Dcmag spring2017

DeKalb County Magazine

What’s Inside

The History of Altgeld Hall Local Group Explores Ireland’s charms

Resource Bank Keeps Local History Alive 1 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

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Larry Gregory P HOTO G RA P HY Fine Art Photographs

Commercial - Architectural - Editorial Photography

DeKalb, IL • 815/748-3869 SM-CL0402484

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Table of Contents The History of Altgeld Hall ...................... 6 Jonamac Orchard: A Family Tradi on ...12 Dr. Amanda Friedrichs Shines at Radiant Dermotology ...........................18

Local Group Explores Ireland’s Charms ..................................20

Mediterraneo Brings Authen c Flavor to DeKalb ..............................................24 Resource Bank Keeps Local History Alive .........................................26 Sycamore Resident Helps to Build Homes in Bulgaria .......................28

Publisher: Karen Pletsch Project Manager: Lisa Angel Layout & Design: Allison LaPorta Photography: Aimee Barrows, NIU, Fun Me Events & Jonamac Orchard Writer: Aimee Barrows & Stephen Haberkorn Ar cles and adver sements are property of Shaw Media.

No por on of DC Magazine may be produced without wri en consent of the publisher.

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The History of

Altgeld

Hall

W

By: Stephen Haberkorn

hen Altgeld Hall ďŹ rst opened to students at Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1899, there was no World Series and the site where Wrigley Field was later built s ll housed a Lutheran Seminary. The Wright Brothers were a few years away from tes ng out their primi ve airplane at Ki y Hawk and women did not yet have the right to vote. Now over one hundred years later, the imposing structure remains the most prominent building on the campus of Northern Illinois University and serves as a reminder of the history of NIU, DeKalb County and the State of Illinois. Originally named simply the Normal School Building, it was renamed Altgeld Hall

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in 1963 in honor of the late Illinois nois Governor, John Peter Altgeld.

While “The Castle on the Hill,” as it was unofficially known, stood outt on med the open prairie when it welcomed ents its inaugural class of 173 students nois from around the Northern Illinois region, it also connected the new campus to the rest of the state and ose to the progressive governor whose name it now bears. The impetus for nois the crea on of the Northern Illinois stlestate teachers college and the castlelike structure that would house the ears en re school for its first twelve years came from John Peter Altgeld–a one-term governor who was a champion of public educa on. Altgeld led the state of Illinois from 1893-1897.

Altgeld was dismayed by the plain public buildings of the day.

As a German immigrant, he had an affinity for the style of castles that line the banks of the Rhine River. So while Altgeld expanded the Illinois normal school system to meet the growing demand for teachers, he also commissioned the construc on of five Tudor Gothic structures across the state–at colleges in Carbondale, Urbana, Normal, Charleston and DeKalb. All five of those buildings s ll remain, and three of them bear the name of the governor who died in 1902–just three years a er the last of the buildings was completed.

The land where Altgeld Hall now sits was donated by Joseph Glidden, who along with the other two barbed wire magnates, Isaac Ellwood and Jacob Haish, helped fund the construc on of the college. Clinton Rose e, the editor of the Daily Chronicle newspaper and a former educator, was the lead promoter of the project. Rose e had supported Altgeld’s bid to become governor and then used his poli cal influence to be appointed to the state normal schools Board of Trustees. When it was decided that another teachers college was needed in the Northern part of the state in addi on to the two already exis ng in Normal and Carbondale, Rose e’s poli cal clout and the financial backing of Glidden, Ellwood and Haish allowed DeKalb to beat out Dixon, Rockford and other northern Illinois ci es vying for the new normal school.

In 1895, over thirty thousand people trekked to DeKalb to witness the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new school building, presided over by Governor Altgeld himself. During his address, Altgeld proclaimed that “the intellectual and literary ac vity is already being shi ed from the hills of New England to the prairies of Illinois.” His vision was for this castle on the prairie to become the fer le soil used to cul vate the fields of knowledge throughout Northern Illinois and the rest of the state.

The the early the new N Northern Illinois Th majority j it off th l students t d t att th th Illi i normal school were teachers at rural one-room schoolhouses.

Tui on was free, granted that they returned to their communi es to teach once they finished their program. One can imagine what it must have been like for these young people around the turn of the century to walk into the opulent se ng of Altgeld Hall and experience the earnestness of its mission.

Even over one hundred years later, that solemnity of purpose can s ll be felt among Altgeld’s quiet hallways.

“When I walk through Altgeld Hall I get a special feeling, a presence of students in the past,” said Cindy Ditzler, Director of the Regional History Center at NIU. “I can imagine the students in their big, long 1899 gowns just walking through the building, visi ng, going into the cloak room and hanging up their coat, and going into classes. You can almost hear the booming voices of the professors in front of the classroom and the men and women paying close a en on to what was being said.”

While Altgeld Hall is historically important, the building itself, with its gothic exterior and ornate interior, is an architectural wonder in its own right. And a er an extensive renova on that was completed in 2004, it is no longer in danger of becoming simply a decrepit monument to the past.

