Jersey County May 2023

Big Z Media announces ownership change

A change in ownership is on the horizon for the Riverbend’s leading media company. Sheila and Nick Darr of Godfrey have entered into an agreement to become the new owners of Big Z Media, purchasing the controlling interest from current owner Sam Stemm of Alton.

The parties to the agreement have filed a Transfer of Control application with the Federal Communications Commission and once approval is given, likely within 90 days, the deal will be finalized.

What started as AM radio station WOKZ 75 years ago has grown and morphed into Big Z Media, which operates news/talk radio station WBGZ (1570 AM 107.1 FM) and oldies station MyMix 94.3 (94.3 FM and 92.3 HD3). In addition, it publishes Advantage newspaper as well as a local news and information website AdvantageNews. com, which also serves as the streaming platform for

both radio stations. Big Z Media also assists local businesses with myriad digital marketing options.

Nick Darr began his radio career at WBGZ in 2001 as a part-time news reporter. He ascended through the ranks and excelled as an advertising account executive and was promoted to sales manager. After a stint with Edward Jones as a financial planner, he returned to the Big Z in 2016 as vice president and general manager. His wife Sheila is an elementary school teacher. They are life-long Riverbend residents and have four children.

Stemm has been associated with the company for more that 38 years, serving in various capacities including sports director, program director, and general manager. He secured his first ownership stake in 1991 and became majority owner in 2004 and has served as the company’s president since that time. He retired as GM in 2016 when he hired

Darr for that position.

Stemm says he’s elated that the Darrs will continue a long stretch of local ownership. “For more than 70 consecutive years this company has been in the hands of local owners. I couldn’t be more pleased that this great community resource will be guided by Nick and Sheila, who have roots here and who share my vision of what a local media company should be.”

Darr says that he has asked Stemm to remain active in the company. “Sam has served as a mentor over the years and I’m pleased he’s agreed to stay on board. The company will benefit from his knowledge and experience.

Darr adds that the change in ownership won’t lead to any immediate changes.

“When Sam hired me as GM, he told me he expected me to run the company as if it were my own. There’s no need to change course now that Sheila and I are indeed taking ownership.” 3

St. Peters Hardware known for customer service since 1947

By Frank Prager Big Z Media

Combining the knowledge, friendliness and customer service of a traditional neighborhood store with the price, selection and convenience of a modern, leading-edge hardware store has made St. Peters Hardware & True Value Rental the preferred hardware store of generations of families in the area.

The Alton store was started in 1947 by brothers Donald and Virgil St. Peters. Since then it has been renovated and expanded multiple times. A completely new, 12,000-square-foot store was constructed on the site of the

original in 1997. Secondgeneration family member

Dale St. Peters along with his son, Dan, currently own and operate the store.

Dan says the secret to the store’s success for over seven and half decades comes down to customer service and staying current.

St. Peters

stands out in a way that creates loyal customers.” He notes multiple generations of the same families have continued to shop at the store over the years.

Hardware & True Value Rental

2502 State Street, Alton 618-466-6931

@stpetershardware

Mon - Fri 7am - 6pm Sat 7:30am - 5pm Sun 10am - 3pm

“We’ve stayed up to date and relevant over the years by carrying the latest products,” he says.

“Also, our customer service

The store carries a broad array of products for home improvement and repair as well as construction and outdoor maintenance. Door, window, electrical, floor, wall and ceiling products for any home can be found on the

shelves. Hand and power tools, heating and cooling supplies, housewares, appliances, plumbing, kitchen and bath as well as shelving and storage are just a few of the product areas in the store. Grilling and outdoor furniture are also popular items. In an industry in which technology continues to evolve, St. Peters Hardware stays current by attending conferences and training throughout the year. “We attend industry conferences several times a year,” says Dan. “One of our rules at the store is that if an employee cannot answer a customer’s question, they get someone here who can and then stay

as it is explained so they will know it the next time.”

The store provides a wide range of services such as carpet cleaner rentals, paint matching, delivery services, glass cutting and key

cutting. Propane is available and the store also sharpens knives and scissors and rekeys locks.

Many types of equipment required for building or repair are also available for

rental at the store. Posthole diggers, water pumps, chainsaws, generators and paint sprayers are all available. Larger equipment such as backhoes and bobcats can also be rented. Electrically powered outdoor equipment is gaining popularity. St. Peters Hardware carries a complete line of trimmers, edgers, blowers, lawn mowers and chainsaws in both electric and conventional gasoline models. Dan says their stock of equipment includes Milwaukee, Stihl and DeWalt brands. The business also performs service on the equipment.

