DeKalb County Magazine
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Destination: Iceland
Historic Homes in Sycamore Glidden Florist Celebrates 80 years in DeKalb 1 | June 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE
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Larry Gregory PHOTOGRAPHY Fine Art Photographs
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DeKalb, IL • 815/748-3869 Coming out of the sun© 1988 Larry Gregory
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Table of Contents Marsh House One of Many Historical Homes in Sycamore.......... 6 Fairdale Residents Rebuild Lives One Year after Tornado . ...........................11 Tinez Tacos: Leading the Way in the Food Truck Craze in DeKalb ......................16 Helen Umbdenstock: Local Salon Owner Gives Back to Cancer Patients.............................20 Glidden Florist: Celebrates 80 Years in DeKalb...................23 Destination: Iceland..................................28
Publisher: Karen Pletsch Project Manager: Lisa Angel Layout & Design: Allison LaPorta Photography: Danielle Guerra & FunME Events Writer: Aimee Barrows & Stephen Haberkorn Articles and advertisements are property of Shaw Media. No portion of DC Magazine may be produced without written consent of the publisher.
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Marsh House Marsh House One of Many Historical Homes in Sycamore
O
By: Aimee Barrows One of the best things about Sycamore is its rich history, and the city has done a remarkable job preserving the old-world beauty of many of its homes. Lined primarily along Somonauk Street and Main Street are some of the most magnificent homes built in the area during the mid-1800s. But one home not located in the historic district of Somonauk Street, Main Street and downtown Sycamore is the William Marsh house, located at 740 W. State St. The home was built in 1873 and is currently owned by Jim and Marcia Stoddard, who purchased the house in 1985.
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built an addition to the back of the home, which the family rented out to Northern Illinois University students. The Stoddards now use it as a family room. The Marsh home is currently on the National Register of Historic Places, and has had that prestigious designation since 1978. Local historian Steve Bigolin was part of the team that petitioned the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council that year to have the home added to the National Register. It had to be chosen on its own merit, because it’s outside of the designated Sycamore Historic District. There are three other structures outside the Historic District that are also on National Register; the train depot that now houses the DeKalb County Community Foundation, the Ellwood Cemetery gates and the Adolphus Brower House located at 705 DeKalb Ave.
William Marsh came to Sycamore from the East Coast and was known for agricultural equipment, most notably the Marsh Harvester. Marsh built the home for $10,000 and lived there until 1918, when the Holcomb family purchased it. The architectural style of the home is Italianate and it’s the only house in Sycamore with a cupola, which is a small dome that sits on a home’s roof. Another distinguishing feature of Italianate architecture is the picturesque arches of the home’s doorways and windows. The home stands on two acres and is 5,200 square feet. It originally had six bedrooms, but Marcia Stoddard said she and her husband have remodeled the house “several times,” and converted one of the bedrooms into a bathroom. The couple installed a new roof, boiler and furnace, rebuilt the chimneys and lined them, remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms and re-worked the gutter system. The couple also had a garage built to match the architecture of the house. Despite all the work that was put into the house, it still feels like taking a step back in time upon entering.
“We were a little worried about designation because the [Marsh] home has an addition that wasn’t original, and a porch that was built in the 1920s,” Bigolin said. “But it’s a fine example of the Italianate architecture of the 1870s. It’s a structure considered worthy or long-term preservation for future generations.” The Sycamore Historic District, which has 225 pieces of property and 99 aces, is comprised of Somonauk Street, Main Street, and portions of downtown Sycamore, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Within those 225 structures, 21 homes and buildings received a primary mention, which means they were specifically included on the nomination forms. Some of those 21 structures, which are considered the “crème de
“What’s nice about this house is that it has closets, and a lot of older homes didn’t have closets because they were taxed as rooms,” Stoddard explained. “The rooms are also large, especially for an older home. But all the hardwood is original and everyone who’s worked on the house have been true craftsmen who appreciate older homes.” Another interesting feature of the home is that it has an in-ground pool, as well as a bomb shelter, in the basement. Both were added by the Polvsen family, who owned the home in the 1960s and 1970s. They also DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 7
la crème” of the Historic District, include the courthouse, St. Peter’s Church, Sycamore Baptist Church, the Charles Boynton house and the Carlos Lattin house, Bigolin said. The Charles Boynton home at 307 N. Main St. was once the largest home in Sycamore with more than 30 rooms and nine fireplaces. Boynton was a money lender and land speculator and came to Sycamore in 1849. Chicago architect George Garnsey designed the Boynton house, which is still a private residence. The house cost $12,000 to build in 1887, and the Boynton family sold it in 1987 for $207,000. One of Sycamore’s founding fathers, Carlos Lattin, came to Sycamore in 1835 from St. Louis, and built a log cabin approximately where Stomp Shoes is located. He built a brick house in the 300 block of W. High St., which was torn down. In 1859, he built the home at 305 Somonauk St., where his family lived until the 1955. Some other impressive examples of historic Sycamore homes include the David Syme house at 420 Somonauk. According to Bigolin, the home is one of the best-preserved Queen Anne-style of architecture of the 1860s, and he said the interior is beautifully preserved and maintained. Syme began as a grain dealer in Sycamore, and eventually became the President of Sycamore National Bank and was the mayor of Sycamore in the early 1900s. In addition to designing the Boynton house and Syme house, Garnsey was also the architect of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 206 Somonauk St. and the Old Congregational Church at Somonauk and High Streets. St. Peter’s was built between 1877 and 1879 and was modeled after the private chapels of English nobility. The church is still in use, and is one of the oldest churches in DeKalb County. The home of Chauncey Ellwood, who was the older brother of barbed wire tycoon Isaac Ellwood, was allegedly built on a buffalo watering hole in the early 1800s. The home at 827 Somonauk was built in 1859, and a large addition was added in 1869. Ellwood was known for his New Year’s Day parties, which he had catered with “very exotic concoctions of food, with many, many courses,” Bigolin said. Bigolin said over the last 40 years that Sycamore has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, property values in the district have gone up considerably. He believes the city has done a “great job” of maintaining the architectural integrity of the historical homes and buildings. “That designation helps give the community the small-town feel and ambiance it’s always had. The quality of architecture is such that people can take pride in the historic homes and buildings,” Bigolin said.