EXTERIOR Governor Altgeld preferred the English castle style of architecture because it showed character without being overly pricey to construct, since it didn’t require the degree of cra smanship and expensive materials necessary for the most ornate structures. Northern’s castle, however, is not without ornamenta on. The building is covered in the type of statuary that would be typical of 14th and 15th-century castles– gargoyles, grotesques, griffins, owls and other medieval details.

Gargoyles, a name o en mistakenly used for all of the strange creatures adorning the castle, are located on the turrets of Altgeld’s center tower. They tradi onally serve the func on of draining water away from a building and are dis nguishable by their long necks.

“Altgeld Hall is a magnificent building and really the cornerstone of NIU. Historically, I think it’s an important symbol of the value and vision of higher education, not just for our campus and community but also for the State of Illinois and our country. Over the course of more than a century, the building has hosted and impressed visitors from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe.”

– Doug Baker, President , Northern Illinois University DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 1| 7| 7

The Altgeld grotesques (or gargoyles) have taken on a special place in university lore. They have been the subjects of student poetry, the name of the student-produced yearbook from 1985-86, and even suggested as the new mascot to replace “Huskies” during mes of par cularly poor performance by the athle c teams.

The larger statues that sit mainly on top of the main tower and also along the ba lements on both sides of Altgeld are grotesques. Grotesques are usually ugly figures that combine features of humans and animals. During the middle ages, their func on, apart from mere decora on, was to protect the building and its occupants by frightening off evil spirits. The Altgeld grotesques have ape-like heads, long ears and human bodies. In keeping with the protec on theme, they are holding shields. Originally, some of the grotesques held tall weather vanes, which were removed decades ago when they stopped moving due to rust.

Griffins are creatures that typically combine the features of lions and eagles. The griffins adorning Altgeld have owlshaped heads, dragon-like wings and the bodies of lions. They are located on the corners of the building’s main entryway.

On a tall pla orm above the center archway leading to the main entrance of the building sits the figure of an owl. In the 1909 Norther Yearbook, student Launa Thompson’s poem, “The Griffin and the Owl,” speculated that the grotesques with their dumb expressions represented the unshaped character of the youth who come to NIU, while the wise owl on the building symbolized the students “a er they have been trained in our noble halls.”

There were originally eleven grotesques topping Altgeld’s tower and parapets, but several were damaged by wind, lightening and even a crane over the years. Most of them have been repaired or recreated and restored to their loca ons, but one remains permanently on display in the garden between Altgeld and S ll Hall.

A legend promoted by the NIU orienta on guide over the years says that the Grotesque located over the west entrance was struck by lightning and fell on the night of the school’s first commencement. It was restored to its original posi on and then subsequently struck by lightning again one year later upon the eve of the second gradua on ceremony. Finally, in October of 1964, the figure was struck by lightning again.

Shortly a erwards, material from the statue that was loosened by the lightning strike fell and nearly hit a student. The grotesque was then removed because it was deemed unsafe.

In 1973, “Olive Goyle,” as it was later named by a student contest, was placed in the garden alongside the building, as it was decided that it preferred to be among humans rather than perched high atop the castle.

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One mo f which has been repeated is the role of the figures atop the castle as stoic watchmen observing the daily life that goes on below them throughout the years, much like their ageless counterparts on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. In the Northern Illinois student newspaper in 1950, Marjorie Hinkle wrote, “As the years come and go, and classes come and go, the solemn-faced NI gargoyles serenely con nue their neverending job of surveying the joys and pathos of college life.”

When Olive Goyle was placed at ground level, the university community’s love affair with the strange creatures only seemed to grow. Before that, they remained distant and mysterious atop the castle. But once moved to the garden, “Olive” became regularly involved in day-to-day campus life – dressed up for pictures, decorated for holidays, sprayed with graffi , and even decapitated by pranksters (twice).

The other feature that visitors no ce as they walk around the perimeter of Altgeld Hall is the beau ful landscaping.

According to Ditzler, when the university began the extensive renova ons to the structure in 1999, they discovered that the beams were made of wood, not steel. The landscape architect they hired was very concerned that the building would become too heavy with the new steel supports and the ground wouldn’t be strong enough to hold it up, thus making it necessary to add much of the landscaping that now surrounds the base of the building.

MAIN ENTRANCEWAY As you walk beneath the owl statue, through the por co, and into the main entrance to Altgeld Hall, your first glimpse of the interior is of a lo y atrium and a curved double-staircase with ornate iron railings. The grand entranceway is certainly worthy of such a magnificent building, but this was not always the case. Before the five-year, $25 million renova on that was completed in 2004, the main entrance to Altgeld was an uninspiring, u litarian n one-story one story passageway connected to several stairways and hallways. he In the middle of the ter main foyer as you enter the building you will also so aic no ce a circular, mosaic he le seal containing the oss le ers “NISNS” across the top and “1899” 9” along the bo om. m.

This seal is a replica of ce the original that once graced the entrance to Northern Illinois State ate he Normal School, the official name of NIU IU 99. when it opened in 1899.

Students were supers ous about stepping on the seal and would walk around it. The original seal, which was removed from Altgeld Hall in 1968, can now be viewed in the entrance to Founders Memorial Library across campus.

The new seal is more colorful than the original, with blue and gray les and gold accents replacing the plain black and white led seal from the past.

