Lake of Egypt Living Memorial Day 2020

LAKE OF EGYPT

LIVING PREMIER LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR THE L A K E O F E G Y P T & S HAW N E E NAT I O NA L F O R E S T

RAY WEBB Founding father of the Lake of Egypt pg. 12

HOME ON THE POINT Tom & Jill Franks give us a tour of their exquisite lake home

pg. 24

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"We're a very unique area and a very unique product. We live here, we work here, we love our area and we are its biggest advocate."

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Lake of Egypt area is a very unique amalgamation of two counties and several cities and towns. Our neighbor's residences have different zip codes and many of our fellow lake dwellers are from distant locations but we all have a very strong bond as neighbors.

Our mission is to be part of that strong bond as one community. Our products are designed to carry information that relates to all things lake of Egypt and the Shawnee forest. We will tell the story of the many activities that make our area the jewel that it is and to promote our area in its many attributes. We will celebrate the lives of our neighbors and share those special moments and events that make our homes here filled with fun and joy.

In every issue, our neighbors will open their homes for us to see the beautiful architecture that we drive by in our boats and bring our neighbors a little closer. In the editorial content of our magazines and website, we'll provide as much information about the area as possible. Recipes, area churches, available homes, area events, boating rules, fishing limits, lake safety, forest sites, or public services are published free of charge as editorial content to help all who are interested in our area. Our magazine provides not only the content but the publication free to our neighbors.

We likewise provide the vehicle for vendors and service providers with a platform to tell our neighbors about their services in our high-quality advertising.

We have had overwhelming approval of our first edition.

We want to make our magazine and its website the best it can be. To that effect, we want to be transparent in our pol-

icies. One of our features was to provide, to the best of our knowledge, all homes that are available at no charge to our neighbors or their authorized real estate brokerages. Our intention was to provide, in one place, an easy reference for this information to help our neighbors and their realtors to be seen by our future neighbors who are looking. Like many of you, when I bought my home at the lake I had to go to many different sources to find them.

After our first issue, we were notified by several realtors that they do not want homes their firms represented in our magazine. We can’t understand why they and their agents would not want your homes given this free exposure but will honor their request. Our concern is that our neighbors who have homes available might think we have missed their home if they are not included in this free feature.

We've had many other real estate companies desire to have their homes be part of this feature. If your home is for sale and not included please contact your real estate professional and tell them you want your home included. We will honor the desires of our neighbors and our neighbor realtors. Please let us know if you are having difficulty getting your home included. Homeowners can also send a photo and description to be included in our next issue at no charge.

We're a very unique area and a very unique product. We live here, we work here, we love our area and we are its biggest advocate.

We are thankful for your kind words and appreciate your support of Lake of Egypt Living.

-Micah 4

IN THIS ISSUE 6

THE LAKE SCENE

12

RAY WEBB: FOUNDING FATHER

LAKE OF EGYPT

LIVING EDITOR TERRANCE GEESE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR TYLER COUTY

20 LAKE OF EGYPT REAL ESTATE 24 HOME ON THE POINT 43 LAKE EVENTS 44 FISHIN' REPORT 47 OUT OF THE CELLAR

ADVERTISING SALES MICAH MERRILL

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER JENNIE BAER

50 AREA EVENTS 58 IN MEMORY: SHAUNN CURRY

THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION ARE COPYRIGHT BY

ON THE COVER This issue's cover features Tom and Jill Franks picturesque 8,000 square foot home on the Lake of Egypt. See their feature on page 24.

LAKE OF EGYPT LIVING WITH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ANY REPRODUCTION OR USE OF THECONTENT WITHIN THIS PUBLICATION WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

75 EGYPTIAN PARKWAY CREAL SPRINGS, IL 62922 618-364-8088

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RAY WEBB

FOUNDING FATHER OF THE LAKE OF EGYPT

BY TERRANCE GEESE

When a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Rural Electrification Administration was held in Muddy, Ill., in May 1976, the speaker, Glenn Webb, urged farm leaders from eight Southern Illinois counties to show a greater sense of commitment toward the cooperative movement.

The audience that spring night – temperature in the 70s with storms in the forecast – consisted of members of the Southeastern Illinois Electric Cooperative. Among them was his father, Ray Webb of Tunnel Hill.

The key to success of electric co-operatives is the sense of commitment by members, Glenn Webb said. That thought most likely was driven by example. His father lived a life of total commitment to the co-operative, helping it achieve new goals, and savings, for the members in the rural areas of Southeastern Illinois. In the process, Ray Webb could well be dubbed a member of the “Fathers of Lake of Egypt Club” because of his involvement with other like minded individuals in making the lake possible.

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Southeastern Illinois Power had been formed in the 1930s under the Rural Electrification Act. Federal legislation signed into existence by an Executive Order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 and an Act of Congress in 1936 made possible, through loans and grants, the bringing of electric to the farm.

Ray Webb’s son, Kenneth, said his father, a Tunnel Hill orchardist and farmer, was called to Harrisburg in the 1930s, along with representatives of other counties, for a meeting of a temporary board with the purpose of electrifying the area’s rural farms and homes. At that time, Kenneth Webb said, rural Southern Illinois consisted of mainly small farms.

Of course, there was electricity on some farms before the temporary board began thinking about planting poles and stringing wire –– if the farmer could afford it.

The Delco Light plant was a marvel. A self-cranking, aircooled source of electricity powered by kerosene. Those early kerosene models knocked considerably, prompting Charles Kettering to develop a solution with the first

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 13

618-997-1802 14

Crews build a three phase feeder line to provide members with adequate electric power.

Ray Webb

Ethel gasoline, introduced for Delco units in 1923.

The Delco could power house and barn and a farmer no longer had to milk by hand. His 32-volt direct current milking machine did the work and his wife used her 32-volt sweeper, iron and fan in the home.

When Ray Webb was summoned to be one of the founders of an electric co-op, he was thinking of installing a small Delco, to be housed in a smokehouse on his farm. Son Glenn Webb recalls concrete had been poured but the light plant had not been installed. When Ray Webb learned REA power lines could soon arrive, he waited on them.

The Webbs had a reason for being anxious to have electricity. Their orchard was dependent on gasoline engines powering the fruit grading lines.

Most farmers in Southern Illinois could not afford a Delco unit, so the co-ops were their best hope for bringing lowcost power to all with alternating current distribution.

The membership on a temporary board for an emerging co-op developed into a 39-year Southeastern Illinois Electric Co-op board membership for Ray Webb. He regarded the co-op to be vital, and after it was formed, he canvassed the farmers of Johnson County for memberships. He regarded it as so necessary, he would pay the membership

fee for those who couldn’t afford it. Deals were struck: He would pay the $5 fee and the farmer could work it off by picking peaches in Webb’s orchard.

Bartering wasn’t a new idea in the neighborhood. Glenn Webb recalls a number of men would pick peaches in the orchards and take wages in over-ripe peaches.

It made for long days, as the family would go home to can fruit, and then return to the orchard the next day for another day of picking.

Along with selling memberships in the new utility, Ray Webb also worked to dispel strange rumors and myths about that invisible product, electricity.