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R e s i d e n t s O ne
Y ear
R e b u i l d after
L i v e s
T ornado
By: Aimee Barrows On April 9, 2015, Fairdale resident Dave Novotny, 51, hurried to his basement with his two sons as they tried to take shelter from an approaching tornado. After listening to his house shake and rip apart for 45 seconds, he emerged to see a “war zone.” Fast forward one year later, and Novotny and his family are living in a brand new house that they moved into in February. “We like our new house very much. It’s different, but it’s very nice,” he said. “We miss the old house, but we’re happy with how it turned out. It’s amazing how much progress has been made, with about 15 to 20 new houses up and more on the way.” The small town that was devastated by an EF-4 twister has come a long way since that dark day last April. Two residents, Geri Schultz and Jackie Klosa died, along with 66 structures that were either obliterated or seriously damaged. The town was not eligible for state or federal disaster financial aid, which made the cleanup and rebuilding process much more daunting. That is, until a group of DeKalb County residents who came together to form the DeKalb Long Term Recovery Corporation, a non-profit group that worked tirelessly to bring Fairdale back, better than ever. Bill Nicklas, one of the founders and current vice president of the LTRC, said of the 66 structures, about 45 have been rebuilt or restored. “We’re going to continue construction this year because not every house has been rebuilt, but within a year, a great deal of progress has been made,” he said. “There was generally a state of shock and hopelessness initially, after they realized there wasn’t going to be any federal or state aid, but the folks in Fairdale are DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 11
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resilient. They’re happy to be alive and to be back in Fairdale.” Ed Silvers’ house wasn’t destroyed, but it did sustain some significant damage. He had a large hole in his roof, and many windows were blown out. Silvers’ story was a bit different than many other residents because he was back living in his home just a few days after the storm. These days, he still has a few more projects to finish around his house, but the major damage has been repaired. “I’m very fortunate to have minimal damage. A lot of people lost a lot more. If your home was in [the tornado’s] way, you had nothing left,” he said. “So many volunteers helped us, and we’ve made leaps and bounds to get things moving and cleaned up. We needed a clean slate as a town to begin rebuilding.” Besides the new homes that have sprung up around town, the town’s dated infrastructure was updated. The LTRC raised $1.6 million, mostly from private donations, which was used to fund the infrastructure improvements. A community septic field was built, so waste now runs to one tank from a pipe that serves every home in town. This made rebuilding much easier because of new zoning laws and health codes which stipulate that septic tanks had to be a certain distance away from the home’s water well. Most of the lots were too small, so the only solution was to keep septic systems off the homeowners’ land. In addition to the new septic field, Nicor installed a natural gas pipeline through Fairdale, so residents no longer have to have propane tanks on their property. Nicklas said that cost $192,000, which was paid for by private donations. Fairdale residents also
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have WiFi now, which is something they never had before the tornado. Silvers said while he hasn’t connected to the WiFi yet, he’s appreciative of the gas and new septic system. “The gas has been a plus, those tanks are ugly and the town septic is a great thing for everybody. If it wasn’t for that, we would’ve been limited on we could to do rebuild,” he said. “It’s amazing it’s been a year. Time has flown in some ways, but in other ways, it’s taken forever. Some neat things are happening around town and it’s nice to see that transition.” Novotny said he doesn’t think the town would be in as good of shape as it is now if it wasn’t for the LTRC. He said the group has made all the difference. “A few people have given up their whole lives in the past year to bring this community back and make it stronger,” he said. “They brought Nicor gas here, affordable internet, and the houses are looking nice. We’re not all the way back yet, but it’s better.” Despite the improvements, some residents still need help. Donna Turner, president of the LTRC, said the town still isn’t completely cleaned up, and some tree stumps remain. “We also still have some sidewalks that need to be replaced, and install some lighting around the park. The park is something that the town is really glad was rebuilt and is back,” she said. “There are three houses still in progress, and Habitat for Humanity has chosen a Fairdale resident to build a new house for.” There are some positive things that came out of the tragedy,
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however. Nicklas said people in the town are much closer now than they were prior to the storm. “There were a lot of dark days,” he explained. “But by the fall, things looked brighter and most people were on a path to come back. We could see opportunity. Most of the have gotten through, and that’s a good thing.” Novotny is grateful for all the help the town did receive after the storm. He said thousands of people from across the country came to help with the rebuilding efforts. “I felt like the luckiest person in the world because so many people were willing to help,” he said. “That gave us hope and made us feel good. After the tornado you couldn’t walk around without being knee deep in garbage and debris, so just to have all that gone is a miracle. We lived through this. We know we’re pretty strong now.”