During this time of the year, St. Peters Hardware carries everything needed by anyone who enjoys seasonal gardening and outside work. A complete line of garden tools along with mulch, gravel and garden plants are stocked. A variety of grass seed, fertilizers and sprays are also available.

In addition, the store provides rentals for weddings and other special events. They can also provide all the planning and setup services necessary to coordinate the event. Tents of all sizes are available for rent and for large tents, store personnel come out beforehand to survey the location and make sure the grounds and facilities are appropriate. Chairs, tables, linens, glassware and dishes for the occasion can all be rented as well as lighting, fans, fountains, heaters and serving items. The amenities can be custom tailored to any requirements. The St. Peters family looks forward to continuing their

family’s legacy well into the future. Dan’s son, Alex, is the fourth generation involved in the business. He currently runs the Edwardsville location.

St. Peters Hardware & True Value Rental is located at 2502 State Street in Alton. They also have a rental store in Edwardsville and a farm, ranch and rental store which opened in Breese in September of 2022. The Edwardsville rental store also carries and services Stihl products. It is located at 804 Southwest Street and can be reached by phone at 618-692-6960. The Breese store is located at 2 North 4th Street. Dan says it is oriented toward farm and

SECRET DINER

By Bill Roseberry

Dinner and a show

You can’t go wrong when it comes to a hibachi grill in my opinion and this spot in central Madison County makes for a fun atmosphere to accompany the delicious food.

I recently visited with my mom and dad to celebrate dad’s birthday and it didn’t disappoint.

This is a newer restaurant in the community, sitting in a small strip of businesses along a major road through town. It’s a chain restaurant but the only of its kind in Madison County and it is locally owned.

You enter into a small paved parking lot with limited spaces. The name of the establishment is prominently displayed and easy to find.

You can see it well from the road.

Overall:

ranch and carries items such as feed and horse tack. The phone number for the Breese location is 618-577-2502.

Store hours for the Alton and Breese locations are Monday through Friday from 7am until 6pm, Saturday from 7:30am until 5pm and Sunday from 10am until 3pm. Store hours for the Edwardsville location are the same except for opening at 7:30am on weekdays. Complete information about all store locations along with details on products and services can be found online at stpetershardware.com. Store information is also available on Facebook. 3 stpetershardware.com

Walk inside through a large vestibule and huge brown wooden doors open into the large front dining room. There is a large Buddha display near the host/hostess station.

Lots of tables and booths fill the front of the building with a fish tank also on display showcasing large koi fish. A small bar sits to the right of the front dining room, too. While there is sushi and much more available in the front dining room, we were all about the full experience on our visit. In the middle of that front dining room is a large opening which feeds into the hibachi portion of the building.

Four large tables with two flat grills at each one fill the room. It’s set up where people share the tables to enjoy the entertainment from the chefs.

That’s the allure, it’s as much about the entertainment as it is the food. It’s a big produc-

tion built around the cooking of your meal.

Our chef was super friendly and funny. Once he found out it was dad’s birthday he broke out some saki in a squeeze bottle and started squirting generous portions into dad’s mouth. On top of that he was flipping eggs into his tall paper hat, flipping his spatula around and using it to toss vegetables into our mouths once he began cooking. It’s super neat to watch the food prepared directly in front of you. It makes you wish you had one of those large flat cook surfaces in your home the way they make it look so easy. But as cool as the show is, the food is still the main event and it lives up to its top billing.

I ordered a combination of steak, shrimp and scallops, mom ordered the chicken and the birthday boy got the shrimp.

The hibachi orders are accompanied by onion soup, salad with ginger dressing, grilled veggies and fried rice.

The onion soup is such a great comfort food, featuring clear beef broth full of fried onions, scallions and mushrooms. It’s the perfect starter for a big meal, with a great Earthy and hearty flavor.

Cleanliness:

Service:

Food:

Price:

Any idea of the name of this restaurant? Check the puzzle solutions to see if you are right.

While you’re devouring all that you get to watch the chef work his magic with the veggies, rice and meat. The veggies included onion, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms and carrots, while the fried rice featured a healthy portion of egg with it.