Glenn Webb, in a co-op magazine, “Illinois Country Living,” recalled the arrival of the “power company” at their Tunnel Hill farm in 1941. He was 5 years old and remembers the day because he was being such a nuisance, the men threatened to toss him into the hole they were digging for a meter pole. He remembers to the eyes of a 5-year-old, it was a really big hole.

For the Webbs, the arrival of REA meant an end to gasoline engines to power equipment and installation of bright lights for sorting fruit. “We were really thrilled; it was such a great improvement,” Glenn Webb said.

Area power co-ops handled rural distribution of power but did not generate their own. Instead they bought power.

Investor-owned power companies served cities while the LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 15

except it would be somewhere near Crab Orchard Lake.

The announced intention would be to build a 99,000-kilowatt steam generating plant. The federal Rural Electrification Administration would conduct its own feasibility studies and cost surveys before ruling on the application.

“The REA was pretty receptive” to building generating plants, Glenn Webb recalls.

After a well pump and running water were installed, the next electric appliances were typically a water heater and a washing machine.

co-op served the rural areas, and the co-ops bought their power from the investor-owned utilities.

By the 1950s, urban sprawl was creating tensions between co-ops and investor utilities. Glenn Webb recalls his father talking about it. Housing developments were expanding out of the cities and shopping centers were being built in the traditional co-op territories.

In late 1959, negotiators for several co-ops were experiencing the tension when they reached a new pact with a major supplier, Central Illinois Power. They had an agreement, but the price to the farmer would be too high. The contract offered by the supplier for 1959-1960 had a rate increase of 4 to 9 percent.

Before an agreement had been reached, three rural electric co-ops did some figuring and determined if they had their own generating capacity, they would save money.

Southeastern board members were also concerned because they had only two power suppliers. They wanted more stability and reliability. A few weeks before the agreement was reached to pay a higher rate for electricity to CIPS, the three rural co-operatives –– Egyptian of Steelville, Southeastern of Eldorado and Southern Illinois of Dongola –– joined forces in an effort to build their own power plant.

Using the name of a firm organized in 1948 by co-operatives and the City of Cairo in a failed effort to buy power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, they announced they had applied to the Rural Electrification Administration for a loan of $26 million. Southern Illinois Power Co-operative would build a power plant. At the time of the rate negotiation, they said they didn’t know where the plant would be, 16

The REA, in 1960, agreed there was a need for SIPC to build a cooperative generating plant. The granting of the loan by REA had not been an easy process. Kenneth Webb recalls his father, one of the original directors of SIPC, joined others for many trips to Washington, D.C., to convince REA a plant was needed. The $26 million loan granted by REA was the largest REA loan ever made, up until that time. And it was the first REA loan for a generating operation.

Steam-driven plants need water for cooling, so the location of the plant would have to be near water. The current site of Lake of Egypt quickly became the location for a lake and the plant because a large part of the preliminary work had been done for another project, abandoned in the 1930s.

When the federal government had planned to build a lake in Southern Illinois in the 1930a, the current Lake of Egypt site had been a first choice, Kenneth Webb recounts. All of the survey work for a lake had been completed, but there had been a change of thinking: Officials decided the new lake for recreation and flood control needed to be between Marion and Carbondale, which resulted in Crab Orchard Lake.

The already-surveyed land was perfect for the cooling lake, Kenneth Webb said. There was a perpetual water supply, and as a plus, there weren’t too many county roads and no cemeteries to be moved. The land and water flow met the requirements of the REA, although a number of new evaluations were still needed.

The co-op boards knew Ray Webb lived and farmed at the site. He knew all of the farmers in the area, so he was called upon to once again exhibit his commitment to the cooperatives by optioning land for the lake.

Glenn Webb said, “He was not hard to get for doing it. Dad was very much committed to rural electric. He was one of the first members of the Southeastern board and it was logical they would recruit him.”

The framework of the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative at Lake of Egypt takes shape. This was the home to the plants first three generators of 33 MW each.

Son Kenneth recalls his father paid, at the most, $75 an acre. Ray Webb, an honest man who never completed a grade school education, never tried to cheapen the land deals. Kenneth recounts he was with his father one day when a farmer said he wanted $50 an acre.

“No, you want $75 an acre,” Ray Webb corrected.

Ray Webb, a man who could calculate math in his head but not on paper, completed all of the land purchases without any thought of tactics such as eminent domain.

Construction of the lake, cofferdam and power plant was a big job, Kenneth Webb recalls. While there were many little problems, there was one big one. Farmers who owned farms on both the Williamson and Johnson county sides of the lake wanted a bridge. REA rules helped solve the problem. The co-operatives are required to have control of all aspects of the lake and a bridge could violate that rule.

One task was not completed during construction. There was a goal of removing all trees, but water filled the lake too fast and trees were left in some areas.

Lake of Egypt was opened for public use June 1, 1963.

When one of the last land purchases had been made, Ray Webb had to work fast as equipDuring planning and construcment was one its way to clear the tion of the dam, power plant and lake site. They wanted to clear lake, no one realized the powerful the fencerow from just below the driver of the economy they had location of the new fire station to Construction of the dam at the Lake of Egypt created. “The lake really changed the lake site. At the time, Kenthe access to the area fruit farms,” neth Webb had five peach pickers working with him each Glenn Webb said. Roads re-routed and new roads changed day, so his father asked if they could do it. the demographics of the buyers, he said. Aside from large shipments of fruit, there were a number of vendors and They had the fence rebuilt by 10 a.m. the next morning. families shopping at the orchard.

The official groundbreaking for the project was July 21, 1961. Topsoil had been removed at the power plant site before that day, and the ceremony was held early in the morning because rock blasting for the spillway was under way.

The lake changed the economy of the area when housing began to follow the pleasures of the lake. “It is hard to overstate the economic and beautification that took place at the lake,” Glenn Webb said. “Dad would not recognize what has happened, and I am really proud of what the coops have accomplished.” n LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 17

P E TS OF T HE L AK E | 2020

Anna Aumiller

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255 ANNA NURSERY LANE, COBDEN, IL 62920

230 ACRE ESTATE located in the heart of Union County and the Shawnee Wine Trails. Enter thru the gated drive, up the hill to a magnificent 4800 sq. ft. home unlike any other. The woodwork and hand stained millwork accents the interior, showcasing the double coffered ceilings.

There is a resort like view thru the west wall of spectacular windows, that surpasses none. watch the sunsets, eagles flying, view of Bald Knob cross from one of the highest altitudes in Southern IL. . Gourmet kitchen, 3 ovens, granite island, hardwood flooring. Double sided fireplace in living and master bedroom. Master bedroom suite is a complete get-a-way with access to the covered and open decks. 4 BR, 5 bath, panoramic scenery, peaceful solitude. Master bath offers sumptuous spa like living, steam shower, 4 shower heads, air jet tub, separate vanities, tiled, & a view! Theater media room, workout room, billiards, all in the walk out basement / great room that is over 64’ long. Manicured grounds.

YOUR LAKE OF EGYPT REAL ESTATE LEADER!

