IVL

Living Illinois Valley

Summer 2016

Dimmick Grade School’s 5K isn’t a walk in the park.

See our story on Page 4.

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Illinois Valley Living

3 Terri’s Column

Summertime in the Illinois Valley The sizzle of summer is upon us. While the winter, spring and fall all hold certain activities and memories for those of us who live, work and play in the Illinois Valley, there’s just something special about summer.

Maybe it’s the memories of catching those lightning bugs in mayonnaise jars with holes punched in the lids. Perhaps it’s those recollections of sitting on the front porch on a hot and sultry summer evening, when the voices were hushed and the crickets serenaded the night. Or possibly, it’s the sound of one of those box fans whirling in the window and an orange Popsicle waiting for you in the freezer ... maybe those memories speak fondly of yesteryear to you. It’s at this time of year I find myself longing for those lazy days of summer.

Today, our schedules and itineraries are jam-packed with things to accomplish during the summer months. We have obligations and commitments we need to keep, and oftentimes, that means we kick to the curb the enjoyable moments that make summer so special.

But we’re really fortunate here in the Illinois Valley, for nearly every town — small and large — hosts a variety of summer events that are meant to engage all ages, cause all kinds of memory-making moments, and above all, allow you and those you love to create some memories that will last a lifetime. I hope you’ll take part in some of these festivals and activities.

This edition of Illinois Valley Living is as diverse as those summer activities. Our stories about the people, places and things in the Illinois Valley showcases the place you call home, and we’re proud to do so. Find a quiet place on your deck or patio, grab a cold drink and enjoy the stories in our magazine, created just for your enjoyment. We are thrilled to be part of your summer.

Warm regards, Terri Simon, editor, Illinois Valley Living

Living Illinois Valley

PUBLISHER Sam R Fisher EDITOR Terri Simon AD DIRECTOR Jennifer Heintzelman PAGE DESIGN Jeff Rogers PUBLISHED BY The Bureau County Republican 800 Ace Road Princeton, Illinois 61356 815-875-4461 MAIN COVER PHOTOS Shannon Serpette

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Taking it all in stride

Students at Dimmick Grade School wait at the start line for the Dimmick Dash 5K race to begin. Landon Roark (runner No. 651), Will McLaughlin ( No. 510) and Ella Mudge (No. 783) all took their place at the front of the start line and earned awards for their performances.

DIMMICK STUDENTS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF THE ANNUAL 5K RACE Story and photos by Shannon Serpette

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ddie Sherman of Cherry had two things on her mind this past April, as she prepared to take her place at the starting line of the Dimmick Dash 5K — beating her time from last year and receiving her post-race free banana.

Sherman, a first-grade student at Dimmick Grade School, couldn’t remember what her time was last year when she competed in the race as a kindergartner, but she was intent on beating it nevertheless with a combination of walking and running.

“I want to beat my score from last time,” she said.

When asked what her favorite part of the race was last year, she said, “You get a banana and water when you are done.”

Sherman said she felt proud of herself for finishing the 3.1

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miles last year, even though it was tough at times.

“I like how I feel when I’m getting exercise,” she said.

Sherman wasn’t the only one getting exercise that day. Physical education teacher Joel Foster said the Dimmick Dash — a school-wide effort that also involves the community — has grown in popularity throughout the years.

“This will be the fifth annual Dimmick Dash. The first year we had about 100 runners, and we expect almost 300 this year,” he said.

All students, kindergarten through eighth, can run the race. It is a requirement for fifth through eighth grades, and optional for kindergarten through fourth grades. Foster said nearly all the students participate, and the handful that don’t are allowed to play on the playground while their classmates are running.

By the time the race starts, a great deal of work has already gone into the event.

“I guess you could say I’m the race director,” Foster said. “I do a lot of the work on race day, but I have a ton of help leading up to the race. Administrative assistants Carol Wineinger and Jen Krolak do a tremendous amount of work helping me organize the race, and it would not be possible without their assistance.”

Illinois Valley Living

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LEFT: Physical education teacher and race director Joel Foster went over race-day information with the students before the start of the Dimmick Dash. RIGHT: Giavanna Gayan approaches the finish line of the Dimmick Dash.

The children also put in plenty of hard work getting into shape for the race.

“We have fitness days throughout the whole school year to improve strength and endurance, but we really start to focus on training for the Dimmick Dash toward the end of February. We start with very short running intervals and slowly work our way up,” Foster said.

Not every child is enthusiastic about running 3.1 miles, and that’s something Foster expects and understands.

“Some of the kids groan about training for the Dimmick Dash, but they do a pretty good job with it. Some of them are much more motivated than others,” he said. “Now that we have been doing it for five years, I really try to get the students to focus on self-improvement. I encourage

2016 Dimmick Dash award winners and finishing times

K-4th girls First: Elli Sines, 29:31 Second: Ella Mudge, 29:33 Third: Morgan Hoscheid, 30:17

5th-8th girls First: Hope Skoog, 24:18 Second: Kassidy Brady, 24:22 Third: Emily Robbins, 24:29

K-4th boys First: Reegan Kellett, 27:36 Second: Will McLaughlin, 29:53 Third: Landon Roark, 30:17

5th-8th boys First: Connor Sines, 21:27 Second: John Brady, 21:28 Third: Ryan Brady, 21:43

the students to try to improve upon their previous times and not to worry about anybody else. I find that this is more motivating to students than worrying about where they place compared to others.”

Children seem to also get a kick out of

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finishing ahead of their teachers, some of whom do the race with their students.

Kindergartners Vivianna Raccuglia and Raigan Jernigan finished ahead of their teacher Kate Ringness, who was proud of her students’ accomplishment.

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Addie Sherman (front left) and Jaidyn Wallace (front right), both of Cherry, did some pre-race exercises and stretches.

“I knew some of them would beat me,” Ringness said.

Every child who participated received a ribbon, a T-shirt and words of encouragement from Foster, who stood at the finish line set up by Starved Rock Runners and congratulated the children as they crossed.

“The actual day of the race is the most rewarding for me. It is so fun to see the kids putting forth their best efforts and

cheering for one another. Also, it is pretty awesome to see the parents, teachers and community members participating and cheering for all of the runners,” he said.

The top three runners in four categories based on grade and gender received an additional award at a ceremony following the race.

“My goal is for the students to have a positive experience with physical activity in hopes of making them lifelong movers.

I constantly remind the kids that I don’t care if they get first or last as long as they get exercise and do their best. Learning this at a young age will hopefully help them develop healthy habits as adults,” Foster said. “I realize that not everybody loves running as much as I do, and that’s OK. If they can work hard and improve as runners, my hope is that they will be willing to work hard to be successful at what they are passionate about.”

LEFT: Elli Sines, the girl with the best time for kindergarten through fourth grades, crosseS the finish line for the Dimmick Dash at 29:31. RIGHT: Jared Perez (left) heads for the finish line with Alex Doll (right) on his heels.

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Malted milk balls were chosen by this customer who also browsed the many handmade treats available at Roxie’s Sweet Confections.

ROXIE’S SWEET CONFECTIONS OFFERS A HOMEMADE AND NOSTALGIC TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Story and photos by Dave Cook Like many, Roxanne Neurohr has fond memories of her mother making candies and fudge during the holidays. She inherited her mother’s fudge recipe and as an adult learned she also enjoyed making candy, probably even more than her mother. But unlike many, Neurohr has not only kept her mother’s recipes alive, but she’s also turned them into one of the newest businesses in the Illinois Valley, Roxie’s Sweet Confections in Utica.

“My mom used to make fudge every Christmas, peanut brittle, anise candy, all types of candy for friends and family at the holidays. Those are the main ones I remember from my childhood,” Neurohr said.

As Neurohr honed her confectionery skills, she realized the potential for a possible business. She installed a commercial kitchen in her home to handle demands of large-scale candy making, and this year’s Burgoo Festival will mark her 14th anniversary at the event.

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Illinois Valley Living

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Homemade cannolis, on the left, are chocolate dipped, and on the right are chocolate dipped with pistachios. This classic pastry dessert features light, crispy shells filled with a creamy filling.

“I started with my mom’s recipe for fudge and developed from there. Then I went into caramel apples, turtles and caramels,” Neurohr said.

For several years Neurohr has also been a part of the CASA Chocolate event and does many others as well. After developing her home-based business and becoming a regular feature at area celebrations, Neurohr opened her own store in March.

Located at 723 S. Clark St. in Utica, Roxie’s Sweet Confections is a brightly decorated store that not only provides homemade candies, but also

nostalgia candy, bulk candy, cheesecake, flavored coffee, dog treats, jams, honey, cannolis, gift items, and she’ll soon be adding eight flavors of locally made Sisler’s ice cream.

“I’ve been talking about possibly hosting birthday parties in our adjacent room. I also do wedding, holiday and birthday trays or trays for any event,” Neurohr said.

Roxie’s Sweet Confections offers treats for children of all ages. Children currently tend to favor sour over sweet, and in the corner of the store is a Pucker Powder

dispenser holding several flavors. For those seeking the ultimate in sourness, the daring may want to try a piece of Toxic Waste. A challenge to hold in your mouth even briefly, it’s a candy that seems to have been designed more for punishment than delight. The laughter created by those trying it and those watching them is surely part of the fun.

Children of days past will find their memories stoked by several varieties of what was once called penny candy. The most successful of the nostalgic candies is one that could

certainly never be marketed to today’s children.

“The most popular of the nostalgic items is easily the candy cigarettes. So many adults remember them, and I’ve already sold several boxes,” Neurohr said.