1007 N. First Street DeKalb, IL 815-758-4508 www.studioonesalon.com AUDITORIUM A er ascending one of the curving stairways to your right or le , you will find yourself at the entrance to the true centerpiece of the building, the Auditorium.

For the first twenty years of Northern’s existence, the auditorium was the site of “general exercises” for the en re student body at the beginning of each day. The opening exercises consisted of inspira onal addresses, songs and prayers, as well as actual physical exercises.

The spectacular hall, which has a 40-foot-high, arched sealing and can seat 500 people for lectures and presenta ons, had undergone several uses and configura ons over the years before being restored to its original grandeur in 2004. During the restora on, many layers of white paint where scraped away and damaged plasterwork was recreated. Consequently, the auditorium is now the room in Altgeld that most-closely resembles its original appearance.

Even the original wood floor remains.

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The details within the grand ballroom are stunning. From the faux marble columns on the stage, to the busts of presidents and educa on pioneers that look down from the tops of twelve rectangular posts surrounding the room, the flourishes were designed to inspire genera ons of students as they

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prepared to take knowledge back to their communi es.

To emphasize the mission of the ins tu on, the frieze above the stage contains depic ons of Athena (the goddess of wisdom) and an owl, along with two winged cherubs holding a book opened to the La n word “Veritas” (truth).

In its early days, Altgeld Hall was illuminated by the only electric lights in the area, and people came from miles around to marvel at the glow emana ng from the 500 lights inside the auditorium.

Now, the community is drawn to the auditorium for special events like lectures, presenta ons, concerts, balls, weddings, banquets and holiday par es.

SOLARIUM One of the most dras c changes to the building that occurred when it was renovated between 1999 and 2004 was the addi on of a solarium that now connects the third floors of the east and west wings to the main tower. At the west end of the glass-encased walkway is the Board of Trustees Room and at the opposite end is the university president’s office—ensuring that the university’s most important decisions will be made within the walls of its most significant landmark.

Also on the upper level is the auditorium balcony, which seats about sixty people, and the portraits of NIU’s eleven former presidents, which lead up to the current president’s office.

President Doug Baker’s office is proudly decorated with student artwork, which he said “provides a constant reminder of the importance of the work we do here at NIU.” On the first floor, other modernized spaces of the building include an Instruc onal Technology Teaching Laboratory (which inhabits the old gymnasium) and the three-gallery NIU Art Museum.

According to Ditzler, when they did the renova on of Altgeld, the university considered making it a cultural center by including the Regional History Center and the Anthropology Museum, but it was not possible because of storage issues.

“The Regional History Center right now has about 10,000 linear feet of material,” explained Ditzler. “There was no way we could find storage in Altgeld Hall for all of our materials.

The Anthropology Museum required similar storage space, so it is now housed in Cole Hall instead.

LEGENDS AND LORE: As one might expect for a structure as old and iconic as Altgeld Hall, there a fair share of mysterious lore surrounding the building.

During the 1940’s, two school newspaper editors came across a tombstone in the area bearing the name John McGovern. They invented the story that McGovern’s spirit was around DeKalb during the 1890’s and even helped John W. Cook select the site for

Altgeld Hall. Through the years, the ghost of John McGovern, or “Mr. NIU Alumnus,” was said to haunt the campus and was o en blamed for accidents and mishaps that occurred. McGovern even ghost-wrote a le er in the 1968 football program extolling the benefits of the university.

Another legend that has been passed down is that the grotesques (or gargoyles) atop Altgeld will smile when a chaste maiden walks beneath them. This story is usually narrated to prospec ve students on guided tours of the university. There is no record, however, of anyone ever catching the stone-faced creatures breaking into a grin.

Finally, according to Ditzler, around the 1960’s recording equipment was found in a room in Altgeld and it was suspected that the F.B.I. had been secretly spying on NIU students.

OUR HERITAGE, RESTORED AND REVITALIZED Chris ne Hardy, an NIU sophomore from Rockford, IL, first saw Altgeld Hall when she went on a tour of the university. Now, as she walked past the iconic structure on her way through campus, she reflected on its significance.

“Honestly, I wish all of the buildings looked like that,” said Hardy.

“I love the castle look, in general. I love the gargoyles. I love that it was the first building and that it has me and history.”

Ditzler pointed out that when she is walking around near the East Lagoon and Altgeld Hall, she inevitably gets stopped by alumni who want to have their photos taken with that beau ful background.

“They love to have their pictures taken in those two areas,” said Ditzler, “because that, in a way, is their home. They stayed here for four to six years and Altgeld became their symbol of NIU. That’s what they want to see when they come back.”

What President Baker likes best about Altgeld Hall is its renewed vibrancy.

“It’s not a monument to the past, but an energe c public space that once again serves our students,” said Baker. “I love to see and interact with prospec ve students who tour Altgeld Hall daily, and with our current students who come here to relax, gather, learn, visit the NIU Art Museum and celebrate their own accomplishments.”

Northern Illinois University’s Altgeld Hall is a state and local treasure that has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur.

Once the only building on campus, it is s ll the focal point of the university, as well as the most-iconic building in DeKalb County.