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DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 15
S O C A T Z E N I T
LB
DEKA IN E Z A R C K C U R T D O THE FO LEADING THE WAY IN
By: Stephen Haberkorn According to the owners of the Tinez Tacos food truck, the key to their success is consistency; having consistently fast, fresh, and authentic food has made them a popular addition to DeKalb County area events over the last several years. “The secret is never change your recipe,” explained Veronica Garcia-Martinez. “You want to keep the same thing, occasionally adding something or have specials, but always keep it the same.” The main cook for Tinez Tacos is Veronica’s husband, Rodrigo. He immigrated to the United States from Veracruz, Mexico and brought with him the knowledge of how to make the small tacos that people love to eat. “My food is not big, but there is a lot of flavor in it. That is why people like it,” said Martinez. He said his tacos are made the same way as they are on the streets of Veracruz. “My husband tries to make stuff that is what he calls Mexican fast food –things that you would get in any Mexican restaurant where you don’t have to sit down and wait for a plate,” said Garcia-Martinez. “Tacos, tostados, burritos, quesadillas, anything that can be done within, literally, minutes is what we sell in the trailer.” They get all of their meat from Carrera Supermarket in Aurora, and then season and cook it in their trailer.“The guys who prepare our meat are phenomenal,” said Garcia-
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Martinez. “The consistency’s always the same. All of our meat is cut with a meat slicer, not with a knife, so it’s very different.” For their toppings, they only use cilantro, onion, lime, lettuce, tomatoes, and Chihuahua cheese, which is a salty, Mexicanbrand of mozzarella. They get all their vegetables from the Paraiso mini market on 10th Street in DeKalb and cut the toppings the same day they serve them, so they are always fresh. Over time, people started asking them for other things, such as corn in a cup. That’s on the menu, now. They also got many requests for walking tacos, which are like bags of chips with meat and toppings. “We never wanted to do [walking tacos], because we thought it’s never going to sell,” said GarciaMartinez. “It sells like hotcakes. People love it! It’s easy to eat and they come out. So we’ve incorporated things based on what people like.” Veronica Garcia-Martinez and her husband, Rodrigo, have been married for 5 ½ years, but have been together for much longer than that. After cooking for other people for many years, Rodrigo and Veronica decided to start a business in their name. “Our name is Martinez, but our children couldn’t say ‘Martinez,’” explained Garcia-Martinez. Veronica would tease her husband using the Spanish word for socks and call him, “Tinez calcetines.” “Our children always got on to the ‘Tinez,’ so ‘Papi Tinez’ is Dad and ‘Mommy Tinez’ is me. If you ask my kids what their names are, it’s not Roy Martinez; it’s ‘Roy Tinez.’ So it stuck.” They started out by doing what they call taquizas (taco parties), where they would set up a grill and all of their cooking supplies in people’s yards. In 2014, after looking up all of the building and health department codes, they constructed a little trailer basically from scratch. It took them about six weeks from beginning to end. They got help from Veronica’s uncle, who is an electrician, and her brother, who is a mechanic.
able to get the larger trailer they have now. They bought it in October of 2015 and just customized it this year in February and March. “It’s gorgeous. Now, you can fit five people, versus one in there,” said Garcia-Martinez. Because their trailer is mobile and still relatively small, they can do a lot of different events and their overhead is low. They are very dependent on the weather, but they also have a lot of flexibility. If the weather is calling for rain, they don’t have to open, but then they don’t have to pay anyone to work. If it’s a great day, they can have someone come out and it pays for itself. “We do private parties,” said Garcia-Martinez. “They’ll say, ‘Hey, I’ve got forty people coming and I just want tacos. So we’ll pull our trailer up and we’ll feed everybody tacos for two hours. It’s very simple, very easy. It helps, because it keeps your house clean. You’ve got your people outside. We set up. We cook. We clean. We leave. It’s like nobody was ever there.” Target Distribution Center had them come out, and they we were able to feed 300 people in two hours. They picked a small menu and fed everyone based on that menu. They also do a lot of the food for Littlejohn Elementary, where their children attend. They have brought their truck to feed the teachers and to support their school fun night. Littlejohn Principal, Billy Hueramo, says that the Martinez’s are very involved and supportive of their children’s school and their food truck is popular at their events. “My staff and families love the food. They oftentimes are coming back for 2nds and 3rds,” said Hueramo. “They do an excellent job. They set up everything for us and clean up as well. If we need servers, [Vernonica] has provided those for us at no cost.”
“It wasn’t the most perfect job, but we did it the best that we could,” said Garcia-Martinez. “It was definitely a challenge, but that little trailer sold a lot of food for a good year.”
The Tinez Tacos truck has also become a mainstay at the DeKalb, Sycamore and Genoa farmers markets.“Edith Craig from the library had mentioned to the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce that we had hot food, so they asked us to come out,” said Garcia-Martinez. “You have people sitting around for four or five hours with nothing to eat, really, but vegetables and fruit.”
After working out of their little trailer for a year, they were
Because of the following they drew in DeKalb, they were asked
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DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 17
to come to the Sycamore farmers market last year. And this year, they will be at the Genoa farmers market on a regular basis as well, along with two other food trucks.
