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Mixed martial arts pro still has a lot of fight left in him The owners of Straddle Creek Gardens bring a lot to the table County bridges are reaching the end of their lifespan Argo Fay woman sings nature’s praises in perfect harmony

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CONTENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Looking for a martini bar in C arroll County? The list is pretty short — there’s only one — but the menu at Pub 225 is pretty long.

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CONTENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Still plenty of The sweet smell The end of fight left in him of success their lifespan

She’s singing nature’s praises

At 44, Jeremy Castro isn’t pulling any punches — he still loves to go toe to toe in a grueling sport and he’s still a brute force to be reckoned with.

Fruits and flowers, veggies and honey, garlic and other goodies … the owners of Straddle Creek Gardens bring a lot to the table.

There’s a bridge club in Carroll County that’s become pretty exclusive – there are only two members in it – and soon, there’ll be only one.

An Argo Fay woman says her homemade product line can help personal care and personal wellness find a perfect harmony.

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The list is pretty short — there’s only one — but the menu at Pub 225 is pretty long, with dozens of flavors in the mix at a place that puts the ‘art’ in ‘martini’ l i v i n g

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Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt opened Pub 225 in 2017. “My husband and I, we’re very social people. We wanted some place small, quaint, cozy, where everyone would feel comfortable, regardless of their walk of life,” Emmert said.

STORY CODY CUTTER PHOTOS ALEX T. PASCHAL FOR CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

hat’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of Milledgeville? Missiles, right? But martinis? Maybe not, but a pair of pub owners are working to make “Milledgeville martinis” roll off the tongue as easily as “Milledgeville Missiles” – and what’s more, you can even have both in the same glass at Pub 225. With more than 30 different martinis on the menu at the only martini bar in Carroll County – including an orange martini rimmed with black sugar called the Missile, named for the high school’s mascot – Pub 225 has drawn customers from more L I V I N than just the county; they’ve come from throughout northern Illinois and eastG ern Iowa, too. And it’s not just the martinis that bring them back; it’s the friendly atmosphere. Husband-and-wife owners Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt of Dixon – themselves very social people – have a simple motto at the bar: “Come in as strangers, leave as friends.” “We found so much support with a lot of people,” Emmert said. “We have people who travel over an hour to get here for drinks who bring their friends and bring their family because they hear about our drinks.” Aside from the Missile, other martinis on the menu include a Drunken Pumpkin martini, described as pumpkin pie in a glass; a Sugar Cookie with frosting and sugar; and other varieties such as Dill Pickle, Plum Crazy, Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, and Chocolate-Covered Raspberry. The list goes on: there’s the usual Dirty martini, Cosmopolitan, Appletini and Lemon Drop, but also After Dinner Mint, Caramel Apple, Cherry Blossom, Chocolate, Coconut Creme, Cucumber Citrus, Gummy Bear, Just Peachy, Mai Thai, Ocean Breeze, Pineapple Upside-Down, Salted Caramel, Shamrock Shake, Sour Apple Jolly Rancher, Sunrise, Werther’s Original, as well as Lime and Strawberry Margratinis.

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“You don’t think you’re drinking alcohol,” Emmert said. “The chocolate martini tastes like chocolate milk; it goes down that smooth. You don’t get hit with this alcohol flavor and then the sudden aftertaste. It’s all that flavor, what it’s supposed to be, up front.” Creating those creative concoctions isn’t easy: They have to be mixed carefully with the right amount of ingredients, and Emmert can make that happen. She’s pretty good at shaking things up. In fact, she’s a certified mixologist, and that’s not just some self-anointed title. Emmert has taken online courses to earn it. To get the certification, martini-making alums have to have an understanding of different types of liquors, different flavor profiles, different colors, different combinations, and how to adjust them for a sweet or bitter taste. What goes into a good martini? Simply put: It’s the right balance. “That is all that it is,” Emmert said. “It’s not about how much liquor is in it, not about how much filler is in it. When you take that sip, can you get the right balance to taste like what it is supposed to taste like? If you’re claiming that it’s a coconut martini, that first taste better be coconut; and it better be the real coconut.” Continued on page 9

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Chris Coy pours a lemon drop martini at Milledgeville’s Pub 225. Pub patron Tyni Currens said she and her husband, Jeff, “don’t go out a lot, but when we do, this is our to-go place. The martinis are really good, and the staff and the owners are very friendly.”