There’s a large display of bulk candy and a case full of chocolate covered sea salt caramels and other hand-crafted treats including the more unusual, such as jalapeno fudge. On top of the case is one of Neurohr’s best sellers ... chocolate covered bacon on a stick.

“It’s probably the best seller.

At the Burgoo Festival, I had 200 pieces, and we sold out within hours of opening; people love it,” Neurohr said.

Being located so closely to Starved Rock, Roxie’s sees a lot of hikers.

“They usually come after they’ve been hiking and buy candy for the trip home. A funny thing about it is a lot of people tend to get more excited about our dog treats than the candy for themselves.

One person will wait outside with their dog while the other shops, and then they switch,” Neurohr said.

Neurohr is helped by her daughter and niece, who also helped decorate the store, and there are plans to add more outside decor and signage. With the quick success Roxie’s Sweet Confections has seen, Neurohr has ensured her daughter will have her own fond memories of making candy with her mother.

For more information, call 815-343-8317 or visit Roxie’s Sweet Confections Facebook page.

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of WOMEN WOM Illinois Valley Living’s

distinction

Honoring the women of the Illinois Valley — the Women of Distinction Awards focus on those ladies who make a difference in the lives of area citizens.

The Illinois Valley Living Women of Distinction Award is given to women who have made a difference in the Illinois Valley and who are representative role models as leaders in their fields and communities. Illinois Valley Living is excited to offer this annual event to honor those women who make a difference in the lives of others.

What woman do you know who has gone that extra mile to benefit others? Who has taken a stand; made a difference; and/or been a role model for others? We want to hear about these wonderful women from you.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the annual Women of Distinction Award. Honorees will be chosen by a selection committee of the 2015 Women of Distinction Award winners.

In the fall of this year, a welcome reception will precede a luncheon and awards ceremony, where multiple Women of Distinction Award winners will be honored and given the opportunity to share their stories.

To nominate a Woman of Distinction, go to www.illinoisvalleyliving.com and click on the ad on the right side of the page to complete the nomination form. You can also fill out the nomination form on the adjoining page and mail it to Women of Distinction, c/o Bureau County Republican, Attention: Editor Terri Simon, P.O. Box 340, Princeton, IL 61356.

Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m., August 1, 2016.

For questions or more information, contact Simon at 815-875-4461, ext. 6330.

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Illinois Valley Living

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Women of Distinction identifies women who have made a difference in the Illinois Valley and who are representative role models as leaders in their fields and community. Honorees will be profiled in the Illinois Valley Living Magazine’s September issue and recognized at an awards luncheon in the fall. Date and location to be announced.

Please fill out this form completely (use additional paper if necessary) and return by August 1, 2016. Additional forms can be downloaded by visiting www.illinoisvalleyliving.com.

Today’s date:__________________________________________ Education:

A. Nominee’s Personal Information Name ___________________________________________________________ Organization/company/corp. _______________________________________ Title_____________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________________ City of residence__________________________________________________ E-mail __________________________________________________________ Hometown (childhood) ____________________________________________ Date of birth _____________________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Family: ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Please include bio/résumé/vita

B. Achievements In the space below, please describe the nominee’s greatest personal, professional or job-related achievement. Honors or awards can be included as well as examples of a challenging problem solved, a major project completed or a product produced. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ C. Nominator *Name _____________________________________________________ Title _______________________________________________________ Organization _______________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________________ *Email: _____________________________________________________ *Must include to be informed if your nominee has been selected

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Alika Kowalczyk is a vibrant country music singer who has great hopes for her first album, which is in the works with the assistance of some incredible minds in the field of music.

Catching up to her dreams PERU NATIVE SPEAKS ABOUT HER ADVENTURE CREATING A COUNTRY ROCK ALBUM Story by Eric Engel Photos contributed Life is all about writing your own song.

You start each day with different ideas — scratching a few as you go, and capitalizing on others. You pluck the strings of your instrument, slowly at first, but then the tune starts to find its harmony.

You open your lungs and rejoice in exclamation, reaching for the chords you never thought possible, and within them the melody is made. Even after nailing the notes down in the ambiance of perfected

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sound, you don’t ever stop … but simply begin the rhythm anew.

Peru native Alika Kowalczyk was studying bio pre-dental at Valparaiso University in Indiana, as she loves helping people and felt it was her calling. Despite her efforts to excel in the field, it just did not strike the chords of her heart as she had expected it to. She thought, what else do I have ... and the answer was strong as an operatic ripple held high in an amphitheater’s rafters … music.

“I was anxious in dental school trying to get good grades and keeping up, so when

I was stressed I would listen to music and sing along with my favorite songs, and that would help me,” Kowalczyk said. “I always felt like these artists knew my life, and that’s what I want to do for other people.”

The recent Valparaiso graduate found Kevin Chalfant, a music producer from Streator who has toured with the classic rock band Journey. Kowalczyk was hoping for some advice on the industry when she went to speak with Chalfant.

“I went in and sang for him, and he said, ‘Wow, you should write an album.’”

Illinois Valley Living

13 Last summer Kowalczyk started writing, and the studio hours flew by. Assisted by Chalfant and music engineer Alby Odum, Kowalczyk crafted 10 songs out of the ink and guitar strings, making a little scratch demo that helped her entire approach thereafter.

Kowalczyk attended Main Street Dance Academy in Princeton before she made it to kindergarten, and joined choir in grade school. She always loved performing but was a little shy with her voice.

As she stood in church one day not too long ago, a woman in the pew ahead of her turned and said, “Your voice is beautiful, and it was just what I needed to hear this morning.”

“That was the moment I said maybe I should do this,” she said. “I’ve always been a bit nervous, but I have a feeling God is up there saying, ‘Hey, this is what I sent you to do.’”

Kowalczyk has spent the last year of her life writing and recording for her album — tentatively titled “Dreamcatcher” — attending open mics and jamming out cafes all across the area. Her friends and fam-

Alika Kowalczyk is a free spirit who seems to always be wearing a smile, and the aspiring country music singer’s upcoming album plants its roots in a simple, yet sturdy Midwestern approach. ily are her greatest source of constructive criticism, and she said after following so many self-made expectations throughout her life, she is now

handing the wheel over to her Savior.

The energetic and soft-spoken singer speaks with laughter in her voice, talking about waking up one day with some twang in her language and finding additions to her musical repertoire in the gospel music of younger years.

She has mastered one song so far, called “My Devotion.”

She started an Indiegogo account — a financial effort driven by fan donations — to help with the studio costs of recording and mastering all the quality cuts.

She’s also playing with some experienced people, including Tim McGraw’s drummer, a fiddler and Memphis talent abound.

“They’ll probably be expensive, but we are competing with national artists, so we can’t go cheap or that’s what the sound will be,” she said, adding her parents have dipped into their accounts to afford her dream. “I’m ready for this, but every day I have to keep telling myself I have the strength and talent to reach great heights.”

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The musicians have nine songs to finish before the album is completed, so Kowalczyk is going to delve into that while simultaneously jumping onto any stage she can find.

“I have experience, but not enough; you have to do it all the time because that’s how you get better at it,” she said, adding she’d love to tour around the area in the future and has been working on her guitar skills for the last year.

“I’ve become a geek for instruments, so my appreciation for every musician I witness has grown, which just helps me better communicate with my musicians.”

Kowalczyk said it’s refreshing to finally talk about her dream, and it’s enlivening to be within the beginning stages of such an opportunity.

“People are like, ‘Oh, you sing?’ and I say, ‘Surprise!’” she said. “If you can make a living doing what you love, it’s truly a great joy.”

To hear her music, visit www.AlikaSings.com, or toss a letter in the mailbox to Alika’s Fan Base, P.O. Box 253, Peru, IL 61354.

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A BLOOMING SUCCESS

COLOR POINT TAKES FAMILY BUSINESS INTO TOP 10 Story and photos by Dave Cook

P

utnam County is home to one of the largest greenhouse businesses in the country. When Color Point purchased Mid-American Growers in 2014, the combined size of their Kentucky facility and Granville’s resulted in the biggest change in ranking in Greenhouse Grower magazine’s Top 100 Grower List for 2015, from No. 74 to No. 8.

It’s a highly-automated, technology-oriented system producing industrial amounts of products, but the site feels like the antithesis of industrial; the cool fragrant air and people happily caring for delicate plants gives more of an impression of a gigantic garden. As large as it is though, it’s still very much a family business.

The site at Mid-American Growers first began in 1971 as Van Wingerden Inc. after Aart Van Wingerden arrived from Holland. Van Wingerden and his wife, Cora, had 16 children, two of which, sons Nick and Arie, purchased Mid-American Growers as their father moved on to develop another greenhouse business. In 1978, Arie sold his share of the company to Nick and began his own greenhouse venture. In 2014, Nick’s younger brothers and owners of Color Point, Art and Ken, purchased the site in Granville.

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ABOVE: Color Point’s Leanna Burress helps design and develop the latest trends in decorative baskets, orchids and other flowers, as well as assisting with the care of the millions of plants. TOP: While much of Color Point is highly automated, there is still a need for the human touch for many aspects of the growth cycle.

15 Holland and its people are known throughout the world for their skill with greenhouses and for a sense of efficiency. Color Point has been successful in honoring those traditions within their Granville location.