13387 N SHORELAND DRIVE, MARION, IL 62959

WATERFRONT home w/ plenty of space! From the moment you walk in you see the beautiful lake w/ all the windows. Open Living & Dining Room, Kitchen has recently been updated w/ granite counter tops, stainless appliances, walk in pantry, pot filler, double wall oven, instant hot water spicket, deep drawers & pull out shelves. 1 bedroom is on main level but there are 3 more you can choose from & 3 baths. 2 Fireplaces,Indoor Heated Fiberglass Pool in 24x32 heated sunroom that you can enjoy swimming year round. BONUS room can be used for your Master Bedroom, Man Cave, Theatre Room or you could even close off from house since it has its own separate entrance if wanted to Rent. It has its own bath and a 20’ closet, and 15’ storage closet. 2 car attached garage w/ blacktop drive plus gravel drive for extra parking.

Walk out Basement w/ deck for enjoying the view & walkway leading to the boat dock. There are so many possibilities w/ this home, Bed & Breakfast, VRBO or live year round like seller.

J. DAVID THOMPSON, REALTY 104 South Carbon Street Marion, IL 62959

618.997.1868 JDavidThompsonRealty.com

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 19

H O M ES FOR SAL E | L AK E OF E GYPT

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UT A T NO

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565 Lake Shore Dr N, Goreville Picture perfect lakefront cabin with boating dock and room to store boat. This cabin has picture perfect views of water. This property is located on an S-curve which features seclusion in the woods and privacy.

13387 N Shoreland Dr, Marion WATERFRONT home w/ plenty of space! From the moment you walk in you see the beautiful lake w/ all the windows. Open Living & Dining Room, Kitchen has recently been updated.

1000 Lakeview Dr, Creal Springs BRICK WATERFRONT HOME - 5 Bedrooms, 4 baths, major remodeling 2015 - custom Amish cabinets, appliances, Granite counter tops, flooring, master suite.

3BD/3BA

4BD/3BA

5BD/4BA

$225,000

$420,000

279,900

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H UT A T NO 1280 Robin Woods Ln, Tunnel Hill LAKE FRONT HOME. Nice cabin like older mobile home with large deck across entire home. Boat dock with deep water cove. Wooded lot that with a little landscaping and cleanup would help in appearance.

1850 Deer Ridge Rd, Goreville Beautiful country home sitting on 350 scenic acres near the Lake of Egypt. This 2900 sq ft. 3 bed/2.5 bath home is full of rustic charm. Vaulted ceiling, fireplace, large windows. Numerous ponds.

13211 S Egypt Shores Dr, Creal Springs If you are looking for a waterfront home that is reasonably priced, TAKE A SECOND LOOK at this 1900 + SF home at Egypt Shores. Yes it is as great as it says, so come on inside!

2BD/1BA

3BD/2.5BA

2BD/2BA

$98,000

$1,197,000

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$188,000

HO

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1810 Egyptian Hills Dr, Creal Springs Nice home on Lake of Egypt in the Egyptian Hills Subdivision. This home is a nice manufactured home that has a large finished basement with plenty of storage area, large recreational room, and two car garage.

1415 Lake Shore Dr S, Goreville Water front Quality Custom Built home with beautiful lake views provided by main floor windows, sliding glass doors to covered deck along with walk out basement windows and doors.

40 Water Front Dr, Creal Springs WATERFRONT HOME ON 2 WATERFRONT LOTS. Kitchen is open to dining room, sliding glass doors to balcony to enjoy lakeviews. Master bedroom features balcony overlooking the lake.

3BD/4BA

3BD/5BA

3BD/3BA

$159,900

$349,900

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TH U TA O N

$199,000

485 Wagon Creek Loop, Creal Springs This is a 1800 square foot, 3 bedroom, single family home. It is located at 485 Wagon Creek Loop Creal Springs, Illinois.

45 Blue Haven Point, Creal Springs This lakefront home is so move-in ready. Home has beautiful kitchen with island/bar and pantry and loads of cabinets and counter space. The master has shower and deep soaker tub and large walk-in closet.

1521 Kingston Dr, Marion You'll love this 3 bedroom WATERFRONT home in Sunset Harbor. The gently sloping back yard requires few steps to get to the boat dock that boasts 9 feet of deep water for your boat.

3BD

3BD/3BA

3BD/2BA

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$275,000

$289,000

$197,000

HOM ES FOR SALE | LAKE OF EGYPT

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255 Anna Nursery Ln, Cobden 230 Acre Estate located in the heart of Union County and the Shawnee Wine Trails. 4800 sq. ft., gourmet kitchen, panoramic scenery, spa-like master bath, theater room, workout room, walk-out basement.

640 Lakeview Dr, Creal Springs 2.54-acre Lake of Egypt waterfront. Park-like setting and beautifully updated home with walkout basement. Attached two-car garage and 40x40 detached garage/shop, boat house and dock with electric lift.

65 Eagle Claw Pt, Goreville READY TO ENJOY - LAKE HOME, don’t miss this one!! Numerous additions and upgrades. Master bedroom and bath added, Kitchen remodeled, new appliances, 3 season room overlooking lake.

4BD/3.5BA

4BD/4BA

3BD/2.5BA

$1,500,000

D IZE

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AU T NO

12355 Bermuda Dr, Marion New Construction at the Lake of Egypt. Three bedroom/ Two bathroom home in Marion School District in Williamson County. Home is located near Mack’s Marina. Option to build a dock.

3BD/2BA

$184,900

425 Chigger Ridge Rd, Creal Springs Quiet country setting. Great room with updated kitchen and island. Sunken living room. Large private covered deck across back of home. Located close to Egyptian Hills Marina. Pole barn 40X30.

3BD/2BA

$129,900

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265 Lake Shore Dr S, Goreville WATERFRONT HOME - READY TO MOVE IN Large living, dining area features brick gas fireplace, has 2 sliding glass doors going out to deck and overlooking the lake. Updated Kitchen.

3BD/2BA

$210,000

$449,000

$164,700

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Our goal is to provide “at no charge” information on properties available in the Lake Of Egypt region. ONLY PROPERTIES AUTHORIZED by the Listing Agencies are published. Home Owners: To have your homes information included in our print and electronic editions of Lake of Egypt Living go to lakeofegyptliving.com and submit your property information.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIE BAER 24

point

HOME on the

BY TERRANCE GEESE

Tom Franks never intended to be a resident of the Lake of Egypt area. A world traveler, sportsman and a successful businessman in any field he touched, he and his wife, Jill, should have been very content with their property along the Ohio River or their home in Marion. And they were.

But that’s before they spotted a large house on a peninsula extending into the lake.

Groundhog Day 2016 the house became theirs. In April, they began the process of transforming it into a home that would reflect childhood memories of another home Tom cherished.

Jill was no stranger to living near a lake, being reared in a Minnesota lake town of about 300. She had landed in Southern Illinois during the progression of her careers.

She had obtained her bachelor of science in real estate at the prestigious University of St. Thomas-Opus College of Business, which launched her first career as a broker.

Jill, like Tom, was successful in business in a variety of fields.

She arrived in this general area with purpose. She was dispatched to St. Louis to open a luluemon athletica store.

For the uninitiated, that is a yoga-inspired athletic apparel company – paradise for yoga enthusiasts.

And that brings us to another phase in her daily life, she

is a yoga instructor and has taken great joy in conducting “Sunset Yoga” from the deck of the couple’s home, sharing with others the lake view Jill and Tom have come to love.