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Pub 225 has more than 30 different martinis on the menu, including an orange martini rimmed with black sugar called the Missile, named for the high school’s mascot. Other choices include the Drunken Pumpkin, Sugar Cookie, Dill Pickle, Plum Crazy, and ChocolateCovered Strawberry

“If you want something to have a peach flavor, believe it or not you would add cranberry juice,” Emmert said. “It’s strange, but it’s just about learning about the different types of liquor and everything about them, and how they interact with others.” As popular as their martinis are, they weren’t always part of the mix. Pub 225’s story began 3 years ago when the couple sought to keep the building an active part of the downtown. Relatives own the building and didn’t want it to become run down. Today, after some repairs and renovation – including a restored tin ceiling – it’s become an important part of Milledgeville’s business district. Even its name is a nod to the history of the city it calls home. The pub’s name comes from the first three numbers of Milledgeville’s telephone system. When it first opened, the bar served up the usual offerings of beers and shots – which customers can still get – but the couple knew that they couldn’t make it on that alone. “I said, ‘We need to have a couple of martinis on the menu,’” she said. “We started with five basic martinis. It took off, and people started saying you needed to add this one, and this one.” Jeff and Tyni Currens of Lanark are regular customers. Tyni’s favorite martini is the Gummy Bear, but on a recent afternoon she enjoyed a Lemon Drop while Jeff sipped a Salted Caramel. Photos on page 10, story continued on page 11

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“Come in as strangers, leave as friends’ Pub 225 owners Jamie Emmert and Jason Schmidt strive for a vibe that’s welcoming and relaxed. “We go for simplicity,” Schmidt said. “We’re simple, quaint, comfortable, and have a laid back crowd.”

Milledgeville’s martini bar is just the right mix of rustic and modern, inside and out, from tin ceilings and wood accents inside to a new patio that brings the party outside.

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“The drinks are phenomenal,” Tyni said. “We don’t go out a lot, but when we do, this is our to-go place. The martinis are really good, and the staff and the owners are very friendly.” Also on the menu are cocktails such as Pub Punch, White Russian and varieties such as The Stoner, The Ass Kicker and Mermaid Water. Pizza is served every day, and this year the bar started offering grilled food on Sundays – inspired by the fact that full menu food isn’t an option in town during most hours that day. MORE INFO Business has taken off from there, and last Pub 225 310 N. Main Ave., year, Pub 225 began a mobile bar service to proMilledgeville vide drinks at weddings and other events. Hours: 5 p.m. to The COVID-19 pandemic gave them midnight Monday through the idea to build an outdoor patio to Thursday, help reopen the bar as soon as it could. noon to 1 a.m. “We go for simplicity,” Schmidt Friday and Saturday, noon said. “We’re simple, quaint, comfortto 10 p.m. Sunday. able, and have a laid back crowd.” Contact: 815-973Schmidt grew up in Milledgeville, and 3981 or Online: Pub 225 on Facebook Emmert in Polo. The couple also work full-time jobs, but despite a busy schedule, they haven’t lost their passion for bringing people together from all walks of life. They’ve also mixed thing up at regional martini making competitions in Davenport and Dubuque. Sandwiched between bigger displays from larger businesses, Emmert and Schmidt used just a small table to show off their creations. The Dill Pickle martini, a dirty martini with a pickle instead of an olive, earned “rave reviews” during a recent competition, Emmert said. “It was a surprise to us that it went as well as it did,” she said. “It’s Milledgeville, we got, what, 900 people? You got to follow where it goes, and we’re along for the ride now.” n

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At 44, Jeremy Castro isn’t pulling any punches — he still loves to go toe to toe in a grueling sport and he’s still a brute force to be reckoned with, but he also loves being able to train the next generation of fighters to follow in his footsteps