A Legacy of Food and Family
Tinez Tacos is a family business, with influences going back generations and children helping out in whatever ways they can. Garcia-Martinez grew up around Mexican culture her whole life, as her father is from Mexico and her mother is a Texas-born, second generation Mexican-American. She’s originally from the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago, went to West Aurora High School, and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Spanish Arts & Literature. She remained in DeKalb after finishing college. Even though Garcia-Martinez doesn’t enjoy cooking as much as her husband does, she is perfectly capable of whipping up food for a large group. “It’s like mandatory when you’re Hispanic. You learn to cook for a lot of people,” she said. “If we have catering and we have to knock out a bunch of food in the trailer, I can do that.” Garcia-Martinez’ father has ice cream trucks in Chicago and her grandmother owned a pool hall and cooked for people. She also has a cousin, Rosario Garcia, who owns a popular Greek restaurant in Chicago. The Martinezes consulted with him when they were starting their food truck business, and they still clean and restock their trailer at his restaurant. “So this is kind of a family business. We just did it our own way, and our own style,” said Garcia-Martinez. Garcia-Martinez says her kids think they’re superstars because of the family business. “My kids love it, because everybody knows Tinez Tacos. They’ll go to school with their shirts on and they walk around proud. And they get to help in the business. ”Isaac (8), their oldest son, stocks the refrigerator in the trailer. He loves to tell people about their food and loves nachos. Addison (6) restocks their paper towels and napkins and helps wash the outside of the trailer. Roy (4) is the child most often seen hanging out with his father
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in the trailer. According to his mother, Roy is very popular with customers. He portrays different characters each day – vampire, werewolf, superhero, secret agent. He loves chicken and bean burritos and eats lots of free food. “He’s absolutely crazy. He rides around on a Schwinn Tricycle with a cape on all day and everybody loves him,” said GarciaMartinez. Their oldest child, Chabeli (14), is actually their cousin. She’s a U.S citizen, but has only been in the country about nine months and is learning English. She helps with the dishes in the trailer at the end of the day. The kids get to keep all the tip money, which they split four ways every Friday. If anyone did extra work they get a little larger share. “So it is a family business in the sense that all of us are involved. And they love it,” said GarciaMartinez. Garcia-Martinez also has a niece who really wanted her dad to open a trailer called Garcia Tortas, so they added that to their menu for her. The kids love hanging out at the trailer, too, because they trade with other vendors for food. Their favorite person is Mike Chamness from Mike’s Empanadas. “Mike has snow cones,” explained Garcia-Martinez. “I’ll give them money for the snow cones and Mike never takes their money. So they love Mike and they’re always looking for his trailer. Mike Chamness, the owner of Mike’s Empanadas and Martinez first met at Corn Fest and fast became friends. “I just saw how they were set up and ran so efficiently. It was really impressive,” said Chamness. My dream was to have my own food truck. “They unselfishly helped me from the beginning, telling me tips and tricks of the trade,” said Chamness. “They’re just very genuine, hardworking people.” Chamness now has his own food truck and is at the same farmers markets with Martinez. “We work so well together and try to promote each other everywhere we go:”. “I love it, because when we do events I get to eat their food and then they’ll eat ours,” said Garcia-Martinez. “Sometimes you
trade off. So it’s good to know people”
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She said they also trade food with farmers. One farm would give them a box of tomatoes they couldn’t sell, that they would use in their salsa, and they would give them burritos in exchange.
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In the future, the DeKalb area food truck vendors may team up for an event like the food truck festivals they have in Chicago and Naperville. “I think that’s a win-win if we can all work together,” said Chamness.
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Community Involvement Veronica Garcia-Martinez has a background in social work and is currently the DeKalb Service Coordinator for the Epilepsy Foundation of North Central Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. She said that as far as she’s concerned, the best part of their business is all the people they meet, including some who come up so they can practice their Spanish. “The good part is you get to see people all the time, from all walks of life,” she said. The couple frequently brings their food truck to fundraisers, where they donate a portion of the proceeds. They are also going to revamp their smaller trailer to be used exclusively for fundraising events like mud volleyball for the Epilepsy Foundation and the National Night out with the Police Department and Target. “I will come out and cook, but they will have volunteers taking orders and serving the food,” said Garcia-Martinez. “And then they get a big percentage—almost all of it, except whatever costs we put in. That’s kind of our way of giving back. We do that quite a bit.” When the devastating tornado hit Fairdale last summer, people pitched in for meat, toppings and sodas and the Martinez’s went out with volunteers and fed the recovery workers. “That was the little bit we could do,” said Garcia-Martinez. They will also feed people who don’t have money, such as residents of Opportunity House.
Bedding Plants Asparagus Tomatoes Homegrown Bi-Color Sweet Corn Cucumbers Zucchini Onions Squash (fall & summer) Muskmelons Gourds Peppers Pumpkins More
“We want to make sure that we’re not being greedy and we’re giving back,” GarciaMartinez said.
Homegrown and locally grown in-season fruits and vegetables. Taste the difference!
To find out more about Tinez Tacos, including their food truck menu and packages for parties, you can visit their website at www. tineztacos.com. Or you can like their Facebook page to track their daily location and specials.