The couple works together at Tom’s successful banking operation, Farmers State Bank. He acquired the bank in 1994, and sold his family’s coal mining operation, employment about 600, to Peabody Energy. At the time, Farmers State Bank of Alto Pass was the state’s smallest banking operation. Tom’s sense of business has allowed the bank to expand, becoming a dominant force in the area with asset size of $3 million dollars in 1994 to more than $242 million today.

After a day at the bank, they return to the Lake of Egypt home of dreams they have carefully crafted. The home embodies the memories and progress of their relationship, Jill says. Each element of the home records a memory for them, from the newest item to ancient pieces acquired in their travels.

For Tom, the home is a revival of a memory of his younger years. His parents, Bill and Jane Franks, owned a home in Naples, Fla. That house was a favorite of Tom. It was airy, bright and open.

The pursuit of that memory caused the couple to engage in a monster of a construction project in April 2016. It was a remodel on an unheard-of scale.

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Making your Lake Dreams come true.

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Tom and Jill Franks

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 27

The house had an ideal location, on that peninsula extending into Lake of Egypt, but it lacked all the airiness of the memorable Florida home, Tom says.

So, what to do? Virtually everything excepting the shell of the outer walls was removed, and a dream started to take shape.

Now, it has all the airiness of Tom Franks’ Florida memory and for Jill, all the memories of her relationship with her husband are preserved.

The home is vast, some 8,000 square feet, and there is nary a spot in the home where you will not see natural light.

“It is light, airy and cream-colored,” Tom says. “It is peace and quiet.”

The couple’s home now has a huge cathedral-type area with all the living spaces within full view from the entryway.

When you enter, their kitchen is among the first areas you will spot.

It features a massive kitchen island where you will most often find the large family enjoying family gatherings, telling tales or enjoying memories. The kitchen is “the heart of the home,” she says.

“We have a large family,” Jill says, and that prompted them to finish the second story with bedrooms and other areas. Tom describes it as being the “kids’ room” area.

More space for family and visitors also has been built above a garage. That area, too, replicates the goal of Jill and Tom for an airy and bright atmosphere. Guests enjoy a magnificent view of Lake of Egypt.

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Lest you believe converting the house into a home of dreams was easy, it required a structural engineer when interior walls were removed.

The floor of the great room is unique as it is the product of prison workers in Alabama. They have taken concrete to an even higher level, with the finished product appearing to be ancient Italian marble. That material is the great room floor and the total weight is about 27 tons, which required extra reinforcement beneath the home.

The vastness of the great room, the charm of ancient marble rightly makes you realize you are entering a home with grandeur. Then, when you encounter the mixture of old and new furnishings Tom and Jill have carefully selected, you realize this is not just a house.

It first became a home for Jill and Tom one night in New Years Eve, 2017 when they spent their first night there. To say it was sparsely furnished would be an understatement as they had only two chairs and a bed. When they awak36

ened in the morning, they were greeted by the sight of a crowd of fishermen on the lake, all there to say, “Welcome.”

Soon the house became a home where grandkids can play and adults can kick off their shoes and relax, perhaps in front of the fireplace, a family favorite. It is constructed of limestone brought to Southern Illinois from Corydon, Ind. Both Tom and Jill emphasize the home’s furnishings may not be a decorator’s dream with that combination old, such as 300-year-old furniture, with the new. However, that combination has achieved their goal, a homey, airy, feeling of family comfort.

When you explore a bit deeper you discover the emphasis on family is not limited to the confines of the home.

Outside you will find a pool and impressive grill area, a favorite family area for the summer. And beyond that, the dock extending into the lake, the spot where Tom experienced his most memorable hour of fishing.

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 37

Lake of Egypt has a unique feature due to the power plant. The lake was built for cooling and the water near the plant is warm all year. The home’s peninsula is in line with the warm water and one blustery day, Tom and two friends decided to fish for crappie from the dock. It was a cold day and the wind whipped falling snow around them as they baited-up and dropped their lines. One by one, they pulled crappie from the warm water into their chilled hands. The limit for crappie was 30 per day. The three fishermen caught 90, but not within a day. The feat was accomplished in an hour from the dock.

“We caught them, and never put a boat in,” Tom recalls.

The memory of that day exhibits Tom’s love of the outdoors. Today, he says, you will find him on the lake fishing about three or four days a week, and the warm water that extends to his dock makes it possible to do it 12 months a year.

The Franks home on a summer evening is comparable to a Norman Rockwell painting, a magnificent snow-white home standing on a peninsula in a beautiful lake, Jill conducting a “Sunset Yoga” class on the patio and Tom fishing for the crappie for which Lake of Egypt is famous.

"It is indescribable,” Jill says. While years ago there were choices for a home, Lake of Egypt has eliminated that option. “Now, we can’t leave,” she says. n View more photos of the Franks home at lakeofegyptliving.com

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LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 39

ON THE FAIRWAY I asked Micah how he played today. He said “well…I thought about hitting my driver off the first tee but decided to hit a three wood to play safe. I hit it way right and it just barely stayed out of the ditch. I tried to punch out back to the fairway but hit it too hard and got in the left rough. Now I don’t have a shot to the green so I laid up to the ditch. From there I hit a wedge but should have hit a 9 iron. It came up short and rolled all the way down the hill. I pitched up short again and it rolled back to my feet.

Twice. Then I hit the next shot way past the hole. And then…I three putted. Then on the second hole…” That’s when I said “Hang on Micah. If we are going all 18 holes, I’m going to need to get a cart”.

So how is your short game? After a significant seasonal layoff from golf, the short game seems to be our most glaring weakness and major source of frustration in our otherwise joyous return to the game we love. We smack the driver somewhere toward the fairway, we send our second shot to the side of the green some thirty feet from the collar, then we chunk a chip short, blade the next one over, decelerate and leave the next one way short and then three putt for an easy 8. And we were only thirty feet away in two!

A couple unique features at the 6,000-yard Lake of Egypt Country Club are the zoysia fairways and elevated greens.

If your shot lands in the thick zoysia short of the green, it stays short. If it lands on the green with no spin or at a shallow trajectory it goes over. Now you are left with that tricky little uphill pitch shot that we so dread. What do you do?

Here are a few basic tips that will help you enjoy your summer on the slopes of the Lake of Egypt CC. First of all, what my dad preached to me as a kid and what you have undoubtedly heard over and over since you began playing the game is still true today. Keep your head still, keep your eye on the ball and keep your left arm straight (assuming you are right-handed). Even for basic tips, those are pretty basic.

Next, consider your ball position. I like to place the ball slightly closer to my back foot than my front foot, and not 40

too far outside my eye-line. In other words, keep the ball pretty close to you so the shaft is more upright and forces the club straight back along the target line rather than around your body.

Most golfers prefer to set up with about 60% of their weight on their front foot. This allows for more of a downward motion of the club to the ball, making it easier to contact the ball first rather than the ground. (And we all know that feeling). I personally like to set up with more weight on my back foot, but that’s from growing up with thick beautiful zoysia fairways and perfect lies.

The only thing left now is distance control. How do we make the ball go the distance we want? I like to control my distance with the length of my backswing. Obviously the shorter the shot, the shorter the backswing. The important thing to remember is be consistent with the follow through. Make sure your follow through mirrors your backswing. If your backswing is knee high, take your follow through to knee high. This will prevent the dreaded deceleration.