The char marks on the gargantuan chunks of zucchini were a standout, as was the teriyaki flavor absorbed into my steak. The plump shrimp were the standout of my meat trio though.

The secret ingredient providing the cherry on top is the yum yum sauce. It is indeed a yummy bonus with its sweet blast of flavor. Make sure to ask for that. 3

lets

Dan St. Peters is a third-generation family business member. He and his dad, Dale, own and operate St. Peters Hardware & True Value Rental. [photos by Frank Prager]

BUFFALO CHICKEN

PIZZA SPECIALS

MON FREE Cinnamon sticks with pizza purchase

TUE FREE 2 liter of soda with pizza purchase

WED Specialty pizzas $12

THU Buy one pizza, get one half off

FRI FREE cheesy garlic bread with pizza purchase

SAT One topping pizza $10

SUN Purchase two pizzas, get one FREE

Weekly Pizza Winners

•Debi Bowman•Ron Bellitto

•Kim Bell•Amber Hill

Weekly Gas Winners

•Earl Nixon•Dick Langley

•James Morgan•Mattie Shelton

AMERICAN MADE LOCALLY OWNED 10904 Route 111, Medora 618-729-9999

STRANGE BUT TRUE

By Lucie Winborne

• Seventy-five percent of all sesame seeds grown in Mexico wind up on McDonald’s hamburger buns.

• In 1998, a British man faked his own death by leaving his clothes on the beach and hiding to make his wife realize how much she missed him. Unfortunately, the prank backfired, as she divorced him after learning about it.

• Earthworms in the northern part of North America are a non-native, invasive species and a major factor in forest deterioration.

FLASHBACK

By Mick Harper

1. Which group released “Where Were You When I Needed You”?

2. Who was Mr. Bojangles in the song by Jerry Jeff Walker?

3. Name the Bangles song that appeared in the 1987 film “Less Than Zero.”

4. Which artist wrote and released “She Bop”?

5. Name the song that contains these lyrics: “When you’re all alone in your lonely room, And there’s nothing but the smell of her perfume.”

Americanisms

By Fifi Rodriguez

1. TELEVISION: Which drama focuses on the inhabitants of Wisteria Lane?

2. GEOGRAPHY: The Aswan Dam is located on which river?

3. LANGUAGE: What is the only word in the English language that ends in “mt”?

4. MOVIES: What is the name of Ryan Reynolds’ Alaskan hometown in “The Proposal”?

5. U.S. CITIES: How many buildings in New York City have their own ZIP codes, including the Empire State Building?

6. SCIENCE: Entomology is the scientific study of what?

7. CHEMISTRY: Which natural element is the most unstable?

8. FOOD & DRINK: What is the condiment tahini made of?

9. LITERATURE: What is the setting for John Kennedy Toole’s novel “A Confederacy of Dunces”?

10. ANATOMY: How many lobes are in the human brain? (answers in puzzle solutions)

• Michael Bay, producer of “Friday the 13th,” walked out of the film’s screening because it contained too much sex.

by Donna Pettman

Did you hear about the guy that got caught stealing a calendar?

He got twelve months.

What type of doctor is Dr. Pepper?

He’s a fizzician.

YouTube keeps showing me videos of a former vice president dancing. Must be the Al Gore rhythm.

I caught my son chewing on electrical cords, so I had to ground him. He’s doing better currently and trying to conduct himself properly.

Dad Jokes.

CryptoQuip

This is a simple substitution cipher in which each letter used stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Solution is accomplished by trial and error.

Go Figure

Arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

Sudoku

DIFFICULTY H H

Kids’ Maze

DIFFICULTY H H

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

What’s The Difference?

the gag!

Summers Port provides sun and recreation for all ages

By Frank Prager Big Z Media

It may seem like electronic games and the Internet have shouldered out the old-fashioned outdoor summertime fun kids used to have. Those Norman Rockwell scenes of splashing in the pool, enjoying a cookout in the sunshine or joining a softball game on a grassy field might appear to be long gone. However, those activities and more are alive and well at Summers Port in Godfrey.

Summers Port was founded in 1960 as a club where kids and families can enjoy outdoor activities such as swimming, tennis, softball, basketball and bar-bcueing in a safe, friendly atmosphere. The membersupported club provides a sense of community where people get to know each other and enjoy the social interaction often missing from formal, organized sports and recreation.