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STORY CODY CUTTER | FOR CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

hen Jeremy Castro punches out for work, he’s not done punching. After he’s done with his day job – as a student services specialist for West Carroll Middle School – you can find him working out, or running his gym where he teaches kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and more. Or, sometimes, you’ll even find him locked in a cage, face to face with fists and feet. Pretty good for someone who’s smack dab in the middle of being middle aged. But Castro doesn’t feel like all of 44 years old. The Savanna native can shoot, punch and kick as well as someone half his age, and the former high school wrestler doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. Continued on page 14

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That skill for staying on his feet has helped hone his mental acuity, which comes in handy in his job at West Carroll Middle School, and his tough tenacity has helped him as a professional mixed martial arts fighter who has fought for 15 years on cards in seven different states. Perfecting his technique with age also is something that keeps Castro going, he said. “You got to have your wits out there,” he said. “You got to be thinking. If he does this, I’m doing this, and it’s five or six things down the line. With three 5-minute rounds, people don’t realize how much cardio it has.” As brutal as the sport can be, Castro says the biggest, and best, takeaway from his love of fighting is being victorious when facing a skilled opponent: Who’s tougher than who, who’s quicker than who, and who’s smarter than who. “I just love to compete,” Castro said. “I’m not one of those guys who wants to go beat someone’s face. There’s no better competition than one-on-one, being locked in the cage, and one guy wins. This is the ultimate competition.” His success as a high school and college wrestler led him to a pro career that began in 2006. He has 35 wins and 24 losses to his credit, and most recently MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT/MKRABBENHOEFT@SAUKVALLEY.COM fought at Pinnacle Combat 31 in Dubuque, Iowa, on Halle Schaefer throws a punch at Jeremy Castro during a beginning MMA class Sept. 28. The 155-pound lightweight made his oppoat Castro’s gym, Battlecat MMA, in Morrison. Castro opened the gym in March at nent – 18 years his junior – tap out with a keylock Leanne’s Dance Connection. He teaches kickboxing, wrestling, submission holds, submission hold in the first round. Photos on page 15, story continued on page 16 and jiu-jitsu, and open sparring takes place each Saturday.

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sionals was just a short drive away, at Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa. If it wasn’t for a hot Nintendo game he yearned for as a child, Castro’s “A world-class gym like that an hour away, I thought I’d check it out,” he interests may have been quite different. said. Wrestling was popular in Savanna. The high school program won six Less than 2 months later, Castro pulled away from the amateur ranks and state championships from 1973 to 1981, and solidified itself as one of became a professional. The road wasn’t easy, and he sometimes thought Illinois’ most premier small school powers. Many Cardinals have been crowned state champions, and Castro’s father thought his son could be just about waiting a little longer before becoming a pro. Nevertheless, he stuck with it and today he continues to find new ways to hone his technique. as good as them. But Jeremy wasn’t interested at first, preferring his Nin“Those first 12 to 15 fights, that was pretty much just my wrestling: Take tendo over fighting. them down, pound them, not get submitted,” Castro said. “I’m pretty well “‘I’ll buy you a Nintendo game if you just try it,’” he recalled his father rounded now. Wrestling will take you a long way, just the mental side of it: telling him. “I went out, loved it, got my Nintendo game, and ended up cutting weight, learning how to getting a college scholarship out of grind, but the big thing is getting it, and a fight career.” used to being punched in the face.” Not very many students came He’s been the main event, or out for the sixth-grade team, but the co-main, for more than onethe allure of more video game third of his career. He’s fought for time helped Castro get a spot on championships at Pinnacle Comthe team. Just a few years later, he bat in Dubuque and the Midwest became more successful on the Cage Championships in Des mat than with a controller in his Moines, Iowa. After fighting in as hands. He was Class A runnermany as six bouts a year, family up at 125 pounds in 1992 and and professional life have settled earned another second-place finish in to reduce his schedule to two or at 130 pounds the following year. three matches a year. He then moved on to Northern One of his recent bouts was a Illinois University, where he won boxing match on July 18 in Davletters and wrestled for 4 years. enport; not quite his style, but he Fighting wasn’t in the cards for said it felt great to fight in a differCastro after college: He landed ent style. a teaching gig at the regional “Being able to hang around for alternative school in Savanna, and 15 years and fight 60 times, I’m even coached youth wrestling for pretty proud of that.” a while. MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT/MKRABBENHOEFT@SAUKVALLEY.COM Because of his experience, he’s Video games were a thing of the Jeremy Castro (center) works with students during an intermediate learned enough to teach others. past for him, but he was still getThat’s where the next phase of ting some screen time – only now MMA class at his gym, Battlecat MMA, in Morrison on Aug. 4. his pro career is starting to take he had his eyes on a TV, often shape: He’s trained aspiring fighters in many disciplines and opened a gym watching Ultimate Fighting Championship series on Spike TV. The UFC circuit was growing in popularity, and once he started watching it, it didn’t – Battlecat MMA – in March at Leanne’s Dance Connection in Morrison. Kickboxing is taught on Tuesdays; wrestling, submission holds and jiutake long for him to wonder how he would stack up to some of the fightjitsu are Thursday lessons, and open sparring takes place each Saturday. ers on TV. Classes have about 15 to 20 students a night, which Castro says is “pretty “There were really no rules,” Castro said. “When you start watching that, good” for just starting out. Women love it too: “They kick hard and have a you start thinking as a competitor, ‘Man, I think I can beat that guy,’ and lot of flexibility,” he said. ‘I think I can beat that guy.’” Continued on page 17 As it turned out, of the top feeder program for mixed martial arts profes-