Now that you have the basics, practice! And if that doesn’t produce the results you want, contact your local PGA Professional for a lesson. I promise he can help! n

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PYRAM ID ACRE S | EVE NT CALENDAR Sat, Jun 13 Food: Easy Street (all weekend) Music: Killer Pimps 8pm-12am

Sat, Jul 4 Independence Day Food: Easy Street 11am-9pm

Sat, Jun 20 Peggy Roth Charity Boat Ride Food: Rupert Johnson BBQ 11am-9pm Music: DJ Opie/Karaoke 7pm-11pm

Sun, Jul 5 Food: Curbside Catering 9am-6pm

Fri, Jun 26 VA Rehab Day on the Lake Food: Curbside Catering 9am-9pm Music: Cheap Surrender 8pm-11pm Sat, Jun 27 VA Rehab Day on the Lake Food: Curbside Catering Sat 9am-9pm Sun 9am-6pm Fri, Jul 3 Food: SI Meatball 4pm-10pm Music: Greg Clutts 8pm-11pm

Sat, Jul 11 Food: Caribbean Hut (all weekend) Music: Diamond Dog 8pm-12am Sat, Jul 18 Food: The Burger Shack (all weekend) Music: Vintage Station Band 7:30pm-10:30pm Sat, Jul 25 Music: Prime Time DJ 8pm-12am Sat, Aug 1 Food: Big D’s BBQ Fri 4pm-8pm & Sat 8:30am-8:30pm Music: The Hollerboys 8pm-12am

Sat, Aug 15 Food: Easy Street (all weekend) Music: Tucker Kuhnert Band 8pm-11pm Sat, Aug 22 Food: Curbside Catering (all weekend) Music: Second-Hand CarTunes 8pm-11pm Sat, Aug 29 Food: Caribbean Hut (all weekend) Music: Second-Hand CarTunes 8pm-11pm Fri, Sep 4 Food: SI Meatball Music: Free Juke Box (all day) Due to COVID-19 some events may have been cancelled or rescheduled.

Please contact the venue for additional information.

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 43

FISHIN' REPORT I 'm Adam Eggertsen, fishing Lake of Egypt is by far my favorite hobby. I enjoy fishing this water yearround however in the upcoming months of June & July Lake of Egypt can provide some great summertime action. With the bass and crappie spawn coming to an end the fish will begin to school together again. Crappie will primarily migrate to creeks, channels, stumps, and brush piles in deeper water.

For bass, there will be some really good topwater action in the early morning and late evening hours. Some large schools of bass will begin to find their way to rock piles, humps, stumps, channel swings, and brush piles offshore.

The month of June is probably my favorite month to bass fish on L.O.E because there is a decent shallow bite and the deep offshore bite really starts to heat up during this time. There is a variety of ways to find the bass this time of year.

Shallow fish can be caught with many different presentations from crawling baits, moving baits, and top waters.

The deeper schools of bass can be fooled by deep diving crankbaits, jigs, shaky heads, and big plastic worms.

I have found schools of bass with a hundred or more fish in them this time of year. If you can get the school to fire up, a lot of numbers along with some good-sized fish can be caught. It is not uncommon to put a lot of bass in the boat rather quickly.

Stop in and see us at Just Add Water for all your fishing needs.

It is our mission to keep you fishin' See you on the water! n

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OUT OF THE CELLAR B Y PAT R I C K A U S T I N // S P E A K E A S Y L I Q U O R S

USING THE EASY BUTTON It seems that the times we are living in and the way in which we conduct our day-to-day activities are becoming more complicated. We all seem to be searching for ways to simplify any aspect of our lives that we can. In my opinion, I believe that one way we can accomplish this is to consider our drinks of choice. Finding a quality mixed drink like a Manhattan or a Margarita, knowing that all you have to do is open and pour, is as simple as it gets. Let’s take a look at the RTD (ready to drink) section of our liquor stores and try to make life a little easier while saving you time and the headaches of finding all of the needed ingredients.

PREMIUM RTD’S IN A BOTTLE With every person having a different profile of what their favorite drink should taste like, it is impossible for the drink companies to completely satisfy everyone. I want to introduce you to what I think are a few of the best RTD options that we carry. Handy & Schiller from the Sazerac

Company has two different offerings in the RTD category. I would consider each of these a top shelf, classic style drink.

The first is a Manhattan made with Sazerac Rye and the second is an Old Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace. Both of these products are made with top quality ingredients and I would gladly compare these to a hand mixed drink from most seasoned bartenders. These two drinks are classic as it gets and provides a great change from the typical drink of choice. Jose Cuervo is a name everyone recognizes—perhaps from a one too many night or a country song. If you think Jose Cuervo is not a friend of yours, you should give it another chance. Cuervo produces a line of RTD’s called the Golden line. For example, Cuervo Golden Margaritas offer a traditional lime and a strawberry margarita made with Cuervo Gold Tequila and Grand Marnier.

If you ever were or currently are a fan of the Perfect Margarita that is available at several popular restaurants, then this is as close as it gets. With Cuervo Golden Margarita making the perfect drink, it is as simple as salting the rim LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 47

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and pouring the goodness over ice. These are a couple of treat-yourself examples that require minimum effort to achieve drink greatness.

RTD’S IN A BOTTLE This is a vast segment with many easy to find yet hard to pick options. Let’s get started with 1800 Ultimate Margarita. 1800 produces a super high quality product with six flavor options. One unique option with 1800 is that they offer a delicious Blood Orange Margarita, which is fairly new to the industry. The only drawback I can find with 1800 is that it comes in a glass bottle. Glass on the boat or around a pool is a little iffy to me.

Captain Morgan has made life a little easier for Long Island Ice Tea fans. A traditional Long Island Iced Tea calls for Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Gin, and Triple sec along with several other nonalcoholic ingredients. The Captain has put all of these ingredients into their great tasting version of the Long Island called Rum Island Iced Tea. Simple open and poor over ice is an easy choice for your summer Long Island fix. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how many people like a Kahlua-based drink all year.

Kahlua offers a couple of different drinks at a very good price. For one, I recommend the White Russian (if it’s good enough for “The Dude” it has to be good enough for us). For the second, the traditional Mudslide. Kahlua is a fairly expensive product and when you add your vodka the White Russian can get a little pricey. Mudslides can also get pricey with the recipe of Kahlua, Vodka, and Irish Cream, which takes time, money, and practice to perfect it. I am very confident that if you give the Kahlua RTD’s a try, you will be pleased with the texture, taste, and the value of the product.

Lastly, we move to the king of all RTD’s, Jose Cuervo Authentic Margaritas. If I was to guess and please don’t hold me to this, we sell as many Authentics as all other RTD’s combined. Cuervo Authentic’s is made with Jose Cuervo Gold and it seems they offer as many flavors as Ben & Jerry’s. Cuervo Authentics has eleven different flavors and like most RTD’s comes in a couple of different packages. Authentic also offers a delicious Light Margarita that weighs in at ninety-five calories per serving. With their wide array of flavors, I am sure you can find something for everyone, don’t be afraid to branch out into other choices like the Coconut Pineapple or the Cherry Limeade Margarita.