The products and numbers

Spanning 80 acres and housing more than 3.5 million square feet of growing space, Color Point has continued practicing the colorful and aromatic science of growing flowers in as a proficient manner as possible. According to account and product development manager Leanna Burress, Color Point employs approximately 500 people from the area with numbers varying depending on the season. A few of Color Point’s larger accounts are Lowe’s, Aldi’s and Target; together they purchase several million plants annually.

It’s hard to describe the visual impact of seeing a greenhouse working at this scale.

Flowers typically aren’t seen in this concentration. Aldi alone receives 500,000 hanging baskets per year, and each of them has been nurtured at Color Point. Baskets are among the best selling products, as are the millions of six-packs which find their way into the hands of the gardeners using them to decorate flower beds and backyard pots. Herbs, vegetables and strawberries are also grown, as well as many varieties of decorative combination pots. The entire package is considered — visual appeal of the plants, pot type and color, care tag, soil mixture and more.

Bicycles and golf carts are the easiest way to travel between the connected greenhouses covering millions of square feet. As you’d expect from an area that large filled with a variety of flowers, the air inside is cool, fresh and fragrant.

Consistency and the calendar As lilies were being prepared to ship, Burress, who was recently selected by Greenhouse Product News (GPN) as one of their Top 40 under 40 greenhouse professionals, explained some of the neces-

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sary considerations of growth.

“You don’t want to see a lot of variance; for the most part the buds are all at the same height,” Burress said. “That means the grower did a good job of maintaining consistency. The other important factor with lilies is the amount of buds.

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In nearly every direction you look within the greenhouses of Color Point, you are greeted with the sight of millions of densely concentrated plants and their vibrantly colored flowers.

Grower Allan Bottomley inspects thousands of hanging baskets to ensure they’re watered thoroughly and their growth uniform.

“A good specification on a lily would be 18 to 20 inches tall with an average bloom count of five to seven.”

Another factor with lilies is determined by the calendar.

“Easter was early this year, so it was a good time for lilies. Next year will be worse because Easter will be in the middle of April. That means they’ll take up space we need for our annuals. Next year we probably won’t grow as many lilies because greenhouse space in the spring is prime real estate,” Burress said.

Spring may be the obvious busy season, but growing at Color Point is a yearlong enterprise.

“As soon as our spring annuals are gone we’ll be sticking our mums, and in July we’ll be sticking our poinsettia cuttings, so there’s always something growing. We may not be shipping, but we’re always growing,” Burress said.

Burress also attends European greenhouse events to find new trends within the industry.

“If you think we’re advanced, they’re a step above. I go for ideas of what’s new and different, and it’s neat to see how far ahead they are with trends,” Burress said.

Water, soil, air and heat To maintain each greenhouse’s ideal environment for the plants growing within, a highly automated system monitors and controls temperature, humidity, lighting, CO2 levels, ventilation, water temperature and soil conditions. These variables are consistently checked by growers.

The conveyor system allows for expedient movement of large amounts of plants acres away and the watering system for the hanging baskets was patented by the

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original owner’s brother. Color Point uses a moving boom system and a recessed Ebb and Flood floor to deliver the water needed for optimum growth. Precise control of the systems are made through a tablet and app.

Assistant grower Allan Bottomley said, “Depending on the type of basket and the plant’s needs, we can control whether watering begins automatically or manually, speed, duration, whether they’re misted or drenched and the type of chemical application. If these plants were going to ship soon and this would be their last drink for awhile, we can give it extra water so it will have a longer shelf life.”

To meet the requirement for watering efficiently, the greenhouses collect rainwater and direct it to three retention ponds. According to Color Point, their system collects more than one million gallons of water per inch of rain. All water used during the growing process is recycled and reused.

Through the use of a biological pest control program, the need for pesticides has been greatly reduced by introducing natural mechanisms to fend off insects, weeds and diseases naturally.

Fans and the glass roof system are automated to open and close as needed to maintain ventilation, humidity levels and the desired temperature. During winter, heat is provided by a massive, European-designed, three-boiler system fueled by wood waste.

Wood is delivered by the truckload from Chicago area landscape companies who deliver the old mulch and chipped trees to a large building behind the greenhouses.

Shredded pallets may also used. End loaders travel between the storage and boiler buildings dumping their load onto a grate

system which continuously feeds mulch onto a conveyor and into the boilers.

“We can go through six truckloads a day in the winter. It burns very clean and only leaves a fine dust. Engineers from Europe visit every two years for a few days to provide maintenance, and our maintenance people learn more from them with every visit,” Burress said.

Seeds, cuttings and orchids

Depending on the plant, growing may begin from seed, bulb, cutting or tissue sample. When petunia seedlings are ready to be transferred from their small trays, an ingenious system using gentle suction lifts an entire row of seedlings and places them unharmed into six-pack containers.

Unrooted cuttings are flown in from South American countries and arrive in large bags. These cuttings provide a high quality, disease-resistant way to begin growth. After being planted in trays and establishing roots they can be planted five to a basket and allowed to grow until shipment.

Orchids are grown from tissue samples originating in Holland. Orchids are an 11-12 month crop and have an entire building devoted to their care, as well as their own retention pond for watering.

It takes roughly six to eight months for the flower spikes, which are staked and clipped by hand, to grow from the samples. There are hundreds of thousands of specimens covering approximately 20 to 30 varieties of orchids growing at any time, and new varieties are phased in or out depending on popularity.

“Mother’s Day is the biggest day for orchids,” Burress said.

As local gardeners tend their soil for this year’s vegetables and flowers, Color Point has been using their refined methods throughout the year to deliver the best and healthiest plants possible to help keep homes and yards inviting, fragrant and colorful.

Illinois Valley Living

17 Peru

Peru

INTERESTING HISTORY ... BRIGHT FUTURE Photos by Dave Cook Situated in LaSalle County, Peru and its adjacent neighbor, LaSalle, make up the core of the county.

According to the 2010 census, Peru has a total area of 9.068 square miles of which 8.96 square miles is land and 0.108 square miles is water.

Located on the Illinois River, Peru lies three miles west of the intersection of two major interstate highways: Interstate 39 and Interstate 80. The city is also the western terminus of the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal. Before the Illinois Waterway was constructed, the Illinois River was navigable only up to Peru.

As of the 2010 census, the population density was 1,655.5 people per square mile.

The racial makeup of the city was 96.47 percent white; 0.32 percent African American; 0.18 percent Native American 1.11 percent Asian; 0.01 percent Pacific Islander; 1.16 percent from other races; and 0.75 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08 percent of the population.

Peru by the numbers Population: 9,952 Median household income: $48,689 Individuals below poverty level: 9.4 percent Educational attainment: 91.2 percent with a high school diploma or higher Median housing value: $117,700 Total housing units: 4,905 Male median income: $35,835 Female median income: $19,446 Source: 2015 Census estimates.

Illinois Valley Living

17

18 Peru

There were 4,143 households out of which 27.3 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them; 53.7 percent were married couples living together; 7.9 percent had a female householder with no husband present; and 35.5 percent were non-families. Of all households, 31.5 percent were made up of individuals, and 15.5 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 22.0 percent under the age of 18; 7.5 percent from 18 to 24; 27.3 percent from 25 to 44; 21.9 percent from 45 to 64, and 21.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The city’s first settler was John Hays, who arrived in 1830. The city was organized as a borough in 1838, and was officially incorporated as a city on March 13, 1851. The original plat was between West Street, Fourth Street, and East Street (now Pine Street).

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19 Peru

Since the first steamboat, “Traveler” reached Peru in 1831, Peru had high hopes of being the western terminus for the Illinois & Michigan Canal. That designation went to LaSalle, but Peru became a busy steamboat port at the head of navigation on the Illinois River.

Captain McCormick was involved in the Five Day Line, making record fast trips between Peru and St. Louis. Senator Gilson reported to land surveyor, Grenville Dodge the town would soon outstrip Chicago due to its favorable location along the river and railroads.

Water Street was a thin ribbon sandwiched between the bluff and the river and a large industrial district grew up to the east.

It was along the river and the canal and was serviced by the Rock Island Railroad and Chicago Burlington and Quincy. These important transportation routes, along with coal mining in at least four mines lasting from at least 1857 until 1949 prompted Peru’s rise to an industrial center.

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A match made in heaven WYANET TEEN OFFERS BONE MARROW TO 1-YEAR-OLD BATTLING LEUKEMIA Samantha Splitt Story by Eric Engel Photo contributed “Live life fully, as yourself … and give life fully, to everyone else.” Those are the words that run through a Wyanet young lady’s head and heart, as she remembers her late friend ...

Samantha Splitt is a selfless and spirited 19-year-old from Wyanet. She had a good friend named Cora Peters, and Cora was taken from this world in the unforgiving clutches of cancer. Splitt had never thought twice about donating blood to those in need, but as a loved one’s death challenges even the most sturdy souls, Splitt decided she would do so as a way to honor her friend.

She donated at Illinois Valley Community College in January 2016, but her experience did not go well. The nurse taking her blood blew out one of her veins, and Splitt ventured to find some refreshments and calm down from the miscalculation.

“A really nice lady came up and started talking to me about Be the Match,” Splitt said, explaining Be the Match is the No. 1 hematopoietic cell

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registry, which assists patients who are fighting blood, bone marrow or immune diseases.

“Keeping Cora in my mind, I signed up,” she said.

The representative from Be the Match took mouth swabs from Splitt and sent them in for DNA testing. Splitt said most people don’t get a DNA match within their own family, hence the reliance upon entities such as Be the Match.

“Most people don’t get contacted by Be the Match in the first five years because it’s only a one in 20,000 chance you match up,” Splitt said. “(On Thursday, March 24) I got an email and text message from Be the Match saying I was someone’s match.”