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“It’s one thing learning it, having been around it for 15 years, but when you’re teaching it, you’re a little nervous. You wonder if you know what you’re doing enough to teach it, but it makes me feel good to see them have so much progress” he said. “It’s been a big thing throughout my career. It really helps me connect with my students. It’s been real good so far.” One of the people he’s taught has been a student of his twice, in the classroom and on the mat. Growing up, C.J. Schreiner of Shannon had struggled in school and was put in MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT/MKRABBENHOEFT@SAUKVALLEY.COM Castro’s alternative program. He eventually wised up, graduated from Eastland High Patrick SchaeSchool in 2014 and served in the Marines, where he learned about jiu-jitsu. fer trains with Feeling that he wanted to learn more, he reached out to his former teacher, reconnecting Jeremy Castro with Castro after military service nearly 2 years ago. Castro had sessions at the Iron Horse during a beginFitness Club in Savanna at that time, and Schreiner started going – and he hasn’t let up. ning MMA class “Jeremy’s always been very positive, and has been a very good role model,” Schreiner said. “I was in that class where people weren’t the greatest.” “It’s pretty awesome training with him, seeing him come full circle from a goofy little eighth-grader that couldn’t stay out of trouble,” Castro said. “I’m so proud of him.” Castro, too, has come full circle, going from student to teacher, from fighter to trainer, fed by his love of the sport and his passion for teaching it to others. “Most of those guys are 20 years younger than me, but I can go with all of them and it keeps me going,” he said. “I love that I can hang with them.” n

MORE INFO

Battlecat MMA offers lessons in strike fighting every Tuesday: kids classes are at 4:30 p.m., beginner and intermediate classes are at 5:30, and advanced sessions are at 6:30. Wrestling and grappling sessions are at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, and open sparring is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday. Those interested in lessons can stop by during classes, or find BattleCat MMA on Facebook. The gym is located inside LeAnne’s Dance Connection, 107 N. Sawyer Road in Morrison. Follow Castro on Instagram@jccastro_mma for fight pictures and more information.

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STORY CODY CUTTER PHOTOS MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT | FOR CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

Fruits and flowers, veggies and honey, garlic and other goodies … the owners of Straddle Creek Gardens bring a lot to the table

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ho knew garlic had over 250 different types, shapes and sizes? Darrin and Jenny Eubanks, that’s who. The husband-and-wife team are experts in their field at Straddle Creek Gardens, just east of their native Lanark, where the couple grows garlic – and lots of it, garlic as far as the eye can see and the nose can smell: music garlic, which is the most common type of garlic and one most people use; red and white German garlic; and Straddle Creek Garlic, which is native to Pennsylvania and doesn’t pop up locally very often. Continued on page 20

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Straddle Creek Gardens isn’t just a place where Darrin and Jenny Eubanks turn crops into cash, it’s a place where they can interact with the community and customers, while promoting the benefits of the farm-to-table philosophy.