1 1/4 miles East of Somonauk Rd. on Hwy. 38
(815) 756-6005
www.yaegersfarmmarket.com DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 19
Helen Umbdenstock Local salon owner gives back to cancer patients
By: Stephen Haberkorn Helen Umbdenstock has accomplished a lot during her professional career, from acting, modeling and voice over work to running her own hair salon for thirty-five years; but the work she has done serving cancer and craniofacial patients is perhaps her life’s most significant contribution. Umbdenstock owns Helen’s Hair Designs on North Second Street in Downtown DeKalb. Besides her regular cosmetology business, she helps people going through cancer treatments with the selection, purchase and care of wigs. While she does charge for the cost of these high-quality wigs, she provides all of the other services free of charge to patients who are often financially-strapped because of what they are going through. Back in the 1980’s, Umbdenstock, a long-time DeKalb resident who is originally from Maple Park, lost someone very close to her and decided to “give back.” She began by volunteering at the University of Illinois at Chicago Craniofacial Center in 1989. For twenty years, she worked as part of a team with renowned makeup artist Marilyn Miglin, helping teen-aged and adolescent patients with deformities due to birth defects, accidents and cancer surgeries. “People wanted to make these patients realize that they can have a normal life,” said Dr. David Reisberg of the UIC Craniofacial Center. “It’s not all fun and games, but that’s part of life. To be able to accept themselves as a normal part of functioning society is a big deal. That was [Helen’s] strong suit. She’s an ambassador for people to get up every day and face the world, no matter what they’re going through.” Umbdenstock would work on the hairstyles of the craniofacial patients and Miglin would do their makeup. By assisting these young people with their physical appearance, they were able to help them fit in better with their peers and live as normal of lives as possible.
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“Helen’s overall just a good-hearted soul,” said Dr. Reisberg. “I think she looks at her mission as just to help people. I know over the years she’s ‘adopted’ a number of our patients who just don’t have a lot of family support. She included them in family outings and things like that so they would feel better about themselves so they could get up and go to school, get a job and perhaps have a relationship socially, because many of these people don’t have a lot of those opportunities.” The first patient Umbdenstock worked with was a girl whose scalp had been completely severed. She flew out to Michigan to help her and spent hours on the phone dealing with insurance people before they would consent to covering the wigs. That is also when she began working with her wig supplier, Jerome Krause Fashion Hair of Skokie.
addition to her cousin, she also has two sisters who’ve had breast cancer, as well as another sister who had cervical cancer. Out of seven women in her family, four of them have had some form of cancer. But Umbdenstock has used all of that tragedy and suffering as motivation to bring kindness and compassion to others.
Another patient she worked with at the Craniofacial Center was a South African woman with dormant leprosy who had no hair. Umbdenstock got to know her and helped her get a wig. Though the woman had no money, she was able to purchase the wig through a fund started by someone at the center. According to Umbdenstock, the woman still wears the wig to this day.
Joy White of Sycamore was diagnosed with breast cancer on May 29, 2015. She had to go through chemotherapy and radiation treatment and lost her shoulder-length hair as a result.
Eventually, Umbdenstock started working mainly with cancer patients, and she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was fortyfour years old. “I was going to a black tie affair with my friend, Rich Ryan. I went in to get dressed and I leaned forward and saw dimpling on my breast, and it freaked me out because I had read that if you see that it’s definitely cancer,” Umbdenstock said. “It almost looks like when you suck in your cheeks and you have an indentation. I called my doctor immediately and I said to him, ‘I think I have cancer.’” She went in for tests on a Friday and called all of her friends for support over the weekend as she waited anxiously for the results. After getting the bad news, she pushed to have it removed two days later. After two more grueling weekends waiting for further test results, she began chemotherapy and radiation.
“I thought I was going to just wear the scarves,” said White. “I wasn’t going to wear a wig because I heard they get hot and they slip around. My sister-in-law said, ‘I know this woman, Helen; she’s been through it herself. I think you at least need to go in and talk to her.’” So White set up an appointment and went to Helen’s Hair Designs with her sister-in-law to see what could be done. “She couldn’t have been nicer,” said White. “Because she has gone through it herself, she was a wealth of information for me. Even though hers was quite a few years ago and treatments have changed, she still was very supportive and knowledgeable.” White said that she showed Umbdenstock a few pictures of what her hair used to look like and the hair dresser later came to her home with two different wigs, one of which was perfectly highlighted to her specifications. She paid what she considered to be a fair price for the wig and was very happy with the quality.