On a phone call that followed, Samantha learned her match is a 1-year-old little girl battling a vicious form of leukemia.

While in South Dakota on spring break, Splitt recently had blood work done, and will find out in the next two months whether she will be an angel for a princess. If Splitt and the 1-year-old girl

are a perfect match, Splitt will undergo a surgical procedure where bone marrow will be removed from both of her hips and given to the little girl.

Giving life

If it wasn’t for Cora, Splitt never would have given blood.

She never would have met the woman from Be the Match, and her heart would not be overflowing with gratitude for the opportunity before her.

“I am so glad those bad things did happen because if they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten this chance to prolong and enhance someone’s life,” Splitt said, noting Be the Match provides vital assistance to more than 500 individuals each year. “This has taught me that even though something really bad has happened, there’s always an opportunity to give, and with this I am giving the best thing — life!”

Splitt said she is grateful to help someone she doesn’t even know because it could be a member of her family in need some day down the road, and she would hope for the same

treatment from someone else.

She emphasized the wonderful opportunity is something more people should take advantage of.

“I am so thrilled I can help a little child with their fight because I love children, and being that young and going through so much has to be hard not only on her, but on her parents as well,” Splitt said, adding this experience has already changed her for the better.

“Even if I’m not this little girl’s match, I will not lose hope that someday I could give someone another opportunity at life.”

Splitt understands there will be pain involved in the surgery but said the joy and happiness she could offer this little girl and her family will make it worth it. If Splitt does indeed match up to this young child and the procedure takes place, Splitt will be allowed to meet the little girl within the year.

“I now really look at life as precious because Cora is such an inspiration for me to do anything in my power to help this little girl,” she said. “I couldn’t be more blessed to go through this experience.”

Illinois Valley Living

21

Eyan Tiemann of Princeton, a 14-yearold entrepreneur, is pictured with two of the scoreboards he created and takes to area soccer games.

STORY ON PAGE 22

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Eyan Tiemann, owvner of EN Athletics, looks to expand his new business to incorporate several sports scoreboards. Young Tiemann wanted to fill a need at area soccer games, and he has hopes of expanding in the future.

14-YEAR-OLD SCORES BIG WITH EN ATHLETICS Story by Zachary J. Pratt Photos by Dave Cook Sometimes people have a dream or vision, an epiphany which they are certain could alter the course of their lives for the better ... and often they fail to act upon it.

This was not the case for Eyan Tiemann of Princeton, he noticed an area which was lacking in the local sporting leagues; he set out to fill the gaps.

Tiemann realized there was no simple way to tell the score at local games, short of asking the referee, a tactic which often enough leaves community members disgruntled. At 14, he created a solution to this issue when he conceived the idea to service local community sporting events with scoreboards, which would be sponsored by advertisers.

This past spring soccer season, he brought that vision to life with EN Athletics.

To hear him explain it, the job is simple.

“We have to sit by the board; we have to watch the whole game; and if somebody scores, we have to get up and add the score,” he said.

As an indication of how tied Tiemann is to EN Athletics, the business name stems

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from his own. Tiemann said the business title started from a user name of sorts and grew from there. “It’s pretty much a shortened version of my name,” he said.

The EN holds a closer tie to its creator’s name than merely sharing the first and last letter.

“Fun thing about it is, if you say it really, really fast, you get ‘Eyan,’” Tiemann said.

While EN Athletics currently provides services only to soccer, Tiemann sees it likely to go elsewhere as well, which contributed to the design of the logo.

“We had other ideas, like putting a soccer ball in it, but we wanted it to be for all sports, so we put a trophy in it instead,” Tiemann said.

This decision points to future plans for EN Athletics, where the business could further itself beyond the one activity.

“We wanted to show the fact that we’re probably going to try for all sports,” Tiemann said.

When getting started on the idea, Tiemann and his family had asked Jim Pinter, former director of the local soccer board, for advice.

“I was really glad to hear when he came up with it,” Pinter said. “He’s a very creative young man.”

Tiemann is home-schooled, which Pinter thinks might have had a positive impact on his opportunities for flexing his creativity and creating the business, not as an effect of the curriculum but from how his schedule is flexible.

“They’re not tied down to school times, and I think that also helps his creative ideas,” Pinter said. “They have time to delve into areas they might not have time for in the normal system.”

“I like to see young kids get an idea like that and run with it,” Pinter said. “I hope he flourishes.”

Getting started

After noticing the utility scoreboards could provide for sports events in the community, Tiemann began the process to transform his idea into reality. He had to decide what exactly he wanted to do ... but then came the daunting part of the initiation process.

The next step was to seek and receive approval to set up at the soccer fields.

“I wanted to do scoreboards and thought it would be good with portability, and it seemed to fit into the guidelines of the park district,” Tiemann said. With this in mind, he set out to request permission.

Illinois Valley Living

23 The portability itself seemed to factor into the decision to allow Tiemann to accept advertisements and offer his services at the games.

“It actually just fit within their guidelines for advertising,” Tiemann said. “They don’t allow permanent advertisements, so because it’s portable, they allow us to set it up and have the scoreboards.”

The process of receiving approval took Tiemann before three different boards, some of which had more power over the business’ future than others.

“We first went to the zoning board. They said they were fine with it and that they had no rule over it anyway. Park district said they have rule over it entirely, but it fit in the guidelines.

“We went to the PYSL (Princeton Youth Soccer League) Board to ask for the space we need, which is between the two soccer teams, and to ask for the OK,” Tiemann said.

He received both and could get to work.

Pinter had his own role as advisor in this process. Having been in charge of the soccer board for almost 15 years, he was a prime individual to ask for advice.

“They actually came to me first, asking what I thought and what routes they had to go for it,” he said.

Tiemann was met with little resistance when it came to receiving approval, which allowed him to get started more quickly.

“He came and did his presentation, and it was pretty much unanimous to go that route,” Pinter said.

After being granted approval for the different aspects he would need, Tiemann set out to prepare the boards and sell advertisement space.

Tiemann said he put his own investment and work into creating EN Athletics, including building the boards with a little help from his family.

“It took a lot of work to actually do the first board, and then the second board was a little faster,” he said. The work put into making the first board allowed him to learn techniques which helped in constructing the second and will continue to help in any subsequent boards he might make.

Already, the demands of this business necessitate the construction of another board, as Tiemann mentioned one event during the season which would require a third scoreboard to work. The day was to include three games EN Athletics would cover, one of which being a mere half hour before the others.

“If we wanted to move that board to another one, it wouldn’t work too well,” Tiemann said.

One other aspect he appreciated was the experience selling advertiser spots, which he thinks he did well, especially as a neophyte to the trade.

“It did take a couple days or so before they’d say, ‘Let’s do this’ or before I’d have to follow up with them on it,” Tiemann said of the advertisers.

Illinois Valley Living

Not only did Eyan Tiemann of Princeton create the portable scoreboard business, which he uses at the Princeton soccer fields, he is also the chief operator who changes the scores during the games.

Branching out While some people might be content with starting the business and letting it run, Tiemann has already begun looking to where he might be able to take EN Athletics in the future.

“I do see it branching out to other places, but that’s only if it works out,” Tiemann said, then commenting that it appears to be doing so thus far. He noted different places the business could branch to. While specific examples included such locations as Peru and Peoria, his aspirations reach further.

“If it works out from there, possibly to another state, but that’s just theoretical,” Tiemann said. “It would be really hard. I would have to franchise or something like that.”

If the business were to expand to such a degree, Tiemann would not want it to become wholly impersonal. He thinks it would be good to continue contributing to the various areas himself, even if such action would only be feasible for bits of time.

“If you’re the owner, you could go over and work on it yourself for a while,” he said.

Alternatively, Tiemann thinks another solution for branching out would be diversification, which would allow EN Athletics to grow without expanding out of reach.

“We may just rent out to other games, not just soccer,” he said.

Tiemann has already planned for this possibility, establishing the business’s logo in a manner which specifically does not indicate soccer as the sole focus.

“Right now we’re concerned with soccer, but we’re open to all sports,” he said.

The decision is not one Tiemann intends to make flippantly, as he sees the need to put thought into the process.

“It’s quite a lot to prepare for,” he said.

The idea of moving forward and bring-

ing the business to new areas has been a consideration from early in the process, as it was an important discussion at the start.

“We kind of talked about that when he first brought it up, was ‘Where do you see this going?’” Pinter said.

Pinter sees similar possible trajectories to what Tiemann has suggested. New sports are always an option.

“I can see this going into baseball, where the scoreboards aren’t working. Tee ball,” Pinter said. “Depends how busy he wants to be.”

Pinter believes there are other locations, other towns, which present possibility.

“A lot of the smaller towns don’t have scoreboards,” Pinter said. “Any place that doesn’t have a scoreboard would be an ideal place to do it, as long as they can cover the sponsors.”

Pinter summarized his thoughts on the subject: “I hope he expands it.”

Getting reception

If Princeton and EN Athletics current operations are any indication, other sports and locations will likely welcome Tiemann and his scoreboards with enthusiasm.

Pinter traded his position on the board for an opportunity to interact with the community by driving around the concessions wagon which provides treats at soccer games. Now on the sidelines, he hears often about the scoreboards, and the reception has been positive.

“Everybody’s been really receptive of it so far,” Pinter said. “They like the idea of the scoreboards being out here.”

In some ways, one could argue, the boards have made the games go more smoothly. Where once there might be arguing or confusion over the score, now there is something to look to which clearly indicates the amount of points acquired by each team.