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China supplies about 80 percent of the garlic to the U.S., but Straddle Creek Gardens provides a more direct farm-to-table approach. “When it comes to garlic, really there are many, many varieties,” Darrin said. “We kind of keep it pretty simple. Being here in the Midwest, we stick with the basic varieties that people know.” Straddle Creek’s locally grown goods goe from the farm to the dinner table, both in restaurants and homes. Several regional restaurants use the garden’s produce. Manny’s Pizza in Savanna uses Saddle Creek’s tomatoes for its hot sauce, as well as its jalapenos. Eastland High School’s FFA program also utilizes the garden for some of its activities. Natural fish emulsion is used for fertilizer, and even that’s locally sourced, from Schafer Fisheries south of Thomson. Darrin said the fishy fertilizer makes for better garlic. Photos on page 21, story continued on page 22

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“A lot of it is how well you fertilize it,” he said. “In the spring time, you plant one clove. One clove goes in, and the secret is that it’s a timing thing. You plant it where the roots get established before the frost. If you don’t, it will heave up and sit on top of the ground.” Garlic takes up the biggest portion of the Eubanks’ 10-acre garden – named for the creek that flows at the north edge of their grounds – but the couple also grows jalapenos, zucchini, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, cucumber, strawberries and cherry and paste tomatoes. While Jenny coordinates most of the work in the garden, Darrin does much of the promoting and operations part of it. That includes giving lessons in garlic planting, opening its gates to the public for special events, and getting the word out that garlic is an important vegetable that not only enhances foods’ flavor, but has plenty of health benefits too. Among those benefits, garlic is packed with vitamins B and C, manganese, selenium, iron, copper and potassium; it promotes hearth health and it contains cancer-fighting compounds. And it’s pretty tasty, too. “If you’re going to season a whole bowl of pasta, you’d probably want to use our Straddle Creek; that has more pungency,” Darrin said. “One clove can go a lot further than what [a music] would.” German red garlic is also pretty pungent, music garlic less so, and it’s not as spicy. “The music is really good for roast garlic. It caramelizes and sweetens up a lot.” The Eubanks had a garden in town for years, but they soon outgrew it, and even used their son’s back yard for their growing business, Darrin said. Now, with a bigger garden, they can organically grow about 12,000 bulbs of garlic a year. They hang it inside a shed after they are pulled, 110 on a string and 10 in a bundle, where they await cleaning and grading – a process done by hand. Then they are sold, either at farmers markets in Lake Carroll, Freeport and Rockford, or online. The couple also raises bees to make honey, and earlier this year, they planted a field of sunflowers to give the busy little buzzers a place to pollinate. The heads of the flowers are like a mother lode of nectar and pollen for bees. The flowers were a hit with people, too. The Eubanks decided to do something pretty amazing with the flowers that reach for the sky: they put their own twist on the popular corn mazes and set up a sunflower maze. The colorful twists and turns proved to be quite a hit before the maze closed July 26, drawing lots of people who worked their way through the winding paths and clipped some flowers. “People pay money to go through corn mazes, but it’s just all brown and that’s it,” Darrin said. “This first year for the maze was a super hit.” Among the visitors were the Carrasco family from Chicago – Ron, Josie, Yanelli, and Noemi – who made the trip from their home in Lake Carroll.

It’s that time of the year, when they start seeing red at Straddle Creek, thanks to the tomatoes that are almost ripe for the picking. Above, these cherry tomatoes are almost ready to pop into your mouth. Below, paste tomatoes wait to be picked before they head to their new home – a canning jar. The lower moisture in this variety makes them a good pick for canning.