“I’m not big on going to groups and talking about what you’ve gone through, but I did go to a few and it was helpful because everybody is kind of there,” said Umbdenstock. “You do freak out, but then you have to relax and give it over to God. I just said, ‘This is what I have to do.’ It does make you stop and assess your life. It [cancer] is a very scary word.” For a woman whose life is devoted to making people’s hair look beautiful, you can imagine the emotions she went through as her own hair began to fall out. “I remember just sitting at a movie with a friend and running my hand through my hair and a clump came out,” Umbdenstock said. “I just put it under the seat and thought, ‘It’s starting already.’” While she was going through her cancer, her cousin, who had the same grade and stage of breast cancer as Helen, died of hers. Umbdenstock’s family has been particularly hard hit by cancer. In
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“I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on that wig,” said White. “A friend of mine had seen me without hair, and then it had been about a month since we had seen each other. She came over, and when the door opened I bent down to pick up the dog and she saw my scalp and said, ‘Wow, your hair grew back so fast.’ I had people pull on [the wig], because they didn’t believe it. That’s how natural it really looks. It moves well with you.” While she wore the wig, Umbdenstock would cut and clean it for no charge. She even gave White a complimentary pedicure. Umbdenstock told her, “You may not feel good, but if you look good you’re going to feel better.” According to White, there are other places that provide wigs for cancer patients, like the Living Well Cancer Center in Geneva, but she believes there is a need for this type of assistance in this area and Umbdenstock is doing her part to fulfill that need. “She’s a super, super lady and I hope that more cancer survivors will hear about her,” said White. “It’s a little niche that’s needed out here in DeKalb and she can provide beautiful wigs.” Umbdenstock’s unique perspective as a cancer survivor, volunteer and experienced hair stylist allows her to meet the needs of her clients in a sensitive and professional manner. “When you go through that, it’s a very difficult and unusual situation when you hear that ‘C-word,’ said Umbdenstock. “It can be very unnerving, so you want to be very loving and kind as much as you can, without making it look like you’re being condescending.” She typically works with 2-3 cancer patients a month. Most of them hear about her from word of mouth. The cancer centers also know the services she provides and she gets a lot of referrals because of people she’s successfully helped. Some people just want to come once, take their wig and go. Others come back regularly. Besides caring for the wigs, Umbdenstock also provides extra services like complimentary manicures and pedicures to the cancer patients. Most people want to look the same, but some see it as a great time to do something different. “It’s a great way to make yourself feel differently, too. Then after it’s over you can drop that look and be yourself again,” explained Umbdenstock. Clients usually bring in pictures of how they used to look or how they want to look. Since Umbdenstock has been working with wigs since 1989, she can look at a person, talk to them, and pretty much know what they need. When she speaks with her wig supplier, they go over the length,
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color, and style for the person’s look and for what they do in their life. Umbdenstock then designs and cuts the wigs. “Wigs are very different to cut, and I was trained to do that. It’s really a skill,” said Umbdenstock. “They just spent a lot of money, so you want to take your time and really listen to that person. It’s a little complicated because hair means a lot to people; more than people give it credit. You cannot compromise on things that mean a lot.” Umbdenstock said that although wigs may seem expensive, you have to consider hair coloring and cuts and all you have to do to maintain your hair. With that in mind, if you wear your wig for a year, the expense is not unreasonable. “When you pay like $400-500 for the piece, they are very durable. They are made with a monotop [monofilament], which makes you look like you have a scalp; it doesn’t look like you’re wearing a wig.” Monotop wigs can go for up to $1500, but Umbdenstock sells hers at cost to cancer patients. Woven-top wigs typically sell for $200-250. When she informs her clients about the cost of a monotop, if they’re not comfortable with that they can go with the woven top. If they can’t afford that, then she’ll find a donated piece from a cancer center through Look Good Feel Better (an organization that works with the American Cancer Society). When her clients are done with their wigs, she advises them to “pay it forward” and donate it to a cancer center, like the one in DeKalb. They can write off the value of the donation on their taxes. According to Umbdenstock, that also helps people feel better about spending that kind of money for a wig. If someone is interested in donating their hair to a cancer patient, Umbdenstock has some advice.“There are a lot of places somebody can go and donate their hair to, but you have to go online and really research it,” said Umbdenstock. “It does help children a lot, especially with St. Jude’s.” Umbdenstock is inspired when someone gives up her hair to help a person who is going through cancer treatments. She said a couple times a year she hears about a young girl who says that she is going to grow her hair out and cut it off for her friend who has cancer. “That’s a moving person,” said Umbdenstock. “That’s somebody who has a little spirit in there that’s pretty awesome. That’s what I think life should be.”
Glidden Florist Celebrates 80 Years in DeKalb
By: Aimee Barrows s a fourth generation florist, Oscar Hansen knows that offering fresh, quality flowers and beautiful arrangements at competitive prices, combined with exceptional customer service, are the reasons his business, Glidden Florist and Glidden Goods, continues to thrive after 80 years. Hansen hopes to spread the word to the community that his shop is celebrating this milestone anniversary. “Our arrangements are balanced, with a nice shape and good use of color. They’re made by designers with more than 20 years of experience,” Hansen said. “We know how to maintain flowers, and that’s a skill. After years of doing this, you know things that you don’t expect people at a grocery store floral section to know. You get much higher quality and beauty at a specialized floral shop for a very similar price.” Mabel Glidden opened Glidden Florist in 1936, and the Hansen family has owned the DeKalb establishment since 1978 after purchasing it from the Glidden family. Oscar’s parents, Wenke and Sven Hansen, emigrated from Norway in the 1950s so Sven, a third generation florist, could work at a greenhouse in DeKalb. Hansen said his parents planned on staying just a few years, but ended up loving it and made DeKalb their permanent home. Sven eventually became the first manager of NIU’s greenhouse in Montgomery Hall on campus. “My great grandfather was a florist in Denmark,” Hansen
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explained. “We just like plants and know how to make them grow.” Hansen’s mother Wenke began working in the shop as a floral designer under Jessie Glidden in the 1970s. When the Gliddens were ready to sell the shop and retire, the Hansen family was the natural choice to be the successors. “[My mom] quickly transformed it into a European-style store,” Hansen said. “When my parents took it over, they upgraded it in many ways, just by bringing some ideas from Europe. My mother got to know everybody in town. She’s very friendly and very connected to the community.” Hansen began working at the shop with his parents as a young man, and when they were ready to retire, he took over the business and the rest is history. “I expanded the store and doubled its size. I also developed more gift lines and studied flower shops around the country. I saw how other did things and I made things better and better,” he said. One of Hansen’s important changes was the addition of selling not only Americanmade goods, but also importing unique gifts from around the world. He changed the shop’s official name to Glidden Florist and Glidden Goods to reflect the many items from Central and South America, India, Sweden, and some Asian countries. Even though Glidden’s carries a lot of gifts from overseas, Hansen is proud to sell mostly American-made products. “We’re still mainly a flower shop, but the gifts add interest and keeps us vibrant,” he explained. “They bring an extra dimension to the store and give us new life and new ideas. They also attract more people to the store.” While he loves having the many gifts adorn his store’s shelves, Hansen’s passion remains flowers. He loves being able to meet many people, and to provide something for them at a time when they need something to celebrate or for sympathy. “We take care to make sure that their need is met for the important things in life, like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and also for funerals,” he said. “It makes life richer and more meaningful when people acknowledge each other with flowers.” The flowers aren’t actually grown at Glidden’s, but they are delivered every morning, so the arrangements sold at the shop are fresh and beautifully designed by designers like Jacquie Young, who’s been a floral designer for over 22 years. She said she enjoys working at the shop because she works with “beautiful things” every day. “We take extra care with our customers to get their orders right. We use the freshest flowers, and people always comment on how long our arrangements last,” she said. One of office manager Angella Parisot’s favorite parts about working at Glidden’s for over 17 years is the fact that it is a family-owned business. She said her coworkers are almost like family to her, and she loves getting to know the customers during some of the best, and worst, moments in life. “Glidden’s is an institution in DeKalb, especially with the Glidden name and history. Just knowing that the Glidden ladies created the shop is important,” she said.