“We’ve had a lot of appreciation — especially the referees, since they get a lot of ‘What’s the score? What’s the score?’ and they don’t have to deal with that anymore. But also some of the parents because they can see the score,” Pinter said.

While the community has embraced the scoreboards, Pinter thinks it is important another group be happy about the situation as well — those paying to advertise on and sponsor the boards.

“Sounds like the businesses are really receptive too, as far as the ad space,” Pinter said. “That was kind of my concern, was whether the sponsoring businesses were going to go for it.”

The board itself seems to look upon the situation favorably as well, if Pinter is any indication.

“Nice thing about it, being on the soccer board side, we don’t have to do anything with it,” he said. “They build it up, tear it down, maintain them. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

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LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF BERRIES ...

STRAWBERRIES THAT IS! Photos by Dave Cook and Lyle Ganther

Quick & Easy Strawberry Jam 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2 cup granulated sugar In a medium saucepan place the strawberries and sugar. Turn the heat on to medium and stir until the sugar starts to dissolve into the strawberry juice. Mash the strawberries with the back of your spoon. Keep stirring and mashing until the strawberries break down, and the syrup is thick. Remove from heat. That process takes about 25 minutes, and you know it is done when the syrup coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the jam into a sterilized half pint jar with a sterilized lip and ring. If you’d rather, you can pour your jam into a container and let it cool. Then put it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

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Yummy Strawberry Shortcake Muffins 4 ounces softened cream cheese 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 4 tablespoons melted butter 2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries 1 teaspoon sugar for every muffin Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice until they are smooth. Add eggs, then milk and melted butter, and mix well. Next, add dry ingredients until everything is combined. Gently fold in strawberries.

Spoon into muffin pans, and sprinkle each muffin with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Illinois Valley Living

27 with 1/2 cup sugar and corn starch, then spread the strawberry mixture on top of the dough in the pan. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the strawberry layer. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool before slicing and serving.

Strawberry Balsamic Summer Salad

Crumby Strawberry Bars 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups flour 1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces 1 egg, beaten 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped 1/2 cup sugar 4 teaspoons corn starch Preheat oven to 375°. Grease (or line with foil) a 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk sugar, baking powder, salt and flour. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender until pieces are no bigger than pea-sized. Stir in the egg to form a crumbly dough.

Pat half of the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon honey 1 small onion, peeled and chopped 2 small cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 1 head red lettuce leaves, rinsed, dried and torn 1/2 small red onion, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slivers 1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted 1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese For the dressing: Put the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a mini food processor. Pulse until blended. Slowly pour in the olive oil, and pulse again until thoroughly blended. Set aside or refrigerate until needed.

Divide lettuce between six serving plates, and top with red onion, almonds, strawberries and feta cheese. Serve dressing on the side.

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Cream Cheese and Strawberry Bread

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1⁄2 cup softened butter 1 cup sugar 4 ounces softened cream cheese 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup milk (or half ‘n half) 1 1⁄2 cups strawberries, chopped 1⁄2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional) Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix just until blended. Add milk and only stir to blend the ingredients. Do not over mix it. Drain strawberries and dry on a paper towel. Fold in berries and nuts. The dough will be thick.

Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes. Let bread mellow for one day and then serve.

Strawberry and Pretzel Refrigerator Pie 2 cups finely crushed pretzel sticks 3/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon strawberry gelatin (1/2 of 3-ounce package) 8 ounces Cool Whip Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together pretzels, butter and brown sugar, and press on the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Process strawberries in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat condensed milk, cream cheese and gelatin at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add strawberries; beat at low speed just until blended. Transfer to a large bowl.

Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into prepared crust. Cover and freeze 8 to 12 hours or until firm.

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Motocross riders practice their maneuvers on the Sunset Ridge MX track in Walnut. Sunset Ridge co-owner Jan Pistole said all riders are respectfully placed with others of similar experience and skill set, and all riders are mandated to wear the proper safety gear.

ENJOYING A GLORIOUS ‘SUNSET’ SUNSET RIDGE IN WALNUT OFFERS MOTOCROSS RIDERS A SAFE EDUCATION Story and photos by Eric Engel

A

nyone who can balance a moving motorcycle and crank a throttle can leave the dirt track to see what the earth looks like from many meters above the ground, but Jan Pistole wants everyone to find their footing back on solid ground — feeling nothing but safety and satisfaction.

With May being Motorcycle Safety Awareness month, Pistole — co-owner of Sunset Ridge MX track in Walnut — expanded on beginning their 17th season at Sunset Ridge and the importance

Illinois Valley Living

of everyone keeping their bodies intact while having a blast on the motocross track.

“Our motto has been, ‘A safe, fun family atmosphere’ from Day 1, and we work feverishly every year to maintain that motto,” Pistole said, adding her profession as a critical care nurse makes her somewhat of a safety geek. “We make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing and following the rules.”

The Sunset Ridge staff purchased their own ambulance from the state of Illinois in 2005, and they have their own emergency medical technicians (EMT) on site.

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30 “We utilize several local EMTs and paramedics, and they told me they get their best trauma experience at Sunset Ridge,” Pistole said, noting out of 6,000 participants in 2015, only 24 riders experienced injuries. “That’s less than a 1 percent injury rate, and we hold to that standard every single year.”

Pistole said children start riding at 3 or 4 years old, and Sunset Ridge has a particular area for beginner riders. When they show improvement in skill and understanding of their vehicle, the riders move up the ladder to the main motocross track.

“It’s enjoyable for the whole family, and we watch riders grow up here,” she said, adding riders are not just racing, but learning each time they are on the bike.

“We have 6,000 family members, because when they come through the gates, they are treated as part of the family — the motocross family.”

She hears it all the time. A person must be crazy — a glutton for punishment — to go flying over the dirt jumps like a bird without wings, as everyone comes crashing back to the planet once in a while, but Pistole mandates a strict regiment of particular safety gear before a person is allowed to roll a single tire down the track.

“They don’t get on track without full riding gear — a helmet, chest protectors, long sleeve jerseys and pants, and most are wearing neck braces now,” she explained, stating Sunset Ridge doesn’t allow any type of stunt activity because of the risk factor, even though it draws a crowd. “People who watch say, ‘I could do

‘‘

We don’t just open the gates and say, ‘Go ride.’ We do practice sessions, keeping the little bikes and the ATVs separate, so everybody is riding in their own ability.

Jan Pistole, co-owner of Sunset Ridge MX track

that,’ but they aren’t properly trained.

“That’s one of the reasons people like to come here. It’s friendly and safe, which is what we continue striving for,” Pistole said, giving riders a safe course for tires to spin their miles on, and instant medical attention when needed. “We don’t charge for a Band-Aid, let alone a trip to the hospital. The ambulance functions solely on donations, so people throw $5 in the bucket when they come to ride, and it’s their good karma for safety for the day.”

Sunset Ridge hosts 10 gravity-defying race events every year, including a national ATV event and a national qualifier event on the amateur motocross circuit. They supplement practice days two or three weekends each month, so even those who want to ride rather than race are more than welcome to test out the sharp and steeping dirt curves — but only if they steer clear of recklessness.

“We don’t just open the gates and say go ride; we do practice sessions, keeping the little bikes, the big bikes and the ATVs separate, so everybody is riding in their own ability.”

She invites all interested eyes to come watch the excitement of the family sport that has fought hard against the stigma of

’’

drug-using law breakers. She said Sunset Ridge is where people start and can continue to stardom, as LaMoille native Chase Sexton is riding nationally with the Geico Honda team; and Galena native Chad Wienen has won four ATV national championships. Both began with the “Sunset” in their eyes.

“We have a facility out of Walnut, Ill., that produces great worth, and as safety has always been our No. 1 goal, and I don’t know who hurts worse when someone gets hurt; the rider or me,” Pistole admitted, stating playing sports, climbing trees and jumping on trampolines can result in serious injuries if participants don’t respect the rules. “If you respect the motorcycle — and enter the track only after you do — then it becomes the culture.”

Pistole celebrates the wild achievement of a 30-foot jump along with everyone else, but there are two things she is unable to put a measurement on at Sunset Ridge — how much fun she’s had, and how many lives they’ve touched.

“Our satisfaction is when they leave in the vehicle they came in, and then come back and tell us what a great time they had.”

Whether spraying dirt or chasing clouds, motocross riders at Sunset Ridge in Walnut each have a great opportunity to spread their wings as an athlete and solidify their footing as an individual while enjoying the beautiful MX track.

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Illinois Valley Living

31

Never give up ...

RWANDAN NATIVE TELLS HIS SURVIVAL TALE ABOUT GENOCIDE IN AFRICA Story and photos by Eric Engel

Theoneste Nzaaranyimana, who survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994 by hiding in a pile of dead bodies and living like an animal in the jungle for three months, joins Princeton High School student Cole Wright after telling his story to high school students at the end of the school year. The Wright family helped “Theo” find his true freedom by caring for and encouraging him to pursue his education in the U.S.

During the Rwandan genocide in the early 1990s, families would be stopped on the side of the road by African soldiers in power under a corrupt regime. The soldiers would separate the family members based on their appearance, and they would tell the Hutu father and daughter to be on their way. They would then place the Tutsi mother and son on their knees in the ditch, and shoot them in the head.

Theoneste Nzaaranyimana — known as Theo by his friends — is a Rwandan native who is studying for his master’s degree at Illinois State University. He silenced the crowd of Princeton High School (PHS) students and faculty at the end of the school year by explaining his experience as little more than an animal roaming the jungle of genocide as a young African child.