In many ways, it tells the amazing history of the university and the city of DeKalb. It also heralds the future relevance and impact of the university for years to come. As President Baker said, it represents “our heritage, restored and revitalized.”

Credits: Much of the informa on for this ar cle was gathered from Castle on a Hill by Glen A. Gildemeister, The Dawn of a New Century by the NIU Office of Public Affairs, and the Regional History Center at Northern Illinois University.

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Jonamac Orchard A FA M I LY T R A D I T I O N By: Stephen Haberkorn

Over the last three decades, Jonamac Orchard in Malta has become a popular destination for families to gather together. “We want our orchard to be a tradition for families,” said Orchard Manager and Owner, Jenna Spychal. “We hope that each year families will return to our farm to get their pumpkins and their apples and have their family memories at our place.

We try to add something new each year and have a new surprise waiting for them when they come to our farm.”

This past year, Jonamac opened their new Cider House, where adult patrons can taste hard cider and apple wine and children can taste sweet apple cider. All of the beverages are made with apples grown at the orchard. They currently have eight different types of apple wine and six different types of hard cider, and people can sample and purchase them all in the tas ng room. Star ng in the 2017 season, visitors will also be able to see apples being crushed and turned into cider in interac ve viewing rooms within the building.

While apple cider has long been a staple at Jonamac, Spychal explained how they began producing the apple wine and hard cider within the last few years. According to Spychal, in 2012 they lost 50% of their apple crop because of a very early bloom followed by a freeze. “So the apple trees had all this energy that they kind of stored up over a year,” explained Spychal.

“And then the next year, in 2013, the trees basically exploded in the spring with blossoms. It was the biggest bloom we’ve ever seen in our history. That, of course, followed with the largest crop we’d seen. So at the end of the season we had all these apples.”

A er an extended you-pick period their cooler was s ll full of apples. They donated some of them to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and anyone else who could take them, but a er those groups couldn’t take any more they started panicking about what to do with the remainder, as they don’t like to waste any of their produce. Rick Mamoser from Prairie State Winery had been sugges ng for years that they make apple wine with them, and a er they had pressed a bunch of apples into cider they decided it would be a great opportunity to do that. So they started making apple wine in 2013 with the le over crop and then hard cider a couple of years later.

Since then, they have been constantly tweaking and coming up with new ideas for flavors. Mamoser ini ally had them come out to develop those flavors with him. “It was kind of like a chemistry class,” said Spychal. “He showed us how you can add sugar, malic acid, and other types of wine like cranberry to make all these different flavors. We were part of that process and it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had at work, si ng around drinking wine all day saying, ‘Yeah, let’s make that a li le sweeter,’ or “Let’s make that a li le more tart.’”

Prairie State Winery sells their own apple wine that is made with Jonamac apples, but the flavors that are produced for Jonamac are exclusive to their farm market and can’t be purchased anywhere else.

On their 105-acre farm, Jonamac currently has about 17,000 apple trees, with over forty different varie es—a mix of sweet, tart, baking, and snacking apples. Their goal is to have 5-8 different varie es in the store at all mes, so

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that their customers always have a nice selec on to choose from.

Their earliest varie es are ready in mid-August, and the last ones to ripen (Pink Lady) are harvested at the beginning of November. With apples ripening all throughout the growing season, they need to make sure that all of the different varie es of apples are harvested at the correct mes or they won’t taste right.

They also have a twelve-acre pumpkin patch, and they grow gourds and squash on the property as well.

A wide selec on of delicious treats and gi items can be found at the Jonamac bakery and country store. The homemade apple doughnuts are a par cularly popular seasonal item. They also sell bags of apples, apple pies, caramel apples, apple bu er, jams, jellies, mustards, squash, fudge, apple pizzas and ke le corn, in addi on to gi s and cra s.

“Our sweet cider is pre y great,” Spychal said, “We do a blend of several different varie es, both tart and semi-sweet to make it taste great without adding any sugar, any preserva ves, or anything else.

It’s literally just apples.”

Besides just selling the cider by the gallon or pint, they put it in their famous doughnuts. They also use it to make apple cider slushies and a caramel apple float—which is an apple slushy with caramel drizzled in and then ice cream on top of that. “It’s pre y to die for,” said Spychal.

Jonamac Orchard History The first apple trees were planted on the property in 1974 by Stan Johnson, a re red Air Force Colonel and World War II veteran, and his wife Ka e. Ten years later, Gerald (Jerry) and Mary Lynn McArtor purchased the 15 acre farm and re-named it Jonamac Orchard, which is a combina on of the names of the original and new owners, as well as a type of apple produced by combining the popular Jonathan and McIntosh varie es.

Jerry McArtor was raised in the small town of Malta and later built a career as a carpenter and general contractor. A er taking some hor culture classes at Kishwaukee College and learning about apple trees, he planted a few by his woodshop. In the mid-1970s, he started a 500-tree orchard on a small piece of land near Malta. When the opportunity arose to buy the Johnsons’ larger farm with its over 1,700 trees, McArtor seized the opportunity to expand his hobby.

“From there, he just went kind of haywire and kept plan ng more and more trees,” said Spychal, who is Jerry McArtor’s granddaughter.