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“Wenke worked for the Glidden family and kept the tradition going, along with bringing her own style of design.”
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Hansen said trends in the floral industry are always changing, but right now, brightlycolored dendrobium orchids are all the rage. Of course, roses are always a popular choice.
• • • • • • • • •
“Everything is different all the time, and every day we’re working on different arrangements for different occasions. Flower shops make special and beautiful things for all the important occasions in life,” he said. Hansen continues to grow his business, thanks to Glidden’s increasing online presence. Customers can use the website to order flowers, and Hansen offers many specials and contests on the shop’s Facebook page that are only available online. Every week, one lucky Facebook fan can win a fresh bouquet or a dozen roses simply by “liking” the page.
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“We want to do more on Facebook. It creates a nice relationship between us and the community,” he said. “We do a lot of business on our website, so we have a connection to our customers through that too. I just encourage people to support independently-owned businesses because it makes our community vibrant.”
For more information about Glidden Florist and Glidden Goods, visit www.glidden-florist.com
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DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | June 2016 | 25
DESTINATION ICELAND By: Stephen Haberkorn Unless you are a member of the tourism industry, you may be surprised to know that one of the hottest travel destinations right now is Iceland. “In our tourism industry now, the hot destinations are Cuba, Iceland and Ireland, because they’re easy. They’re unique. They’re different,” said Michael Embrey of FunME Events, Excursions and Entertainment in DeKalb. Long hindered by its frigid-sounding name, Iceland is in fact covered with lush greenery and is warmed by an abundance of geothermal activity from its thirty active volcanos. “Iceland for years had a bad rap because of its name – Iceland. In our industry, we always kiddingly say, ‘Iceland is green and Greenland is ice,’” said Embrey. With some travelers fearing trips to Europe because of terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, Iceland has become a safe and unique alternative for many people. “Iceland is to tourism what Alaska was thirty-five years ago,” Embrey said. “It’s very raw and new. It wasn’t until ten years ago that tourism became a thing [in Iceland].” In a country of only 330,000 residents, the number of foreign visitors to Iceland more than tripled from 374,000 in 2005 to almost 1.3 million in 2015. Iceland can be reached via a six-hour flight from Chicago. Icelandair, the national airline, now flies direct daily from New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver. One interesting feature of Iceland is that since it is located so close to the Arctic Circle, they have twenty-one hours of sunlight during the summer. Most of the country’s citizens live in and around the capital city of Reykjavik in the southwestern part of the island. Even though the native Icelandic language is difficult, almost everyone speaks English there. Iceland is a neutral country and has no standing military. They rely solely on the local militia and the coast guard. They did house a military base that was used by the allies during World War II, but that base was eventually closed in 2006 and is now used by NORAD and the Icelandic Coast Guard. But what can one expect to see and experience in an island country located between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, and entirely within 200 miles of the Arctic Circle? Embrey recently returned from a trip to Iceland to scope out the land with a
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group of travel professionals, and he was impressed by the natural wonders and the cultural and historical sites that are available on the island. “The topography and the landscape is just phenomenal,” Embrey said. First of all, Iceland possesses an impressive array of stunningly beautiful waterfalls among its rolling green fields. In addition, an abundance of black volcanic rock and black sand beaches, and even some palm trees make it feel as though you’re on a Hawaiian island. On the other hand, if you travel a couple hours to the north, you can explore ice caves, walk on a glacier, and take snowmobile and dog sledding tours. You can also see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, between October and April. Connie Haywood of Riverbend Travel in Hastings, Michigan, who serves as the Air Travel Director for FunME Excursions, had been to Hawaii in March of this year and then went to Iceland for the first time with Embrey in April. “When we landed in Iceland and started looking around, I saw visions of the Big Island of Hawaii there, with all of the black lava fields and the black sand beaches,” said Haywood. “You’d look across the street toward the mountains, and there you would see snow and glaciers and I’d have visions of Alaska. So it did feel like the two different states of Alaska and Hawaii had merged together on an Island here in Iceland.” The country, which claims to be the second youngest island after Hawaii, was formed about thirty million years ago by volcanic eruptions and is still extremely volcanic. In addition to creating most of the island’s energy supply, geothermal activity from the thirty active volcanos in Iceland produces many thermal baths and geysers. In fact, the term “geyser” derives from the Great Geysir of Iceland, which has been active for thousands of years. The name of the famous geologic feature, itself, comes from the old Norse word, geysa, which means “to gush.” The renowned Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, located between the airport and Reykjavik, is one of Iceland’s most-visited tourist attractions and contains a swim-up bar that is built into the volcanic rock. Haywood said that in spite of the rugged terrain you don’t have to be an avid hiker or endurance athlete to enjoy what the country has to offer, as there are a number of trails, walks, and “soft adventures” that visitors can participate in. You can view massive rock formations and beautiful black lava rock caves on the shore. As an added bonus, she pointed out, there are no snakes or reptiles on the island, so you don’t have to worry about where you step when you are hiking to see the waterfalls or geysers. “It’s fabulous for people who love soft adventure, people who like outdoor activities, waterfalls, or they want to hike on a glacier. It’s amazing,” said Cheryl Gatto, a travel professional from Naperville. “It’s for the traveler who likes to go hiking in Colorado or Alaska.” Iceland has three national parks, including Vatnajökull National Park, the largest in Europe. Þingvellir, the oldest National Park in Iceland, is located near Reykjavik in the south. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has geological, cultural and historical significance. It is situated in a rift valley, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Icelandic parliament was established there at a naturally-formed amphitheater in Þingvellir in 930 and remained at that site until 1798. The park also includes the country’s largest natural lake, which contains a popular scuba diving and snorkeling area, as the extremely clear water reaches visibility of 90-120 meters. “For photographers, it’s a dreamboat. The photography opportunities are endless,” said Gatto. “I’m somewhat of a photographer and I was losing my mind. If anyone is a serious photographer, it’s like Nirvana. Because of the volcanic atmosphere, you don’t know what you’re going to encounter, like rainbows with the waterfalls and low-lying clouds.” Iceland is also a paradise for animal lovers, as the country is inhabited by freeroaming horses and offers abundant whale watching and bird watching along the coasts. During the summer months, from April through September, over 20 species of whales can be seen in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans along the coast of Iceland. These include Orca, Minke, Humpback, and Blue Whales. A wide
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array of seabirds and waterfowl also inhabit the country, including Arctic Tern, gannets, and large colonies of Atlantic Puffin. Perhaps the most distinctive and revered wildlife in Iceland, though, are the short, thickcoated Icelandic horses that run freely across the country. “To drive along a bus route on the highway and see wild horses is absolutely amazing. They’re everywhere,” said Embrey. The horses were originally brought to the island by the Vikings, so they are a national heritage animal. They don’t allow any horses to be brought into the country to prevent inbreeding. There are many horse farms around the island, including at least one where they train and show them. The Icelandic horses have a fifth, faster gait and are known for their sure-footedness and their ability to traverse rough terrain. They have also used them for racing. Even though Iceland doesn’t have quite the array of fine arts and culture as many European destinations such as Paris and London, for a small country it has a relatively large number of museums and art galleries. Their National Museum has a permanent exhibit on the Heritage and History of Iceland. Besides the National Art Gallery, there are a wide variety of smaller art galleries and cultural museums. There are at least two maritime museums, a Natural History Museum, the Museum of Photography, a Viking Museum, several folk museums, and of course the Icelandic Horse History Centre. In addition to Horse museum, there are many other museums dedicated to animal history on the island, such as the Sheep Farming Museum, the Bird Museum, the Whale Museum, and The Salmon Center of Iceland.
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There are also quite a few music festivals in Iceland, as well as the Icelandic Rock and Roll Museum. “What I find fascinating is the culture is pretty simple,” said Embry. “Music is their form of entertainment.” Finally, there are some unique, niche tourist attractions, like the Ghost Center and The Bobby Fischer Center—dedicated to the chess champion who won his world title in Reykjavik, eventually settled in Iceland and is buried there. Embrey plans to offer a yearly six-day, five-night trip to Iceland through FunME Excursions. “I want to make sure that everything in the trip is educational, experiential,” said Embrey. “Between the steam baths, everything is so unique and different than what we are used to.” Gatto said that even though the entire country of Iceland is only about as big as the State of Kentucky, there are a surprising amount of activities to do there. She said it is like a combination of the Travel Channel and the National Geographic Channel. “The Travel Channel is going to talk about all of the things to do, and the National Geographic Channel is going to talk about all of the really unique things to the area that you’re not going to find anywhere else,” said Gatto. And there are very few places in the world you can go that offer the opportunity to both see a geyser and walk on a glacier within a two-hour period.
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Advertising Index DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport...... 14
Helen’s Hair Designs.......................... 9
DeKalb Area Retirement Center........ 3
Kishwaukee Hospital......................... 2
DeKalb Corn Fest............................. 10
Larry Gregory Photography............... 3
DeKalb Park District......................... 15
NIU College of Visual Arts................ 32
Delano’s Home Decorating............. 25 Family Podiatry.................................. 3
NIU Dept. of Theatre and Dance..... 31 Northwest Podiatry......................... 14
Foster, Buick, Conklin & Lundgren LLC..................................... 19
State Farm - Darrell Foss.................. 15
FunME Events.................................... 9
Studio One Salon & Day Spa............ 31
Grand Victorian............................... 30
Yaegar’s Farm Market...................... 19
Heartland Bank................................ 25
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