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32 Theo grew up on a farm, raising crops, rice and animals with his family in Rwanda. He speaks 15 different languages, and explained how in Africa if you traveled the equivalent of Princeton to Bloomington-Normal, you’d find a different language being spoken. Africa has 54 countries, and an individual needs a passport and documentation to travel between every one.

Africa has many natural resources, like gold, diamonds, copper, iron and salt — producing $9 billion in diamond sales every year; as well as being the largest supplier of gold in the world. The continent’s exotic assortment of wildlife, mountains and rivers make for global treasures, and Africa is rich in oil, wood and fertile soil.

However, there is a dark and vicious history behind some of Africa’s recent regimes. Theo said some of the challenges include political instability and corruption, endless war, unemployment and diseases like HIV/AIDS. The continent experiences stretches of drought, and a demographic explosion has resulted from a high birth rate subjected to minimal education or social nutrition.

“Life was really hard for me because I’ve seen how a person can reach their extremes,” Theo said, voicing his appreciation for the Wright family, including PHS senior Cole Wright, and the individuals who helped lurch him from the chaos he experienced. “When you reach the last minute of your life, there’s still hope.”

Theo said when vicious regimes come into power in Africa, they will do anything necessary to retain that power, leading to no equilibrium between countrymen. He said the political leaders in the 1990s were as comfortable with murder and disintegration of family units as they were preparing a meal for dinner.

African natives were suddenly classified as Tutsi, Hutu or Twa, depending simply on their location and appearance. Theo said he didn’t like it at all, as the Hutus were allowed entrance into the best schools available, while the Tutsis were not allowed to go to any school whatsoever. The attitude was those in control spoke orders, and everyone listened … or they died.

“In 1994 the Tutsi were pushed out of the population, beginning the genocide.

People were burned or killed where they stood,” Theo said, stating he was only about 5 when his family went on the run to avoid certain extermination. “They were hunting everybody, blocking the roads so no one could pass, so we were moving through the forest to avoid being killed.”

In a setting of constant war, life can change in an instant, and a man will do what he must to survive. Theo said he was pushed to a form of existence where everything besides staying alive fell by the wayside.

“While we were on the run I found a pile of people who had been killed, and I crawled inside that pile of bodies so I

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Theo and his family went to Burundi, where they became refugees for two years.

They were told peace had come back to Rwanda, and so Theo’s family returned — only to watch such horrors as his pregnant aunt being cut open because she had a “Tutsi in her belly.”

“I was young, but the memories are there,” he recalled.

Property was taken by whoever wanted it, and those who stood up for themselves were killed or imprisoned. Theo had been trying to earn an education, but he had to stop because his family had no income.

When he went to a priest at a high school to ask about his family’s property, the priest said, “Theo, tomorrow you are going to die.”

“The priest said it’s better if I left, and even though I didn’t know where to go, he said just leave this place and go anywhere — just don’t stay around here,” Theo said.

Theo ran like an animal of the forest, without food, water, shelter or family.

He’d sleep on the floor of the jungle, and eat whatever he could find to survive. He said he’d go into police stations and tell the officers to arrest him because he had no documentation, and they would just laugh and shove him out the door. He had no compass in life and seemed to keep circling back into the nightmare. continued on

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Illinois Valley Living

33

Just a little Sassy ...

Column by Carol Keller and Beth Rosene Photo by Dave Cook

W

e hope you are enjoying our tips for dressing for your body type. This time, we will talk about the “B” – “Beautiful” body type.

If you are B - “Beautiful” chances are you ...

• Have great legs.

• Have a fuller figure.

• Are larger through the upper-midriff area.

• Are endowed on the top.

If you fit in this category, here are some style guidelines ...

• Show off your legs! Don’t choose pants that are full at the bottom.

• Choose a print top. (I know, that is amazing to us too!).

• Jackets are a perfect compliment for you. Just make sure it doesn’t fit tight around the bust line. A denim jacket in your wardrobe is a must!

• A good undergarment is your best friend. If you have never gone to get fitted, now is the time to go. It may even help you from having back problems.

• If you wear a solid top, add a jacket to minimize your upper body.

• Camisoles are a must in your wardrobe. Always wear one if the top you have chosen is cut low.

Carol Keller (left) and Beth Rosene of Princeton

• If wearing a necklace, a longer necklace is a great choice. We just love the adjustable necklaces. Funky earrings are also fun – they will draw your eye upward.

Remember, always be true to yourself!

We hope you have enjoyed our

Fashion School 101. Stay tuned for more great tips.

Carol and Beth have owned Sassy Sisters for four years. They both have degrees in clothing, textiles and design and enjoy helping women find their fashion niche!

‘I lost everything, even my reason to live, but it’s not the end’ continued from

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“I said this is the end, and in my mind committing suicide was the best option,” Theo admitted, stating he tried, and failed, to commit suicide multiple times. “I sat down afterwards and said there has to be a future, and if I die I will not see it. Sometimes life makes you do what a human being cannot do … I did that.”

Theo ran for three months in every direction but forward, and he stumbled upon a refugee camp where he remained for almost seven years. He barely had a roof to rest his head under, and saw children who were heads of their family at 7 years old. People came and took what they wanted, claiming to have “misplaced” it. There was no air conditioning, no proper living conditions, essentially

Illinois Valley Living

no life worth living … and yet Theo did not give up.

“Suicide is not an option. If I committed suicide I would not be here today talking to you,” he said. “I lost everything, even my reason to live, but it’s not the end, and you can take even the worst experiences as the beginning of a new life.”

Theo made his way to Africa University, where he was proud to accomplish a bachelor’s degree in horticulture. He met a man from Iowa State University who knew the Wright family, and because of their efforts to support him, Theo has found a new life in America where he runs down the hallways of greater joy and education.

“You can see how I’m smiling now, and that’s because I found people here who

brought me down from where I was,” he said, stating there was a time he believed the whole world hated him; where he spent six months without talking; where he wondered why he was born.

Theoneste Nzaaranyimana just earned a 4.0 GPA in his first year at Illinois State University studying for his master’s degree in agricultural communication.

“Do not look at your problems and how big they are; look at how well you can resolve your problems,” he said, encouraging the students to become something more than their challenges in life would allow.

“I never looked at losing my family or how I had a reason to commit suicide, and I never gave up. That’s why I’m here and doing well.”

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34

Yum yum recipes

Make these tasty cinnamon muffins

Want to see your name in this magazine?

H

ey, kids!

My name is Logan Serpette. I am a fifth-grade student at Henry-Senachwine Grade School, and I am the author of Cool Kids’ Corner.

Do you have something you want to see in the newspaper or this magazine? Email your jokes, recipes and other items to me at coolkidscorner@outlook.com.

I can’t wait to read your stories and try your recipes.

When you email me, make sure you include your name, your hometown and how old you are, so you can be famous. Celebrate being a kid!

You be the star!

Here’s a joke contributed by a reader Q. What did the father bison say to his son before he left?

A. Bye son.

Contributed by Emerson Crawley, age 11, of Henry.

Say what?

Ronald was so excited. He was camping for the very first time with his Grandpa. As they were going into their tent, they kept the lights off until they were inside to keep from attracting the insects. Even though they were careful, a few fireflies followed them in. Noticing them before his grandpa did, Ronald whispered, “Oh no, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.”

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Ingredients: Cooking spray 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil or applesauce 1 egg 1/12 cups all-purpose flour 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 stick butter or margarine Directions: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottoms of each cup in a muffin pan with cooking spray.

Put one-half cup of sugar, milk and vegetable oil or applesauce in a bowl. Stir until mixed. Add the egg. Stir that in.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg to the sugar mix.

Stir it only until the flour is wet, even though the batter will still look lumpy. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, until each spot is 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the muffins are golden. While the muffins are cooking, take the second 1/2 cup of sugar and the cinnamon and mix them in a small bowl.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Take the muffins out of the oven when done and cool the muffins on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, roll the muffins in the melted butter and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mix.

LOL jokes Q. What do you call a cow with a nervous twitch?

A. Beef jerky.

••• Q. What is a skeleton’s favorite type of paint?

A. Tye-die.

••• Lexi: I was going to look for my missing watch, but I didn’t.

Mike: Why didn’t you?

Lexi: I couldn’t find the time.

••• Q. How do you tell two witches apart?

A. You can’t. You don’t know which witch is which.

••• Q. What is the tallest type of building?

A. A library because it has the most stories.

••• Q. What do you give to a sick lemon?

A. Lemon aid.

••• Q. How did the egg cross the road?

A. It scrambled across.

••• Q. Why don’t monsters eat clowns?

A. Because they taste funny.

Illinois Valley Living

35

‘Oh say can you see ...’

YOU SURE CAN IN OGLESBY — PATRIOTISM AT ITS FINEST Story by Terri Simon Photos by Dave Cook

C

ities and villages across the country — perhaps even the world — do their best to promote not only their own municipality but also the citizens who live there. Many a town and/or city has tried myriad ideas to get its citizens to rally behind their hometowns for one reason or another.

But perhaps those other municipalities never asked the folks in Oglesby how to accomplish such a task.

“The goal was to make the downtown area look nice,” said Oglesby City Clerk Becky Clinard. “We wanted to be different than everybody else, so we decided to honor our local military veterans.”

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The patriotic banners displayed on utility poles throughout Oglesby help to honor the local military heroes in the area.