A er becoming too much for him to manage while also running his construc on business, McArtor decided to put all of his resources

into the orchard, and in 1993 brought his son, Kevin, and daughterin-law, Denice, into the business. In 1996, on Thanksgiving weekend and just a few weeks a er giving birth to their second son, Kevin and Denice McArtor purchased the house that had been converted from a barn by the Johnsons, and began raising their small family on the orchard property.

Kevin grew up on a small parcel of land outside of Malta and raised hogs for a 4H and FFA project. In college at Wisconsin-Pla eville, he majored in Agriculture. While there, he met his wife, Denice, whose family lived on a dairy farm in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Moving onto the orchard out in the country, therefore, was a dream come true for the couple. “It’s been great,” said Kevin McArtor. “My kids got to live in the country and grew up working at the orchard as soon as they were old enough. And the reason we did it was because we wanted our kids to have the opportunity to grow up learning how to do a day’s work, how to drive equipment, learning how to build things and how to fix things … all the stuff that goes into helping a kid to grow up.” McArtor doesn’t think his sons, who are both in college now, really appreciate the opportuni es they were given, but he believes that will change as they get older. “Once they get out in the world and have their own jobs that’s when they’ll start to think, ‘You know, that was a pre y cool way to raise a family.’”

When Kevin and Denice started a ending conferences to learn more about the business, they discovered that there was a growing interest in agritainment (farm-related entertainment ac vi es).

“This is something you didn’t hear about thirty years ago,” said Kevin McArtor. “People just want to go out and have experiences with their families. It’s a connec on to nature, and to where your food comes from.”

Kevin became the person primarily responsible for the entertainment aspect of the business, and he started adding unique things for kids to play on when they visited the orchard, beginning with a small barn with a slide, a haymow, and a sandbox filled with soybeans. Then they added li le mazes, hayrides, youpick apple orchards and a you-pick pumpkin patch. As they added more ac vi es, people didn’t just come to the orchard for the apples and the farm market; Jonamac became a fall des na on

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towns, all the businesses that were around when he was a kid, such as the local grocery stores and the lumber yard, are long gone. “It’s just a community that hasn’t really grown a lot,” said McArtor. “It is nice that we have something there that a racts people to the area. I know there are some businesses in town that benefit on days when we have large crowds.”

Even though they have a lot of people who visit from the suburbs over the weekends, their main customer base is s ll the regulars from around the county who are coming all during the week. One of those regulars is Christy Kyler, who has been a Jonamac customer for at least fourteen years.

where people would spend a lot of me.

In 2000, they contracted with The MAiZE Inc., the world’s largest maze design and consul ng company, who helped them set up their first corn maze. “That was really the first huge step for us that really took us up into the entertainment, because that was not something that existed in the area,” said Kevin McArtor. “We were the first in Illinois to do a corn maze of that size, as far as I know.” This year’s corn maze covered ten acres, with three miles of pathways and two bridges.

Jonamac also capitalized on the haunted house craze around Halloween by turning the corn maze into a haunted corn maze a er dark. “That’s been extremely popular,” said McArtor. “There’s something about being in a dark cornfield. You don’t know where to go. You know things are happening. You hear chainsaws and people screaming.”

As they con nue to a end conferences and visit other farms to see what people like, they try to add something different each year. Over the years, they’ve added a pe ng zoo, a jumping pillow, pony rides, tetherball, an apple train, fire pits and live bands.

Their large barnyard play area is open for free on weekdays and contains a wide array of things for children to explore and play on. The grain silo filled was corn kernels is really popular with the children and they will o en have to be dragged out of there. Usually at least one child every year will get a kernel stuck in his ear or nose and their resident nurse, grandma McArtor, gets called to help get it out.

In their effort to not let any produce go to waste and to provide applethemed entertainment, Jonamac also introduced apple cannons as a way to provide a fun use of the apples that are le on the ground following you-pick. They ini ally started out with large slingshots that people would shoot at targets. That was followed by the cannons that customers can now load from the back and are self-firing. At the end of the season they rake up all the apples and take them to a neighboring organic farm down the road who compost them for use as fer lizer.

McArtor is glad to be a part of a family business that has been able to survive for so long when so many small businesses don’t. Like many small

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“Outside of just the great product they have—the doughnuts, the apples, the cider and wine—it’s always been great customer service,” said Kyler. She said she some mes calls the night before to request dozens of doughnuts for pickup at 7 a.m., even though they don’t open un l 9, and they have always taken care of her. “It’s a seasonal thing for us around here in the DeKalb County area, so when those doughnuts are available I’m the first one out there and I’m the last of the year,” Kyler said. “It’s just such a hard thing to give up.”

In order to accommodate all of the visitors to the farm, Jonamac employs a lot of seasonal labor from the area. The business hires over a hundred and fi y workers throughout the season. Their employees range from high school kids, to re rees, and everything in between. For many of the young people they hire, it is their first work experience. “You go from having a ght-knit small group that you work with year round that’s almost self-star ng, to managing 150 people,” said Spychal. “It’s pre y wild, but it’s great. And our family is very, very grateful for all of our return employees who learn how everything works on our farm and get to know us and our values. They really help us to train and teach the new people that come on each season.”