Kim Scheurer is a board member for Summers Port and speaks to the benefits of Summers Port membership. “It’s a great atmosphere,” she says. “We have tennis lessons and a diving team. It’s just great to see the kids put their electronics down and play with each other.” She explains there are actually fourth generation family members who currently belong to

the club and that Summers Port is always interested in increasing membership.

“Membership makes a great gift for Christmas or any other occasion,” says Scheuer. “It’s something that can be used all summer long.”

Summers Port membership is open to anyone in the Riverbend area. Membership dues are $465 per year for a family or $320 for a single adult couple. There is a firsttime initiation fee of $175 and people can use the code “Advantage23” to get $75 off that one-time fee. Family membership includes an accompanying babysitter if needed. The club opens on Memorial Day weekend and runs all summer long. Club hours are 11am until 8pm, seven days a week. Members can bring a guest for a day for only $5. Scheuer notes that the fees amount to only $4 per day for fun for an entire family throughout the summer.

The club has one of the

largest swimming and diving pools in the area.

The L-shaped pool is 25 yards by 25 meters big with depths ranging from shallow enough to walk in to deep enough for diving. A large wading pool is available for small children. Scheuer emphasizes that safety is a priority and that there are always two certified lifeguards on duty. The club hosts a swim team and a dive team and the pool provides lots of room for kids to just splash and play during the summertime.

Summers Port is located at 3120 Greenwood Lane in Godfrey. People can email questions or requests for additional information to summersportinfo@gmail. com and can also contact the club through the website. Information about activities and programs at Summers Port is also available on the club’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 3 summersport.net

OSF Saint Anthony’s introduces service to fight substance abuse disorder

OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center offers medical detoxification services to help Riverbend region residents overcome withdrawal symptoms from drug and alcohol addictions through the New Vision withdrawal management service.

Since 1992, New Vision, a wholly-owned program provided by St. Charles, Mo-based SpecialCare

Walnut Estates

Hospital Management, has treated more than 400,000 patients at locations across the United States by offering inpatient medical stabilization services for adults with drug, alcohol or related health issues. The service accepts adults 18 & older who are currently using or are experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms from certain drugs. Fore more information call 618358-0200. 3

hours of 8am and 4pm, Monday-Friday.

Shelly K. Mason • Executive Director

GREENE COUNTY HOMES L.P.

325 NORTH CARR ST., PO BOX 33 WHITE HALL, IL 62092

Now accepting applications for brand new 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom homes in Roodhouse & Greenfield, IL. Homes include: Large landscaped lots, with front & backyards. Paved driveways, Two (2) car attached garage, Patios in rear of home. Washer/dryer provided, Fully equipped kitchens (stove, refrigerator & dishwasher), Central air & Garbage removal furnished.

Rent is based on income. In addition, you may be eligible for rental assistance.

Applications may be obtained at the o ce of the Housing Authority of Greene County, 325 N. Carr St., White Hall, IL, or you may call 217-374-2128 between the hours of 8am and 4pm, Monday-Friday.

Shelly K. Mason • Executive Director

Now accepting applications for 2 and 3 bedroom homes in Carrollton & White Hall, IL. Mini-playground area, nice neighborhoods. Rent varies based on income. In addition, you may be eligible for rental assistance.

Homes include: Large landscaped lots, Paved driveways, Two (2) car attached garage, Patios in back. Washer/dryer provided, Fully equipped kitchens (stove, refrigerator & dishwasher), Central air & Garbage removal furnished.

Applications may be obtained at the o ce of the Housing Authority of Greene County, 325 N. Carr St., White Hall, IL, or you may call 217-374-2128 between the hours of 8am and 4pm, Monday-Friday.

Shelly K. Mason • Executive Director

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONs FOR HOUSING

The

Shelly

Hardin: 618-576-2225

Flashback 1. The Grass Roots, in 1966. It was released on the group’s debut album of the same name. The song had been written for Herman’s Hermits, who never released it, in favor of recording a different song.

2. Mr. Bojangles was a homeless street performer Walker met in jail. Bojangles had taken his name from another street performer born in 1878.

3. “Hazy Shade of Winter.” The song was written and originally released by Simon & Garfunkel in 1966.

4. Cyndi Lauper, in 1984 on her debut album.

5. “Cry To Me,” by Solomon Burke, in 1962. Although the song has become a standard over the years, it never rose above No. 44 on the Hot 100 list. It was included in the 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack for “Dirty Dancing.”