While many places have monuments with veterans’ names proudly inscribed, Oglesby decided to show its pride by flying it from the rooftops ... or at least the light posts.

The city clerk’s office staff, which is known for also participating in Oglesby’s special events as well as their usual city clerk duties, came up with the idea to buy patriotic light post banners and give Oglesby residents the opportunity to have their local servicemen and women honored by having their names on those banners. “it was a win-win for everyone because the community shared the cost, and it accomplished our goals to have our streetscape look great,” Clinard said. “We knew the downtown would look great with these banners.”

The city of Oglesby made a card telling townspeople of the project. It was inserted into everyone’s utility bill on the first of March of this year. The card explained the program, noting it would cost people/families $60 to “buy” the banner with their military person’s name on it. The city would share the cost and chip in the other $60 per banner. The deadline was March 31.

Clinard said she thought it would be great if the city received 30 orders for light post banners. When the total quickly rose to 100, the city was unable to find the $60 per banner in their budget to fund anymore banners, but rather than turn people away, they allowed anyone who still wanted to get a banner the ability to do so for the entire cost of $120. When the total rose to 160 banners purchased, the city of Oglesby was afraid they would run out of light posts and stopped taking orders. Clinard said the staff at her office are still receiving calls and having people drop by the office, hoping they can still be part of the program.

“This community is very patriotic,” Clinard said, reiterating the fact there were

36

Oglesby Mayor Don Finley holds one of the banners being displayed throughout the LaSalle County village.

160 purchased. “We stopped taking orders March 31; we were afraid we wouldn’t have enough light poles.”

All of the banners were up before Memorial Day. The banners will remain up through Oglesby’s annual Summer Fun Fest — July 7-10. The goal is to leave them up through Labor Day in September, and then they will be taken down by the city and given to the families who ordered them.

“We’ve had extremely positive feedback,” Clinard said. “We’ve seen people out having their photos taken underneath them, and we’ve seen family members posting pictures of their banners on

Facebook. A lot of family members have returned to the area to see their banner.”

Clinard said it’s been a good “rallying point for the community.” For her personally, she said it was good to see everybody in the city come together for a common cause.

“It really brought the community together in the name of patriotism,” Clinard said. “Plus it’s a wonderful backdrop for our festival and our parade in July.”

So what about next year? The ladies in the city clerk’s office are already planning ahead.

“We are already thinking about doing something along the same lines, but a little different,” Clinard said with a smile.

Illinois Valley Living

37 Sheffield

Sheffield

SMALL BUT MIGHTY IN WESTERN BUREAU COUNTY Sheffield by the numbers Population: 892 Median household income: $40,673 Individuals below poverty level: 11.6 percent Educational attainment: 87.9 percent with a high school diploma or higher Median housing value: $74,700 Total housing units: 433 Male median income: $27,468 Female median income: $16,992 Area in square miles: 0.71 Source: 2015 Census estimates.

Illinois Valley Living

Photos by Terri Simon Sheffield is a village in western Bureau County and was founded by Joseph E. Sheffield and Henry Farnham in 1852.

Sheffield and Farnham constructed the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, and the town site was intended as a coaling station for trains. According to Farnham, he and Sheffield flipped a coin to see for whom the town would be named.

While Sheffield used to be a mecca of activity before the area became much more mobile, the village has recently seen a resurgence of business in the area. The small town of less than 1,000 people boasts three restaurants, a hardware store, a pharmacy, a grocery store, bars/taverns, a bed and breakfast, a barber, hair salons, a woodworking shop, a vehicle repair shop, a second-hand store, an appliance store, a doctor, antique shops, a Christian radio station and more.

Churches still play a large part in area activities in Sheffield, including St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the First United Church of Christ and the First

United Methodist Church. The churches often work together on various activities.

The town boasts two lovely parks within the city limits — one which just had new playground equipment installed a short time ago. Veterans School Park is also home to the village’s Avenue of the Flags. Nearby, nature enthusiasts can also visit the Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area and the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park.

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38 Sheffield

The village’s library is a Carnegie Library, and it celebrated its 100-year anniversary a few years ago.

The Sheffield Historical Society, which is located just across the street from the historic Danish Lutheran Church, is a great place to research the town’s history from years gone by. The Danish Lutheran Church still holds a service during the holidays.

Sheffield is part of the Bureau Valley School District, however, there is no school in Sheffield.

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Illinois Valley Living

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Putnam County’s secluded paradise

While the better known hiking areas of the Illinois Valley are often crowded to near maximum capacity, the PCCD can frequently offer visitors a more secluded and tranquil experience.

CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS AN OVERLOOKED GEM Story and photos by Dave Cook

A

sk people living in the Illinois Valley, or more importantly, people traveling to the valley, about where they like to hike, fish, camp, or just get outside and experience some nature, and the likely answers will be Starved Rock or Matthiessen Park.

However, there’s another area that, while not featuring the dramatic landscapes of Starved Rock, offers nature without the big city crowds ... the Putnam County Conservation District (PCCD).

According to district president Dan Kotecki, the PCCD began around 40 years ago and is composed of approximately 750 acres over two sites, one east of Putnam and one west of McNabb.

The district offers residents programs and activities including field trips, fishing, horseback riding, camping, hiking, day camps that include art and field classes, and new hunter safety programs which have proven successful.

The trails are well maintained, well marked and

40

provide the occasional bench on which to sit and enjoy the surroundings. The presence of wildlife is abundant, and it’s not unusual to come across several deer or other animals during a hike.

Visitors Kyle Prokup and Andrew Ellerbrock, both of Chicago, but originally from Granville and Peru, regularly visit the PCCD during trips back to the Illinois Valley.

“It’s nice, open and private. There’s not nearly as many people here, and it’s more hiker friendly. The trails are groomed, but it’s still very lush,” Prokup said.

“We try to provide a nice place for people,” Kotecki said. “We’ve had large astronomy groups travel here; the Henry High School cross country team runs meets at the site by Putnam; and the PCHS cross country team runs at the McNabb site. We’ve also donated two small plots, about four to five acres, to the Putnam County FFA to use as a farm, and they use the profits made there to fund their different projects.”

Illinois Valley Living

41 Operating on a budget of $164,000 that’s funded 65 percent by county taxes, 25 percent by personal property replacement taxes and 10 percent through grants and services, the district has largely been spared the effects of the state budget battle.

“We had a minimal amount from the overpayment issue we had to pay back, but losing the steel mill was what not only hurt us the most, but the county as a whole,” Kotecki said.

Kotecki said a major $100,000 project to repair a leaking pond by dredging and lining it with clay five years ago is nearly paid off.

“There’s not much money to go around for stuff like that; it always comes down to money. We get by. We aim to do bigger projects, but there’s decreasing grant opportunities. We don’t have much to spend,” Kotecki said.

Kotecki explained the district would like to pave the main roads, add a boat landing at Lake Senachwine and acquire land when available, but those types of projects are usually out of the question because of funding.

“We like to find a corporate sponsor in the $5,000 to $10,000 range for a shelter and other projects. We’ve got a very nice spot for a shelter, but not enough money to get it off the ground yet.” Kotecki said.

So what attracted Kotecki to begin work-

The trails are well cared for, marked and offer the occasional bench to rest upon, but their lush surroundings offer a more natural experience than the highly-groomed and developed trails of the valley’s larger and more well known areas. ing for the district?

“The only real public ground in the county, other than the village parks, is our two sites. I’m an outdoorsman; I love

everything outdoors, and I thought this was something I could do to further the improvement of Putnam County,” he said.

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42

Kicking up dirt with Ashley Fiolek

X GAMES GOLD MEDALIST RISES HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND TO LIFT UP HER FANS

Ashley Fiolek, a world-renowned motocross athlete with an overflowing trophy case, has been deaf since birth, but she does not let that limit her ability to perform or her enjoyment in teaching others the fulfillment and exhilaration found atop two wheels.

Story and photo by Eric Engel Ashley Fiolek, a four-time Women’s Motocross National Champion and twotime X Games gold medalist, recently visited Sunset Ridge in Walnut to provide an aerial education and kick the wheels with motocross riders from all around the area.

Illinois Valley Living caught up with the energetic extreme athlete – who has been profoundly deaf since birth - to ask her about the heights she has experienced in her career and how she uses them to encourage others.

IVL: What is motorcross riding to you?

Fiolek: It is what I always wanted to do.

Since I’m deaf I had to have an Individualized Education Program at school every year to determine how I was doing and what I wanted to do in the future. Each year they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said a professional MX racer. Every year they laughed at me and said, ‘No, really?’ My parents just supported me and said, ‘Put that down; that is what she wants to be!’”

IVL: How have bikes impacted your outlook on others?

Fiolek: I think I look at extreme sports different and have mad respect for people that are willing to give it their all for something that they love.

42

IVL: What’s it like when you are above the earth and floating like a bird?

Fiolek: It is the best feeling ever. A feeling of total freedom.

IVL: How many bones have you broken?

Fiolek: Ten, but that’s not too bad considering. In MX racing it’s not “if” you break a bone, it is when.

IVL: Give us two examples of when you thought your cheeks were going to crack you were smiling so hard, due to motocross?

Fiolek: Well, that is easy! When I won my first professional race, in my rookie year it was what I had been training for since I was about 10 , and of course, winning X Games is the best feeling ever. To be on the podium with an X Games gold around your neck in the sport you love is unbeatable.

IVL: What do you love about coming to small town America and teaching children about riding?

Fiolek: Ahh, it is wonderful! I love teaching.