Kyler knows people from the Malta area like Terry Sandberg who have worked at Jonamac for a long me. “They’re diehard workers,” said Kyler. “They share their talents with the McArtors and that makes it even more worthwhile to come into that place because you know familiar faces will be there.”

Jonamac loves being a part of the DeKalb County community and they have many great rela onships with other businesses throughout the county, such as Prairie State Winery. They also try to reach out to the community through serving on boards, helping out with local organiza ons like the DeKalb County Community Founda on, and suppor ng local schools.

In October of this past year, Jonamac donated hundreds of pounds of apples to local schools for the Great Apple Crunch, which is a program that promotes healthy ea ng in the schools and educates children about local produce. “It was so nice to see the kids really enjoy our produce and have

fun with it at school,” said Spychal.

“A erwards, they sent the sweetest le ers and thank you notes that I have ever seen. That was really rewarding to us.”

In addi on, they partnered with Culvers this year to make their maze into a design that said, “Thank You Farmers,” and contained the FFA emblem. During a weekend in September, members of both the Sycamore and DeKalb FFA programs came out to the farm and educated the public about farm equipment, the harvest, what farmers do, and the FFA organiza on. “We’re always very surprised at how li le the general public seems to know about agriculture,” Spychal said. “It’s important to us to try to educate people more about agriculture in general and the agriculture around DeKalb County by teaching them a li le bit when they come and visit our farm. The FFA kids really seemed to enjoy themselves while they were out there and we really enjoyed having them.”

Ul mately, Jonamac Orchard is all about family and community.

It’s a family-owned business that specializes in providing familyfriendly experiences while being a vital part of the local business community.

“When you have a solid business that is a part of your community like Jonamac, it’s great to do business with them,” said Kyler. “They give back to the community as they put in to their business. They’re great people to be around … and that makes a heck of a difference when you go out there and buy dozens and dozens of doughnuts every y ar ye a .”” year.”

Meet Jonamac’s newest leader

JENNA SPYCHAL Jenna’s mother, Amy, was Jerry and Mary Lynn McArtor’s daughter, and Kevin McArtor’s older sister. She passed away from skin cancer when she was twenty-five years old and Jenna was only a year and a half. Jenna’s dad was in the hotel business, so they moved around a lot while she was growing up, mostly living in Central Illinois.

“I think that made the bond between my grandparents and I that much closer,” said Spychal. “Since I moved a lot, this place the orchard was a constant to me.”

Jerry McArtor had lost both of his parents by the age of six, so that may have also drawn the two closer together as kindred spirits. Jenna remembers her grandfather teaching her a lot about the apple trees when she would visit as a child. “It was something that I really enjoyed, but I never saw myself doing it for a living,” said Spychal.

Jenna eventually a ended Northern Illinois University, majoring in biology and Spanish.

A er finishing at NIU and moving away from the area, she started taking online veterinary classes through Purdue University while working at different clinics to get experience, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.

That’s when her grandfather men oned that it would be really nice if someone else in the family learned the growing aspect of the orchard, since he was not going to be able to do it forever. “So I said, ‘That sounds like a really great opportunity,’ especially since my husband and I really wanted more than anything that type of lifestyle–being able to be around family, being able to raise our kids on a farm where they could learn work ethic

and things like that,” explained Spychal.

A er consul ng with the rest of the family members, Jenna and her husband decided to come back to the orchard and take over the growing aspect of the business. Jenna now serves as the Orchard Manager and she and her husband oversee the new Cider House. “It has been a perfect fit,” said Spychal. “My schooling actually helps out a great deal–the biology with a lot of chemistry, and botany classes. And my Spanish was very helpful, too, with various agricultural workers who come through.” Spychal feels like she is home now, since the orchard has always had a special place in her heart.

“I’m really excited to be a part of it now on the business end, keep growing it and keep the aspects of it that mean so much to my grandfather and the rest of our family going.

That’s important to us,” Spychal said.

Spychal believes that the most valuable asset she has in her role is her grandfather’s passion for apple trees and thirty years of experience he has passed down to her over the years. She also pursues more knowledge through a ending conferences and other con nuing educa on opportuni es as soon as the orchard is closed each year.

“We’re always learning more about apple trees, new up-and-coming sciences about them, and new varie es. We try to stay on the cu ng edge of orchard management,” said Spychal.

Besides overseeing the orchard and the cider house, Spychal also manages the marke ng, social media and website for Jonamac. And Jenna and her husband, Mike, are now owners as well, as they are buying a share of the business from her grandparents.

To top it all off, in February of 2016 Jenna and Mike gave birth to a baby girl named Amy a er Jenna’s mother, beginning the fourth genera on of the family at the orchard.

DEKALB DEKALB COUNTY COUNTY MAGAZINE MAGAZINE | February | February 2017 2017 | 15 | 15

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DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 17

DR. AMANDA FRIEDRICHS SHINES AT

RADIANT DERMOTOLOGY By: Aimee Barrows

After completing her residency in dermatology at the University of Iowa Hospitals, there was only one place where Dr. Amanda Friedrichs wanted to practice medicine:

DEKALB COUNTY. Dr. Friedrichs, who owns Radiant Dermatology in Sycamore, was born and raised in DeKalb. She understands the importance of family and community, and knew she wanted to come home to provide the best possible care while educa ng her pa ents about the importance of sun protec on.

will develop skin cancer in their life me. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is on the rise because of indoor tanning and is the fastest-growing cancer among young women. Skin care educa on and cancer preven on are topics Friedrichs covers with every pa ent, so they can protect themselves against this mostly-preventable disease.