RTD’S IN A CAN The liquor industry has gone can crazy, and RTD’s fit well with this. The simple concept of throwing a great canned

Mai Tai or Bloody Mary into your cooler may seemed farfetched. However, in my opinion, there are a few companies getting it right. A California based company, Cut Water, is really doing a great job with their canned drinks.

They offer a large array of tasty mixed drinks in a twelve ounce can. The two I recommend trying first are the Mai Tai and the Vodka Mule. The Mai Tai is made with their own craft Barrel aged Rum, Bali Hai Gold Rum, and several different natural juices. The Vodka mule is comprised of their Cut Water Vodka with Natural Ginger, Bitters, and Lime Flavors. I should also include that as far as cans go, you can’t beat their two Bloody Mary offerings. Cut Water’s RTD line varies from 5% ABV to 12.5% ABV and all are gluten free. Another company, the Gallo Company typically known for wine, offers a canned RTD called High Noon Sun Sips. I probably should not list these because they are a Hard Seltzer but, they are Vodka based so I am going to let it slide. These drinks come in four flavors Grapefruit, Black Cherry, Pineapple, and Watermelon all coming in at 100 calories per serving. High Noon’s ABV only 4.5% so this is a drink you might be able to sip on all day. If you like Seltzers, you will definitely find a drink from High Noon to enjoy. Lastly, we have a product called Monaco. They offer two different lines, one is Monaco Soda and the other is the Monaco Cocktail. The Soda line is vodka based in a 12oz can that offers two flavors, Tropical and Lemon Lime.

Monaco Sodas are unique in the fact that both flavors are sugar, carbohydrate, and gluten-free. Once again, if you are looking for a seltzer style product that is better for you, then Monaco Soda will be a great fit. The other product Monaco offers is their Cocktail line also offered in a 12oz can. The Cocktail line has more than six different flavors ranging from Citrus Rush made with their own vodka and natural flavors to Blue Crush made with Vodka, Gin, Tequila, and soda. All of the Cocktail line is Gluten-free and easy to drink. One thing I will pass on is that Monaco has two full shots in each can, so they can sneak up on you if you are not careful!

I hope these recommendations and comments will give you some guidance if you are looking to save time by not mixing drinks. When shopping in our stores, please ask for any assistance from our very knowledgeable staff. I did leave out several good products like Arty’s Bloody Mary solely because they are in 12oz glass bottles. Everyone will find something they can enjoy from the above recommendations. Please enjoy these products in moderation and stay safe and healthy. n

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 49

E V EN T CA LENDAR | 2020 Due to COVID-19 some events may have been cancelled or rescheduled.

Please contact the venue for additional information.

June 4-6 Old Settlers Days 109 N Maincross Galatia IL 618-268-4027 This family fun event offers free rides and entertainment each evening, starting with Nashville star Kendell Marvel, hometown hero. Lions Club food tent Is open each day with their famous BBQ. There is a small flea market, including popcorn, henna painting and flea market vendors. Saturday morning Kiddie Games include Frog Jumping, Bubble Gum blowing and more. At 1:00pm is a Giant Auction.

A parade begins at 5pm.

June 11-14 Superman Celebration 607 Market St Metropolis IL 800-248-4373 Metropolis, Home of

Superman, holds a celebration the second weekend in June each year celebrating the 'Man of Steel.' A Superman Drama kicks off the weekend of contests, music, food and fun, as well as a comic book & artist show, fan films, street vendors, a carnival, costume contest and a Super Car Show. Celebrating all things Super!

The schedule is filled with events for young and old.

The Metropolis Super Con is an annual pop-culture and superhero convention, at 715 Market Street, features free admission and coincides with the annual Superman Celebration.

According to the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, the Superman Celebration is expected to draw 20,00030,000 people.

June 12-14 Metropolis Super Comic Con 715 Market Street Metropolis, Metropolis IL 270-210-1868

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Metropolis Super Con features a record number of vendors for the free admission event held at 715 Market Street to coincide with the annual Superman Celebration.

There will also be plenty of vintage and newer Superman collectibles.

Other vendors include one specializing in celebrity signed photos, one who sells vintage Star Wars collectibles, another producing movie props, and one with homemade horror and monster-themed dolls and action figures. The Metropolis Super Con, located caddy-corner from the Lois Lane statue, is open on Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 2 pm.

June 14 Super Car Show 1308 E 5th St Metropolis IL 618-524-4712 Cars and trucks are polished to perfection and fill Fort Massac State Park for

a popular summer show.

Winners are determined in various classes, including Mayor's choice and Superman's Choice.

June 25-28 Archery Tournament & Festival Mermet Lake Metropolis IL 618-524-5577 Tournaments for men and women in several categories, with 3-D targets set in wooded areas for archery enthusiasts. An archery festival with archery and outdoor manufacturers showing their newest and latest products, special seminars and presentations, youth programs and bow hunting activities for young and old. It also features a practice range and a chance to watch and meet some of the sport's top professionals. These events will provide bow hunters the opportunity to talk and share experience with fellow archers, learn about the newest equipment and improve shooting

2020 | E VE NT CALENDAR skills. Mermet Lake Fish & Wildlife Area off Hwy. 45 in Massac County.

July 3-4 Hardin County Heritage Main St Elizabethtown IL 618-264-5854 Held the first Saturday in July each year, the Festival celebrates the county’s rich heritage and history. The event includes exceptional period entertainment and activities to fill your weekend including; 1800’s outdoor play, pageant, quilt show, duck race, area craft and food vendors.

Festivities also include a period ball, a Regal Women’s

Tea and live entertainment throughout the activities.

Anna IL 618-697-2435

July 4 Freedom Fest 100 Mains St Goreville IL 618-751-0785

The River to River Yard Sale will follow Hwy. 146 from East Cape to Cave in Rock, IL. There is no cost to attend the yard sales.

Bring cash! For more details on things to do, or places to stay in Southernmost Illinois, visit www.southernmostillinois.com

4th of July Celebration events includes: Freedom Run a 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run; a gospel show; a parade; free concert at the City Park and much more. Capping off the Freedom Fest is one of the largest fireworks display in Southern Illinois.

July 9-12 River to River Yard Sale 137 E Vienna St

July 10-18 Massac County Youth Fair & Farm Show 4476 Korte Rd Metropolis IL 618-524-4608 Popular at the fair is the annual farm toy show, which

brings toy enthusiasts from throughout the Midwest to buy, sell, trade and just plain enjoy the collections and displays. There will be farm and construction toys, along with trucks, cars, crafts and much more.

Door prizes will be awarded throughout the show.

Admission and parking are free, although donations will be accepted. The show will be held in the air-conditioned exhibit hall at the fairgrounds.

Always popular is the Tractor & Farm machinery show, where you can see the tractors, implements, engines, horse-drawn tools and more. Featured this

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 51

E V EN T CA LENDAR | 2020 year is Minneapolis Moline, but all makes are welcome and will be represented.

Free admission, however donations are accepted.

Minneapolis Moline Pedal Tractor to be given away.

Donate to the Youth Fair for your chance to win.