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“This is amazing,” Josie said. “The day was looking on the gloomy side so I said, ‘let’s go on over before the sunflowers are gone’.” Josie’s husband, Ron, said he liked the visual appeal of the sunflowers as well as their benefit for the bees. “It’s nice what the owners decided to do, and to help the bees of course.” The maze ended up becoming one of the garden’s largest attractions, helped in part by a pandemic that put a lot of activities on hold for the summer. Darrin Eubanks talks about the different types of For those who missed the maze, but garlic produced at Straddle Creek Gardens in rural still want to visit the farm, Straddle Lanark. The farm produces four varieties which inCreek Gardens has some upcoming clude music garlic, German white garlic, German events scheduled. red garlic and their own Straddle Creek variety. Everything Garlic will be Sept. 5 and 6 for garlic lovers, gardeners and anyone interested in how garlic is grown. Seminars on growing will be held at 1 p.m. each day, and there’ll be plenty of garlic for sale: seed garlic, gourmet garlic, picked garlic scapes, garlic salt and powder, garlic butter, garlic pesto, garlic popcorn, black garlic and smoked garlic. In addition, they have a Fall Festival for a pair of weekends in October. The exact dates will be announced on its Facebook page at Straddle Creek Gardens. There are hayrack rides, pumpkins to pick, and, yep, plenty of garlic. Events like these are just a few of the ways the couple lives up to their mission “to promote farm to table, and to interact with and educate our family, friends and neighbors.” “We just do a lot of different things here,” Darrin said. “We’re really diversified. We always got something that will carry us through the whole year.” n

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riving away from Thomson on Argo Fay Road, there’s a green directional sign that leads motorists to a place called Ideal. Once there, at the intersection with state Route 78, there’s no indication that one has reached Ideal – a settlement that has disappeared from most maps. Keep going, though – about 10 miles east on Ideal Road, near where it intersects with state Route 40 – and you’ll find one piece of local history that hasn’t disappeared, but MAIN PHOTO: The Ideal Road bridge over that’s about to change, and its conthe BNSF railroad tracks west of Milledgeville dition is anything but ideal. has withstood the test of time for seven decades, The slightly arched wood bridge but time is about to catch up with it. ABOVE: over the BNSF railroad tracks will The wood bridges on Mill and Ideal roads are be replaced by an at-grade crossing timber stringer bridges. by the end of the year. Falling victim to deterioration, the Ideal Road bridge is the penultimate – second-to-last – bridge in the county made up entirely of wood to carry traffic – and it carries plenty. The bridge is a major thoroughfare in the southern part of the county for farmers to reach places such as Milledgeville, Thomson and shipping hubs in Clinton, Iowa. While other bridges throughout the county have been upgraded or replaced, the Ideal Road bridge has withstood the test of time for seven decades, but its time has passed. When it’s gone, the only all-wood bridge left in the county will be on Mill Road, which crosses the BNSF between Argo Fay and Mount Carroll. It was built in 1920. Continued on page 26

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While wood bridges can hold their own, steel and concrete bridges can hold more – and they’ve got more staying power, too. Some wood bridges have been reinforced with iron; the two oldest of which are still standing are on Big Cut Road over the BNSF, east of Wacker (1924), and Daggert Road over the East Johnson Creek south of Mount Carroll (1916). They were wood bridges whose centers have been reinforced by an iron pony truss frame. Only the Daggert Road bridge remains open to traffic. ABOVE: The In Savanna, a kingpost truss bridge on Iris Ideal Road Street over the BNSF had girded supports and bridge is a triangular bases. That bridge was built in the major thor1930s, but had deteriorated by the 1980s. It oughfare in soon was regulated to pedestrian traffic only, and southern Carultimately removed in the past decade. roll County for As for the Ideal Road bridge, it’s actually not farm traffic. It that old – at least as bridges go. It was built in will be re1950. It, and the one on Mill Road, are timber placed with an stringer bridges, which are made of a series of at-grade crossparallel wooden beams or logs that carry a plank ing by the end deck. Several different types of designs were utiof the year. lized in wood bridges over time, but the stringer After that, concept can hold the most weight, with thicker the Mill Road and stronger logs. bridge (right) Wood bridges started to become more comover the BNSF mon during World War II, when iron and other railroad tracks, construction materials were needed for the war seen here from effort. With the shift in supply and demand, the north, will railroad companies turned to wood to build be the only allbridges. In the southeastern part of the county, wood bridge they started popping up in the 1950s. left in Carroll The Ideal Road bridge is 126 feet long, 20 County. feet wide, and the length of its largest span is 23 feet. During the bridge’s most recent inspection on April 9, its deck was reported to have minor deterioration, its superstructure to have advanced deterioration, and its substructure was weak enough to warrant possible closure. Its structural evaluation was rendered “intolerable” with a high priority for replacement. Continued on page 27