“I like seeing community members and people from church or former teachers who are now pa ents,” Dr. Friedrichs explained. “It is good to give back to the community. It has made me who I am today. This is a strong community. I understand my pa ents. I know where they’re coming from and what’s important to people. We come from the same roots, so I feel like I have a personal connec on with my pa ents and I can develop unique rela onships with them.”

“Skin cancer is curable when caught early, but it is serious and many people aren’t aware of that,” she explained. “I do not want people to be afraid of being outdoors. They simply need to be sun-smart.

Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day of the year is cri cal. UV rays penetrate through clouds and car windows. If the sun is up, sunscreen needs to be on. Reapplica on is necessary every two hours, but every hour if swimming or swea ng.

People can wear hats and sun-protec ve clothing. I want people to make the best choices and providing them with appropriate educa on is key.”

Dr. Friedrichs graduated from DeKalb High School in 1995 and completed her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1999. She a ended the University of Illinois College of Medicine, where she spent one year in Champaign and the remaining three in Rockford before moving to Iowa for her residency.

Dr. Friedrichs, who lives in Sycamore with her sons, ages 12 and 10, began her career at the former DeKalb Clinic where she worked from Aug. 2008 un l Feb. 2015. She le to begin Radiant Dermatology, which opened in March of 2015. She said owning her own prac ce has always been her dream.

“Thanks to the community support, I was able to create this comfortable, easily-accessible environment,” she said of Radiant Dermatology, which has around 8,500 pa ents. “It’s a lot of work.

I am a business woman and a doctor. But I love it. The rewards are worth it.”

Dr. Friedrichs knew she wanted to be a doctor from the age of 5, but thought she would become a family prac ce doctor or a pediatrician.

It wasn’t un l she was well into her medical studies that she decided to pursue dermatology.

“I always wanted to help people, but decided to specialize in dermatology because I get to see infants through seniors. We specialize in hair, skin and nails so it’s all encompassing,” she explained. “The skin is remarkable as it may show the first sign of internal disease.

Earlier diagnosis enables be er treatment op ons, some of which may be poten ally life-saving.”

One of the most important parts of Dr. Friedrichs’ job is educating her pa ents about skin cancer and sun safety. One in five Americans

18 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

Skin cancer pa ents used to have to leave DeKalb County to get Mohs surgery, which is a treatment for some basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. The procedure has a high cure rate and preserves ssue. Dr. Friedrichs now performs Mohs surgery in her office while pa ents receive local anesthe c.

Dr. Friedrichs has also visited local schools to talk to kids and parents about the importance of wearing sunscreen. She was instrumental in developing a program for collegiate Greek systems that educates college students about sun safety and the dangers of indoor tanning, and was among a group of dermatologists who successfully lobbied the state of Illinois to ban indoor tanning for minors.

“If your skin color darkens a er sun exposure, your body is producing more of the pigment, melanin, in a empts to prevent further UV damage,” she explained. “There is no such thing as a healthy tan unless you get it from a spray or bo le. People think a tan gives them a ‘healthy glow,’ but really it’s just the skin trying to repair the damage.”

While most of the prac ce focuses on skin condi ons and diseases, Radiant Dermatology offers a wide array of cosme c services. Botox injec ons can smooth skin, while dermal fillers can restore lost volume due to the normal aging process. Diamond dermalinfusion treatments exfoliate dead skin cells and infuse a pa ent-specific treatment solu on into the skin, while Lumecca, an intense pulse light, removes unwanted red and brown spots. Pa ents may also get chemical peels to reduce redness, acne scars and fine lines. Radiant Dermatology offers permanent laser hair removal that is safe for all skin tones.

“When choosing someone for cosme c services, it is important to choose a board-certified dermatologist; someone who receives con nuing medical educa on and who stays up to date with the latest informa on,� Dr. Friedrichs said. “We leave you with a natural result. We won’t give you the ‘Hollywood’ look, and that’s important to us.

We want you to look like you, only more radiant.

There’s a reason behind our name.�

Radiant Dermatology is the only DeKalb County loca on that oers Cool Sculp ng, which is a noninvasive fat-removal system that is an alterna ve to liposuc on. The procedure freezes fat cells to reduce stubborn pockets of fat.

Amy Ho ines, Cool Sculp ng specialist at Radiant Dermatology, said the oďŹƒce now has new technology which cuts treatment me from about an hour to 35 minutes. “It’s virtually painless and there’s no down me,â€? she explained. “It usually takes between one and three months to see full results. The sta has been treated and we have our own tes monials as to how great our services are.â€?

Radiant Dermatology has about ten employees, including front desk and oďŹƒce sta, an esthe cian and a nurse prac oner, Ashli Schoenholz.