August 1-2 Midsummer Picnic Pairings, a Wine & Food Pairing Event 2865 Hickory Ridge Road Pomona IL 618-218-4402 With summer in full force, a relaxing outdoor picnic is just what the doctor ordered. Grab a few friends and enjoy fresh, local foods of the season with award-winning reds, whites and rose's from your favorite wineries. How it Works: Pre-purchase your ticket online and select your starting point. The first winery that you visit will give you a souvenir wine glass and your tasting ticket. Bring your ticket to each location along the trail to enjoy your pairings. Leave your

completed/stamped tasting ticket at the last winery visited to be entered for a chance to win a great prize from one of our associate members. We invite you to join us for a progressive tasting along the trail and enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of our wines paired with delicious samples.

August 14-15 Cobden Peach Festival 117 S Appleknocker Dr Cobden IL 62920 800-248-4373 Celebrate the local peach harvest, sponsored by the Cobden Lions Club. Join us for fresh peaches from local orchards, carnival rides and games, crowning of ‘Miss Peach Queen’, homemade food and peach cobbler & pie with a 5K run/walk and parade on Saturday. Free admission.

August 22-23 Shawnee Hills 100 3760 Ondessonk Rd. Ozark IL 618-695-2489

There will be miles and miles of great running through the beautiful Shawnee National Forest, the best food, a plethora of free beverages, and swag give away. We will also, have the kids Fun Run, vendor expo, and the totally rustic Camp O cabins.

Camp Ondessonk, in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest, will be the play host to the Shawnee Hills 100 race. The runners will get to explore some of the most stunning and extraordinary rock formations and waters falls. The course will take you deep into the sandstone canyon systems of Southern Illinois' Shawnee Hills Natural Division while traversing Jackson Hollow and the Bay Creek Reservoir and several waterfalls along the course including Pakentuck Falls (the tallest free-falling waterfall in Illinois), Jackson Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and Cedar Falls along with some inspiring views from Salomon's Ridge.

September 11-12 Popcorn Days 109 S Kimbro St Ridgway IL 618-559-9235 Popcorn Day celebration is the second weekend in September every year. During this weekend we have live entertainment, vendors, amusement rides, games, free popcorn, and the big parade on Saturday at 1:00 pm.

Ridgway is also home to the unique family owned business, Dinger Bats. Here, the first wooden bat company in Illinois crafts wooden baseball bats for players at every stage of the game from little league to the Major League. Website is www. dingerbats.com. Tours can be arranged with Kyle Drone at (618)841-1259.

September 16-19 Murphysboro Apple Festival 110 S 14th St Murphysboro IL 618-684-3200

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Celebrating the area apple harvest. Events include a downtown street carnival with rides and concessions, live nightly entertainment on the Appletime Stage, an arts & crafts fair, two parades, a high school marching band competition, car/ truck/motorcycle show, queen scholarship pageant, walk/run race, and much more.

September 19 Cave-In-Rock Frontier Day Along the Ohio River Cave-in-Rock IL 618-287-4333 Cave-In-Rock Frontier Festival is held on the banks of the beautiful Ohio River.

The festival, which commemorates the extensive and colorful history connected to Cave-In-Rock and the surrounding community, is an entertaining and fun filled community event.

First held in the 1960’s, the celebration includes a parade, carnival, various entertainment held in the Old Opry House, food and craft vendors. A Little Miss and Mister Frontier Days and Frontier Queen pageant is a highlight as well as various other activities. Come join the festivities for a weekend of fun and entertainment.

September 19 Shrimp Festival Pope County Courthouse Golconda IL

618-683-6246 A “Shrimp Festival” may sound like a crazy celebration in a quaint river town in Southern Illinois but it is one you don't want to miss!

No, you won’t find shrimp in the Ohio River, but what we do have are local and sustainably farmed shrimp (prawn) from Tanglefoot Ranch and lots of other festivities to enjoy. Come enjoy the streets lined with vendors serving a wide variety of shrimp dishes sure to satisfy every shrimp lover’s appetite. Plus, we have much more than just shrimp to eat. You can also find award-winning BBQ along with corndogs, funnel cakes, and much more.

September 26-27 National Alpaca Farm Days at Rolling Rock 1335 Hall Church Road Makanda IL 618-201-2822 Enjoy a fun-filled day for the entire family! Experience alpacas up-close, feel the alpaca fleece and view live demonstrations. Take a tour of the farm and learn about raising and breeding alpacas. Shop in the farm store for alpaca products.

Meet the alpacas- hand feed them by purchasing a feed cup! The alpacas love being hand fed. We have around 20 alpacas on the farm!

LAKEOFEGYPTLIVING.COM | 53

THE UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER

Memorial Day at the Lake of Egypt

BY VICTORIA SPREHE

There are a lot of things to celebrate in May…May Day, Kentucky Derby Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mothers Day…heck May 14 is even designated as the “Dance Like a Chicken Day”. But, the holiday that everyone looks forward to celebrating every year is Memorial Day. It’s the unofficial start of summer…the kick-off to a fun-filled summer on the lake.

I was trained in the art of French cuisine and although I adore French cooking sometimes what we really need is All-American, apple pie and baseball kind of food. Memorial Day is one of those times.

In honor of this special day and in honor of those that gave their lives defending our great nation…the Best of the Best…I am going to share with you the best of the best…tried and true…my go-to recipes for some of my family’s favorite All-American dishes.

PULLED PORK Preparing the meat for our events is normally my husband’s thing. He’s very good at it. He has experimented with a lot of different pulled pork recipes throughout the years but this seems to be everyone’s favorite. This is a “good ole’ boy” Pioneer Woman recipe that you can’t mess up.…just plain tasty every time. It’s all about the rub and roasting it low and slow until it falls apart.

INGREDIENTS ¼ cup brown sugar 1 Tablespoon chili powder 1 Tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 pork butt 4 onions, cut into halves 1 bottle BBQ sauce (Greg uses Sweet Baby Rays) Sandwich buns DIRECTIONS Stir together the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork butt.

Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight. (Overnight is definitely better.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the pork in a large roasting pan on a bed of the onion halves. Roast until fork-tender and falling apart, about 7 hours. Remove the pork from the pan and set it on a cutting board. Slice some of the onion.

Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat and add ½ to 1 cup of hot water.

Scrape the pan to loosen up the bits and cook for 5 minutes to reduce.

Pour in the barbecue sauce and stir to heat.

Shred the meat with two forks, add the sliced onions to the pork and then toss in the barbecue sauce until it’s coated to your liking.

Serve on sandwich buns with extra barbeque sauce and Memphis cole slaw on the side.

SPINACH SALAD AND DRESSING Serves 6 to 8 This is one of the very best spinach salad recipes you will ever make and the reason is undoubtedly the dressing. To assure the proper consistency it is important to follow the mixing directions precisely…the goal is emulsification.

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SALAD INGREDIENTS 1 pound fresh spinach 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped 6 strips bacon, fried and crumbled 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

ed or the dressing won’t emulsify. Slowly add vinegar and toss with the salad.

NOTE: I actually prefer to serve this salad with all the ingredients, including the dressing as individual components so that my guests can make their salad with whatever ingredients they prefer. Some people don’t eat bacon, some don’t like eggs, some like a little dressing and some like a lot of dressing. You can really make a beautiful presentation if you use coordinated containers to build your own spinach salad bar.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS 1 egg yolk 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 ½ teaspoons paprika 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon pepper ¾ cup salad oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar

RED, WHITE AND BLUE JELLO PARFAITS Kids love this dessert. It is color appropriate for the holiday, refreshingly cool and easy to put together.