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About 450 vehicles cross it on an average day. One of the planks on the bridge snapped last September, causing the bridge’s closure for about 2 weeks. The plank couldn’t just be replaced by anything bought from a lumber store: The plank had to be 4 inches thick by 10 inches wide and 22 feet long, and not many mills make such custom cuts. Elsewhere, a wood bridge was built over the railroad in 1953 on the old alignment of the Milledgeville-Polo blacktop on Elkhorn Road, west of Hazelhurst. That bridge, and the right-of-way south of it, were removed in 2011. Going west toward Milledgeville, a wood bridge carrying Sunshine Road over the tracks was built in 1958, but replaced in 2011. When the Ideal Road bridge is replaced, the 138.1-foot bridge carrying Mill Road will be the only all-wood bridge left in Carroll County. Its deck is 16.1 feet wide, and its largest span is 24.3 feet. A September 2019 inspection noted that the deck and superstructure are in good condition, but the substructure has significant section loss. Less than 100 cars cross it on an average day. Mill Road doesn’t lead to any specific geographical point. Over on Mill Road, that wood bridge in 138.1 feet long, 16.1 feet wide and its largest span is 24.3 feet. A September 2019 inspection noted that the deck and superstructure are in good condition, but the substructure has significant section loss. Less than 100 cars cross it on an average day. When its day comes, the county will be out of the woods, and there’ll be one less structure to bridge the gap between the past and the present. n

N w h e r e Ciasr roilltC?ounty S

An occasional feature of Carroll County Living highlighting local landmarks, locations, and things off the beaten path. We’ll feature a photo and it’s up to you to guess where it was taken. ANSWER APPEARS ON PAGE 30

The Lamb Bridge was built in 1915 and continues to carry motor traffic. In which Carroll County community is this bridge located?

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praises STORY CODY CUTTER PHOTOS ALEXT T. PASCHAL | FOR CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

An Argo Fay woman says she can help personal care and personal wellness find a perfect harmony, with a line of products that hits all the right notes

here’s a harmony in nature, and Melissa Coverdill has found it. With a dash of this and a slather of that, she concocts creations that have personal care products going hand in hand with healthier living, and she’s turned it into a home business, Nature’s Harmony, in Argo Fay. Do you have arthritis? Restless leg syndrome? Tendinitis? Neuropathy? Cellulitis? Scoliosis? Coverdill says that with the right amount of herbs and essential oils – and no dyes or fragrances – aches and pains don’t stand a chance against her soaps (both liquid and bar soap), hemp lotions, lip balms and jellies. Uncovering the science of how nature can benefit the human body has always fascinated Coverdill. It’s also been a part of her family. She remembers her curiosity being piqued when she saw a canning jar of lye in her aunt’s home. Whether it’s lemon grass, flax seed, jojoba (a goat nut), or some other offspring of Mother Nature, somehow, some way, nature can play a role in enhancing and bettering people’s lives. “I love what I do because I love helping people,” Coverdill said. “It makes me so happy when a customer comes up and says, ‘Oh my goodness, this stuff works.’” One of her recent popular sellers has been The Stick, which comes in a Chap Stick-like tube and is made from organic beeswax, avocado, coconut and hemp seed oils. Continued on page 29

