, original scripture-based songs and stories.

A graduate of North-western University with a

degree in Music and an Il-linois Arts Council ArtsTour artist, Rubietta has been using Digital technology for several years to bring new sounds and styles to traditional Church Hymns and songs. “I’m finding that folks in the church of all ages and all denominations

Coleta and East Jordan United Methodist Churches to host special music services

are yearning to sing their faith using music that moves them on a deeper emotional and spiritual level,” he says.

Rich is married to Jane Rubietta and the couple have three children, age 23, 21, and 17. Jane is the author of popular devotional books like Quiet Places, Still Waters, Between Two Gardens (Winter 2001) and is in demand as an interna-tional, cross-denominational speaker.

Rev. Rubietta has pro-duced the CD/ Cassette also called Quiet Places: God’s Music to Restore Your Soul, which is a companion re-source to accompany the book. The songs on the CD/Cassette are medita-tive, musical arrangements of scriptures, one for each

chapter in the book. His CD for Children and the young at heart, Room 4U & Me received Parents’ Choice Approved award and contains Character Edu-cation songs from his Public School Music Assemblies.

Pastor Dave Jungnickel says, “Having Rich Rubi-etta here is one of the ways we can open ourselves to fresh ways of worshiping God and also reach out to our community and share a special experience to-gether.”

Refreshments will be served afterwards and a Re-source Table will be avail-able to purchase books and order CDs/Cassettes. For more information, please contact the church office at 815 336-2226.

United Methodist Pastor Rich Rubietta Courtesy photo


Freelance projects available. Please contact Judy Bell

for an interview (815) 888-4403 Ext. 44

EXPERIENCED PHOTOGRAPHERS & WRITERS WE NEED YOU!

27



www.saukvalleysun.com

StaffJudy BellPublisher

Ken HauckVP OPeratiOns

Katie HauckadministratiVe manager

Julie ReedereditOr

Robert BelldistributiOn manager

Celeste Lightner-GreenwaltseniOr marketing rePresentatiVe

Joshua Hauckmarketing rePresentatiVe

ProductionKarina Ramosart directOr

Samantha GormangraPhic artist

WebsiteJohn YadaWeb deVelOPer/it suPPOrt

Writers/ ContributorsDonald R. Lewis, MD, FACSCarol Chandler, RNJill HornRev. Scott PorterPastor Jeff CoesterBobby DillonSpencer ScheinDarlene RegoNancy Nesyto-FreskeJosh AlbrechtAnn LewisBrad MonsonJill StrawGreg SmithTom DemmerPatricia LewisCody CutterTim O’Brien

© Sauk Valley Sun, 2013 www.saukvalleysun.com

The opinions expressed in the Sauk Valley Sun do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sauk Valley Sun staff.

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 fraudulent, libelous, misleading, or contrary to the policies of Sauk Valley Sun. We reserve the right to reject any advertisement we find unsuitable. Please direct all advertising inquiries and correspondence to the address below.

Editorial Contributions, Letters to the Editor, and Advertising Inquiries: Please submit all correspondence to our office by e-mail, at [email protected]. All correspondence must be dated and signed and include the writer’s full address and phone number in order to be considered for publication. Email would also be helpful. All editorial content is subject to editing to fit the publication’s format. Word count for letters is 250.

Sauk Valley Sun24,000 copies

published monthly21,000 copies

direct-mailed to homes and business addresses

in Dixon and Sterling

Postage paid at Dekalb, ILPermit No. 321

Phone (815) 888-4403 Fax (815) 572-0153

Address: 459 Illinois Route #2, Dixon, IL 61021

Email: [email protected]

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

10:15 AM Sunday Service followed by coff ee

& Fellowship.Children welcome!

SAINT LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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

Sunday School 10:00 AMWednesday Healing Service 10:00 AM www.stlukedixon.org

(174 Years Young!)

Sudoku answers for puzzle on page 16

By Celeste Lightner-Greenwalt

There are many benefits for consumers who choose to join the increasingly pop-ular local food movement by purchasing greater quanti-ties of locally grown or pro-duced food from your local farmers. Locally grown food regularly uses less non-renewable resources, fossil fuels, and chemicals, mak-ing it an environmentally-sound alternative to food with a large carbon footprint from being imported from distant states or countries.

Locally Grown Benefit – Better Food

Additionally, food items from local sources offer superior taste and freshness, provide increased health advantages, help support in-dependent and family farms, strengthen local economies, and have a more positive ecological impact than imported food. Common sources of local food may include family farms, food

co-ops, farmers’ markets, and Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA).

In the United States, the majority of imported food items have been altered by irradiation in order to pro-long shelf life and grown to withstand industrial har-vesting and extended travel. For example, most transit fruits and vegetables have to travel an average of 1300 miles over a period of one to two weeks in order to reach a family’s table.

Unlike imported foods, locally grown fruits and vegetables are actually bred for maximum freshness and taste. In fact, since locally grown foods are normally sold within 24 hours of harvesting, these items are filled with nutrients and are much fresher than their imported cousins. In addi-tion, local and independent farms offer a better variety of safe and healthy foods that have not been exposed to hormones, pesticides, antibiotics, or other harmful chemicals.