DIRECTIONS Chop eggs.

Crumble bacon.

Slice onion thinly (I like to slice into thin rings) Spread evenly over the lettuce.

Make the dressing: Mix egg yolk with seasonings until smooth. Slowly (very slowly) add oil, 2 Tablespoons at a time. It is very important that this step be mixed as direct-

Simply prepare any red or blue Jell-O according to the box directions. After the Jell-O has become firm simply cut the gelatin in 1/2 –inch cubes. Layer the gelatin cubes with whipped topping in glasses of your choice. Plastic is usually a good idea for children. Add a decorative pick, sprinkles or fresh blueberries and/or strawberries to support the red, white and blue theme.

TIP: Be sure to save all your Memorial Day decorations for the Fourth of July.

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FRESH WHISKEY SOURS Makes 4 cocktails Well, you will certainly want to make more than 4 servings of this cocktail if you are having a party. We always make a big batch because 4 servings don’t go far. Just for reference: make the recipe x 5 ½ = 1 liter of Jack Daniels. Tastes fresh and citrusy (especially if you squeeze your own juice which I think is a must) yet offers a little bit of sweetness. Yum! INGREDIENTS ¾ cup whiskey (Jack Daniel’s, i.e.) ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons) ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes) 2/3 cup sugar syrup (see note) Ice cubes Maraschino cherries DIRECTIONS Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, lime juice, and syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and mix 2/3 full. Shake for 15 seconds and pour into glasses. Add a maraschino cherry and serve.

NOTE: To make the sugar syrup, bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil, and simmer until completely dissolved. Chill before using.

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The Fitness Center also has their own “Spa room” providing massage therapy and facials. Dustin Allard is a highly rated licensed massage therapist and Jill Fehring is an exceptional aesthetician who offers facials, eyebrow/eyelash tinting, eyebrow/lip waxing. Members and Non-members are enjoying the “Spa room”.

Additionally, there are two functional medicine trained dietitians that specialize in improving the health of people with chronic disease, inflammation, weight control, GI problems, joint pain etc. They use integrative concepts to look at the root causes of symptoms to determine an individualized diet plan, lifestyle, and targeted professional grade supplements.

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I N LOV I NG M E MORY OF

Shaunn Curry

The residents of the Lake of Egypt communities and users of the lake, especially the boaters, have lost a true friend, Shaunn Baired Curry.

We lost Shaunn April 26, 2020, as a result of an ATV accident. Most of us on the lake knew Shaunn in a different setting – as a very dedicated caretaker of our watercraft.

He was a long-time friend of Tommy Janes of Mack’s Lake of Egypt Marina. The friendship led to Shaunn working at the marina, first as a part-time employee and then as a regular employee after his retirement from the Williamson County Sheriff ’s Department, where he served the citizens as a sergeant.

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Janes recalls they were first friends for 25 years before Shaunn started working at the marina.

Shaunn at times aided in the sale of a boat, but most often he was “running the service department,” Janes said.

“We would kid ourselves, saying ‘Everyone can be replaced,’” Janes said. “But sometimes that isn’t true.”

Customers knew Shaunn as a man they could trust. His laid-back manner belied the fact he could be stern when it was required. That, Janes said, came from the law enforcement career.

As a law officer, Shaunn was a respected deputy, best shown by the long procession of officers honoring him at his funeral.

Friends of Shaunn have noted his laugh, his smile and his wit as favorite memories. We remember him for his deep love for Lake of Egypt.

Janes knew Shaunn as a great friend, and many on the lake had that same relationship. Laid-back, easy-going Shaunn Baired Curry will long be remembered as a man who cared about the lake, his customers and his friends, and especially his family.

Rest in peace, Shaunn Baired Curry, July 5, 1964 – April 26, 2020. n

He is survived by his wife, Carol Curry of Pittsburg; father, Loren (Rebecca) Curry of Pittsburg; sister, Gretchen Curry of Marion; daughter, Nicole (Danny) Hance of Marion; son, Michael (Gretchen) Jones of Johnston City; grandkids, Triston, Josh, Keira, and Talon Hance, and Remington Jones; great-granddaughter, Liliana; nephew, Garrett Leposky; nieces, Gauge Bevis and Ava Gibson; great-nieces and nephews, Harper Leposky, Layton Bevis, and Jaxon Bevis; half brothers, Isaac (Megan) Gibson and Eli Gibson; several loving aunts and cousins; and close friends, Scott McCabe and Tommy Janes, in addition to many other dear friends.

He was like another son to Mack and Fritzi Janes.

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Installation Safety

B Y S H A R I F F S H A K I R // A E S S O L A R

While COVID 19 has made it impossible for some businesses to provide their services, solar can and is still being installed safely. We, like many businesses, have had to adapt how we do our work to ensure everyone's safety. The most interesting thing we have learned is that these techniques are similar to what we have always done.

When a household is interested in going solar, an initial design and estimate can be done with just the address and a utility bill. Virtual meetings or socially distant site visits can be done to educate the homeowner about the system.

Any details that may be needed from the site can typically be obtained from photos provided by the homeowner.

Paperwork can be signed in a safe way as well. Most of it can be done electronically. In some cases, a utility may require a signature on paper but that can be accomplished via mail. These options make it possible to go solar without any new exposure. While this arrangement may seem daunting, we will guide you through every step of the pro-

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cess to ensure you are confident with the investment.

The vast majority of the install process is done outside; on your roof or at the ground mount location. In many cases, the solar can be tied into the meter outside your home.

When we need to do work inside (wiring in the attic or connecting to electrical panels), we would only do so with your permission, and we would minimize any risk during this time by wearing a mask, sanitizing frequently, and working efficiently.

While your safety is very important to us, so is the safety of our crew and team. We have made every effort to ensure that they are safe. Most of our team is working from home.

We are maintaining limited office hours with only one employee on site and we are providing our staff with PPE. We want you to feel confident in becoming more energy independent, and strive to make the process as safe as possible. n

Making you feel right at home is what we do best!

Kurt Avripas Owner/Broker

618-923-2379

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W H AT E V E R the summer forecast, WE PREDICT COOL TEMPERATURES. Make sure your system is ready to beat the heat. Fowler Heating & Cooling will keep you cool by maintaining your current system or by installing a new energy-efficient BryantÂŽ cooling system. We have been serving our friends and neighbors for over 41 years and we proudly provide same day service.

Our experienced service staff is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Schedule an appointment today.

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TheResort rentals ACCOMMODATIONS

The Resort offers both single and double chalet models to accommodate your whole family. Chalets include a fully furnished kitchen, bathroom, living area, wood deck with grill and boat dock.

BOAT RENTALS

The Resort offers brand new pontoon boat rentals for those who want to enjoy a day or weekend cruising the beautiful waters of the Lake of Egypt. Rentals start at $160 for a 4 hour rental.

TRAMPOLINE RENTALS

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You can rent this 20 foot water trampoline for the day only $300 for a 8 hour rental.

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