I never thought I would, but it is an amazing feeling. When I get someone to accomplish what I am trying to teach them and see their face light up, mine lights up also.

IVL: How have you soared because of the dirt track where you may not have otherwise?

Fiolek: I was pretty shy until I found racing. I was quiet at my school and didn’t

hang out with many people. With riding, it helped me to realize who I was and who I wanted to become.

IVL: How intense is center stage, and does it all rely on a grateful approach?

Fiolek: It’s intense at first, but then it is fun. I think for me I just realize how lucky I am to be able to do what I do and to be appreciated and respected for it, and then it is just all about the fun.

IVL: What would you be doing if you weren’t carving gold out of the trophy factory?

Fiolek: Hmmm, I honestly don’t know.

Is there anything else? Haha!

IVL: How much fun do you have when you crank the throttle and feel both wheels spinning like Frisbees?

Fiolek: Riding to me is just about having fun and feeling the freedom of riding a bike. To me, there is no other feeling like it.

IVL: How do you remain humble after experiencing so much success?

Fiolek: I guess I just appreciate everything that God has let me do in my life.

I have always had my parents with me, supporting me, and so many people have helped me it just makes me feel grateful.

IVS: If you could improve your arena in one way, what would that be?

Fiolek: I wish the girls were given an equal shot at racing, same as the guys.

Illinois Valley Living

43

Ageless Indian monuments TISKILWA HIGH ALUM KEEPS LOCAL TRADITION ALIVE IN ESTABLISHMENT

Old Tiskilwa High School trophies line the rafters of Kelly’s Place in Tiskilwa as to portray the great pride many feel in the old high school.

Story and photos by Eric Engel There’s no time left on the clock. You just made your first free throw to tie the game against your bitter conference rival, and every member of the crowd stands breathless. You walk to the line and catch the ball from the referee.

You grasp the basketball before raising your eyes to the hoop. Never has a Friday night felt such silence as in that moment, and you think of your team, your family, your town … and then you release the ball.

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Some of the Tiskilwa High School trophies in Kelly’s Place date back to early-20th century — but that’s not to say earning them was any easier.

You hear the crowd scream. You’re lifted above the dream.

Kenny Fisher and his sister Kelly Johnson — both Tiskilwa High School (THS) graduates — decided to open a watering hole/eatery in the town they love right around the turn of the century. A few years after Kelly’s Place opened on Main Street in Tiskilwa, Fisher was introduced to an idea that would ensure the spirit of the Tiskilwa Indians would never diminish in the Gem of the Valley.

“Doug and Dave Compton came up with the idea for the trophies,” Fisher said, stating the old high school roof was leaking and some of the old THS trophies were getting wet and deteriorating. “They said bring them up to Kelly’s Place, but I didn’t know where to put them or how many I could fit.”

Fisher talked to then-Mayor Bill Hamilton and received permission from the Tiskilwa town board to display the trophies in his establishment and renovated the ceiling of his business so the trophies could fit above the bar. Fisher reiterated the trophies do not belong to him, but to the generations of student athletes who earned them, and his goal in displaying them has always been to keep the flame lit on the rich history of THS. “When we went down to the high school to haul the trophies over, I teared up as I walked across the gym floor,” Fisher said, overwhelmed by the positive impact THS

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Siblings Kenny Fisher (left) and Kelly Johnson proudly showcase their pride in the small community of Tiskilwa by inviting friend and stranger alike into Kelly’s Place with a big smile and a warm welcome. had on his entire life thereafter. “When we consolidated, we lost a lot of our identity, and many businesses in town closed down not too long after.”

Driven by the logic that greater academic opportunities and social development

would result from consolidation — as well as various multi-dimensional economic factors — THS students were sent to Princeton beginning in 1996. As with any decision of such magnitude, some community members agreed, while others did not.

Illinois Valley Living

45 “I’m older now, so when you look back you realize how special it really was,” Fisher said, emphasizing the size of the hot rod parking lot on any weekday afternoon and the tenure of faculty who expected the best efforts available in the classroom or on the football field.

“You couldn’t ask for a better place to raise a family, so what happened here is sad to me because so many good memories of the glory days come back each time I think about it.”

Fisher’s family moved from Arlington Heights to Tiskilwa when he was 8 years old, and he said it was one of the finest privileges of his life. Nobody locked their doors or was ever bored — even without cellphones and only three channels on the antennae — because if you weren’t fishing at the canal you were heading to the park to earn a roster spot for the pigskin pick-up game.

“If you go look on that all-conference board, you’d find a whole bunch of guys who you knew from grade school on,” Fisher said, speaking of the results of community continuity regardless the population of a town. “High school

Kenny Fisher made sure to fill Kelly’s Place with musical memorabilia as well as sports trophies and plaques, calling longtime song birds Doris Hamilton and Jim Jones “second to none.” should be some of the best times of your life, and I feel a lot of the people who graduated from Tiskilwa felt that way.”

Fisher acknowledged the reality of consolidation eventually reaching Tiskilwa, but said the high school was less than two decades old and the town was not broke when it did happen.

He voiced his belief politics were pushed on those who opposed consolidation, and although a former THS Indian houses

biased blood, he said the school was never lacking for quality.

“Some of the greatest minds in this world come out of oneroom schoolhouses, and if you were a walking, talking, breathing male you played football — and felt like part of the team,” Fisher said, rejoicing the efforts of every teacher and coach he had, recalling them as second to none. “The teachers were beyond awesome, and you were going to learn something in their

class because they demanded the greatest approach.”

Fisher said he is honored when old-timers come into his establishment and point at the trophies with the words, “Remember that game …” drifting through the air. When he sees a local legend come through the door, he stops what he is doing to offer a warm hug or handshake.

When he was young and made those free throws to win the tournament, high fives would accompany him through the weekend, but as Fisher has grown older and wiser he realizes all he needs to describe what his heart celebrates is two simple words … thank you.

“If I won the lottery I’d buy back the high school and make something out of it because it meant something to play beside those guys and be led by individuals who touched so many lives,” Fisher said, using the trophies to deter the forgetfulness of history.

“I wish my kids and grandkids could have experienced what we went through because it wasn’t just the teachers, the school, the sports or the culture. It was everything.”

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46 IV Living Journal

Illinois Valley Living Journal

By Terri Simon Photo by Dave Cook I don’t like to drive on the interstate.

Nope. I’m just not a fan. If I have to, I will, but I’ll take the backroads any day as opposed to the fast lanes of the interstate.

I have a plethora of reasons why the interstate isn’t for me, most of which revolve around the intimidation of speed and the fact I’ve been to too many accidents on those fast four lanes. Seldom is the outcome of the accidents a good one, and in my mind, the slower speed of the backroads might just give me a better chance of survival, should something awful occur.

This realization has come with age. Gone are the days of being invincible. I’m sure you remember those youthful days when you did things just to see if you could. I was first in line and quick to raise my hand when those situations presented themselves. A bit of a daredevil, so to speak, I seldom thought about the consequences.

But now — thanks to wrinkles and gray hair (in other words, age) and thanks to this job that has shown me a very vulnerable side of life, I’m much more cautious, much safer in my decisions, much less reckless abandon in this old girl’s life.

Don’t misunderstand. I haven’t completely kicked adventure and carefree to the curb, but age has a way of making you think things through before you ultimately step off that curb. Ugh!

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So anyway, I find myself traveling the backroads of this county very frequently, if not daily. There was a place in time when I could proudly say I knew nearly every backroad in the Illinois Valley, and it was always fun to find a Terri new road which I had never Simon been on ... or at least I didn’t remember — which is another perk of growing older too. The Illinois Valley is full of surprises once you get off the interstate, and there has seldom been a time when I didn’t meet up with the unexpected as I traveled along the two-lanes or better ... gravel roads.

If you’re in a hurry, don’t bother, for I’ve come to realize the backroads are meant for meandering. Wandering around the county — turning on this road and that one — well, for me, it affords this old girl the opportunity to look at life through those rose-colored glasses I yearn to wear.

It’s a chance to remember, in many cases, a much slower pace and place in time, when life wasn’t so chaotic and hectic ... and things like rolling hills or land where you can see forever trumps deadlines and obligations.

The backroads.

As a little girl, we used to load up into Grandpa’s green Chevy, especially in the summer heat when air conditioning wasn’t part of our world, and we’d take a “cool down ride.” Windows open, the hot

breeze blowing our sweaty faces — those backroads provided a cooler alternative to a hot, stuffy house, but more importantly, it gave us time to be together, talk or sit quietly. It didn’t matter, for looking out the window and seeing what was going on throughout the countryside was our main objective.

A few years later, those backroads were the place where many of us got our first kiss or drank our first beer (I’m not advocating that, but it’s true). Those backroads provided privacy from watchful eyes of adults, as we attempted to find our way into their grown-up world. We spent hours driving around the countryside.

While Main Street had its perks, the backroads were for days when you needed to get away ... and they still are.

Today, I take the backroads for a variety of reasons, but what it all boils down to is the need to jump off that fast-paced highway of life now and then, check out the beautiful countryside in the Illinois Valley... and ultimately, to give me a fresh perspective. It works every time, and I return from those backroad drives with a renewed outlook ... on just about everything.

The backroads are there for the taking ...

In our fast-paced, interstate world, I urge you to allow yourself those meandering moments.

Illinois Valley Living Editor Terri Simon is an award-winning columnist, writer and photographer. She can be reached at tsimon@bcrnews.com.

Illinois Valley Living

47

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Illinois Valley Living

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