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“A lot of my customers get headaches, and they’ll use that for migraines,” Coverdill said. “If you do a lot of driving, and your shoulders hurt, I’ll rub it [around] and it’s gone within a couple of minutes. You wonder to yourself: Is it really gone, or is it just my imagination?” Her products aren’t just about health and wellness. Some of them keep customers coming back for other reasons. Lemon grass, for example, when mixed with sage and avocado butter, can keeps gnats and flies away. Aniseed, which is a natural fish attractant, can help mask the human scent – it’s popular with hunters, and sales shoot through the roof during the hunting season. Coverdill makes her products at home, using a little bit of this, a little bit of that – and sometimes even a Crock Pot, which she uses to make her liquid soaps. Soaps include Dead Sea salt, peppermint chocolate, rosemary mint and flax seed milk soap. Those, along with her lotions, can be made with or without CBD oil. She also uses organic lavender buds with oatmeal, spearmint, rosemary, sage, lavender buds, dried rose petals,a rosemary spearmint (which Coverdill said is “very exfoliating”), and even coffee. Continued on page 30

Melissa Coverdill, owner/operator of Nature’s Harmony, describes the all-natural ingredients she uses for her soaps, balms and jellies. “I love what I do because I love helping people,” she said. “It makes me so happy when a customer comes up and says, ‘Oh my goodness, this stuff works.’” Coverdill sets up at many local farmers markets.

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Coverdill frequents farmer’s markets in Lanark and Savanna, and on the other side of the river in Clinton, Iowa, offering soaps of different varieties and shapes, along with her CBD lotion, “sticks,” and handcrafted materials. “I try to make it something for people, they can try it out,” Coverdill said. “I’ve tried some CBD oils and they’ll do nothing,” she said of the massproduced, store-bought products. “It’s a waste of money. People spend about a hundred dollars. Mine are not like that, because I make them myself from scratch.” Sometimes the positive effects come as a surprise even to Coverdill. One of her farmers market customers once told Coverdill about an additional benefit of her flax seed soap: it helped take the place of deodorant that irritated the customer’s skin. Coverdill isn’t just getting the word out to customers at farmers markets, but other vendors as well. She also sells her products online, and has drawn customers from around the world. Locally, you can find her products at some local grocery and health food stores, including Shaw’s Express in Mount Carroll and Sullivan’s Foods in Morrison.

Coverdill makes her products at home, using a little bit of this, a little bit of that – and sometimes even a Crock Pot, which she uses to make her liquid soaps (above). Soaps include Dead Sea salt, peppermint chocolate, rosemary mint and flax seed milk soap. Among the ingredients: organic lavender buds with oatmeal, spearmint, rosemary, sage, lavender buds, dried rose petals,a rosemary spearmint (which Coverdill said is “very exfoliating”), and even coffee. She also sells soap scrubs (at left) for her bar soap, along with other handmade items.

Continued on page 31

w h e r e iCsarrioltl ?County S ANSWER

We invite you to stop by and enjoy a multi-level shopping experience

ANSWER APPEARS ON PAGE XX

The Lamb Bridge is on Oil Valley School Road in Argo Fay. The bridge spans a small creek that is a tributary of the nearby Sand Creek.

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Word of mouth is helping, too. Lisa Rousseau of Sabula, Iowa, who suffers from arthritis, tried a scoop of the CBD lotion and was amazed at the result. “It just flares up now and again and just hurts real bad,” Rousseau said. “I opened the bottle, put it on, and in matter of seconds, the pain just went away. Took it away, just like that.” Rousseau’s story echoes Coverdill’s own. She began making herbal jellies nearly 15 years ago, but aches and pains had slowed her down. Coverdill has alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, an inherited condition that raises one’s risk for lung and liver disease, and multiple scelorsis. They nearly robbed her of what she enjoyed doing – that was, up until a couple of years ago. “I was going downhill,” Coverdill said. “I was raising my granddaughter, but my MS was really getting the best of me.” Coverdill said the benefits of natural products gave her a second chance at life. She had developed allergies with her medications and heard about how CBD gummies could help. She tried some and was sold. Not only did she feel healthier, she went back to her shop and even recruited people to help her. “It’s awesome,” she said. “It gave me a whole new life.” n

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