Brad Monson

We love the thinking of the coaches at the boys bas-ketball camp: TEAM (To-gether Everyone Achieves More)…and all who attend the camp get their own bas-ketball.

Brad Bickett, Chris Bui-kema, Bret Helms, Matt Naftzger and Dan Herrera will be coaches for the Rock Falls Fundamental Basket-ball Camp for boys grade 3-12 from June 10-14, Rock Falls High School. Registra-

Brad’s BEATtion deadline is June 7.

Don’t you just love the serenity at White Pines State Park! Well this year White Pines Restaurant and The-atre celebrates 25 years and Beth Henderson (at White Pines for 25 years!) has cre-ated a monthly celebration promotion. In June, patrons will sign their meal receipt and drop it in a jar. Once a week there will be a $25 drawing to be used at the restaurant, gift shop, cabin or dinner theatre. Thanks, Beth…White Pines is an area treasure!

At Martin’s Restaurant, Sterling, we knew we were in a special place when the salad arrived it was accom-panied by a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. Great job, Martin!

How do you know if a store is right for you? We believe it is when you are simply naturally drawn to the products…so when we

seat-tested chairs coming and going in and out of Knie’s in Sterling, we felt right at home. Good choices Mark…and hat’s off to your friendly staff.

Over at Gazi’s Restaurant in Rock Falls Sheri was spreading the good news: Her grandmother Kathryn Bernat was celebrating her 104th birthday. Kathryn lives at home and is able to care for herself. Sheri…you have GOOD genes.

We are so fortunate to have Midway Drive-in The-atre with us…..so many were bulldozed away. June 6th marks the 80th anniver-sary of the FIRST drive-in theatre in New Jersey.

Let’s do our bit to see that Midway Drive-In thrives in our community.

We had a fun visit to the Sterling Main Street Facebook site to learn ALL about Dog Days June 28 and 29th….its a clever promo-

tion that everyone enjoys. Mark your calendar, too, for Fourth Fridays on June 28th.

While we don’t like to get too far ahead of our-selves, you may want to go to www.getmeregistered.com if you are interested in participating in the 14th An-nual Reagan Run in Dixon on Saturday July 6th. The Reagan Run benefits Dixon Athletic Booster, Dixon Main street, Dixon Park District and YMCA Strong Kids program….all good things for our communities.

Calling all women: check out the Dixon Area Christian Women’s group. Its next meeting is Monday, June 3rd at 9:30am at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Dixon. Coffee and dessert will be served as the group plans its yearly activities. All women are welcome.

For further information call Josie at 815-284-7197.

Congratulations are in

order we are told for Ellen Kunde, Branch Manager for the new Freedom Bank location in Sterling. Ellen is a native of Sterling, gradu-ated from Sterling high school and is an experienced banking professional. Ellen, we’ll see you at Freedom Bank in Sterling…and miss your lovely smile in Rock Falls.

Just heard from the grape-vine that WTTW will air “The Reagan Presidency” in three episodes June 13, 20 and 27th at 8 pm.(Might want to check WTTW web-site in case they change times.) Wonder if there will be scenes from our Tri Cities? Whatever your politics...he is our only born-in-Illinois President.

That’s all from Brad….keep those cards and letters coming!

Locally Grown Food – 3 Big Reasons to Start Buyingto neighboring economies than corporate agribusi-ness networks. Furthermore, purchasing more food from local farmers will help en-sure that less of these farms will fail and be sold for land development.

Locally Grown Benefit – Better Environment,

Smaller Carbon Footprint

Another major concern of imported food is the negative ecological impact it frequently has on the environment. As a rule, imported foods that are tran-sited over long distances are responsible for the release of more carbon dioxide emis-sions (CO2), the burning of more fossil fuels, and increased use of packing materials that must eventu-ally be disposed of than are associated with foods grown locally or regionally. This use of resources in shipping and distributing is called a carbon footprint.

A carbon footprint refers to the amount of fuel burned and CO2 released into the atmosphere, and is often used to determine the spe-cific impact one food item has on the environment. For example, beef and cheese both have a substantially large carbon footprint and, if these items can be pur-chased closer to home, the carbon footprint of the items will be reduced. Since lo-cal food tends to be less carbon intensive to grow and to transport, it is a more environmentally-friendly choice than food that has been trucked or flown in.

Locally Grown Benefit – Better Local EconomyLocally grown food also

benefits local economies by keeping funds within the community. It has been shown that, while corpo-rate agribusiness profits are steadily increasing, inde-pendent farmers are earn-ing lower net cash incomes every year. In fact, large corporations are currently dominating food production in the United States with several huge firms control-ling the majority of beef, pork, and poultry sales.

The best way to increase the profits of local and in-dependent farmers is to buy their goods whenev-er possible. In turn, local farmers will spend more money among community businesses, which strength-ens the local economy as a whole. Family-owned or independent farms also pro-vide more jobs to the com-munity and contribute more

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STERLING-JUNE 2013-SAUK VALLEY SUN