Schoenholz began as a nurse with Dr. Friedrichs at the DeKalb Clinic in 2008. This long-term partnership allows her to be a direct extension of Dr. Friedrichs and provides con nuity of care for pa ents.

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Dr. Friedrichs knows how important her employees are to crea ng a family-like environment at the oďŹƒce, which can make the pa ents feel more comfortable. “Not one person is more important than another.

We all have equal importance in the oďŹƒce,â€? she said. “I can’t work by myself. My sta is my family, and my mom is actually my oďŹƒce manager. We take care of each other and we all have a uniďŹ ed goal of providing our pa ents with the best dermatological care.â€?

While her pa ents are very important to Dr. Friedrichs, her family comes ďŹ rst. A ďŹ tness and running enthusiast, she is very ac ve in the community and with her sons’ ac vi es. Dr. Friedrichs said another posi ve of working in Sycamore is that she’s able to be near her family, who spend a lot of me with her children. “Coming back home was the best decision for me. My parents live two doors down from me, and it is great to see how close my kids are to their grandparents,â€? she said. “And it’s wonderful having patients who have been with me since I started here in Sycamore. The highest compliment is when those patients bring their family and friends to the practice, entrusting me with their care.â€?

Radiant Dermatology is located at 1740 Mediterranean Dr. in Sycamore.

For more information about services or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Friedrichs, call (815) 981-4990 or visit www.radiantderm.com.

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DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 19

LOCAL GROUP EXPLORES

Ireland's Charms By: Stephen Haberkorn

W

ith St. Patrick’s Day approaching, if you want a taste of Ireland you could head over to O’Leary’s Ale House in DeKalb for some shepherd’s pie and a pint of Guinness—or you could actually plan a trip to Ireland and experience the culture first-hand.

According to Michael Embrey of FunME Events Entertainment & Excursions in DeKalb, Ireland is popular now because of its affordability, accessibility and safety. On top of that, it is an English-speaking country, the food is good, the rooms are good, and it has great a rac ons.

Embrey is familiar with these things, because he has personally been to Ireland fi een mes and takes a group there every fall.

“Ireland, Italy, and Iceland are the three big a rac ons now,” said Embrey.

Ireland is easily accessible, with three major airlines servicing the country from O’Hare Airport. And you can go to Ireland for a week with most of your sightseeing and meals covered for $2500—which is a pre y good bargain, especially compared to England.

Embrey took a group to Ireland this past November. Their eight-day excursion covered the city of Dublin, the towns of Kilkenny, Blarney and Killarney, numerous pubs and castles and an abundance of scenic views around the Irish countryside. Ann Smallwood of Springfield felt very safe on the trip. “Everyone was very friendly. I went out by myself one evening and I felt very safe. If I’d go en lost, I’m sure somebody would have helped me get back to the hotel.”

The group had some special stops this year that were different from past trips, beginning with a visit to the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre, home of Ireland’s premier silversmith and The Museum of Style Icons. Admission to the Visitor Centre was free.

The Museum of Style Icons contains costumes of famous movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn,

| February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE 2020 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

• • • •

Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as clothing worn by Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and other American celebri es. The ar facts in The Museum of Style Icons were acquired by Newbridge Silverware CEO, William Doyle. “In this country, you’d pay large amounts of money to see it,” said Embrey. “It was interes ng to see a part of American history there in Ireland.” The featured display this year was the dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President Kennedy. It was going up for auc on, where it ended up selling for a world record 4.8 million dollars.

Their next stop was the town Kilkenny, home of Kilkenny Castle. The famous 13th Century castle is owned by the city of Kilkenny and managed by the office of public works. Most castles in Ireland are owned by the government.

Kilkenny Castle has a Chicago connec on.

For over 500 years, it was the home of the powerful Butler family, headed by the Earl of Ormond. In 1654, William Butler immigrated to the United States.

His descendants eventually se led in the Chicago area, where they started the Butler Paper Company. Paul Butler founded Oak Brook, Illinois in 1958 and also built Butler Na onal Golf Club and the Oak Brook Polo Club. Paul Butler’s son, Michael Butler, wrote the musical, Hair (and dated Audrey Hepburn).With its narrow streets that s ll follow their ancient routes, Kilkenny is a throwback to medieval mes. The group also toured Smithwick’s Brewery in Kilkenny.

Then they went to Blarney Castle, home of the famed Blarney Stone. By kissing the Blarney Stone, it is claimed that one can receive “the gi of gab” (or eloquence).

From there they went to Killarney along the scenic route, passing many very old churches and castles. “Personally, I enjoyed being out in the country, rather than in the city,” said Smallwood. “There would be sheep off in the fields and all of a sudden a ruin of some kind would pop up.

It was beau ful because of the hills, and eventually we got to where we could see the ocean.”

On day four, some of the group took a tour along the Ring of Kerry, which is the Southwest corner of Ireland. The quaint li le villages along the way were once a des na on for a lot of American movie stars, such as Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope and John Wayne. “I really enjoyed the Ring of

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DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 21

Kerry tour,” said Wendi Sleezer of Paw Paw. “I found it very peaceful, very relaxing. You get out and away from the city and away from pre y much civiliza on and all you’re surrounded by is the natural beauty of the landscape. It’s just really breathtaking and it gives you a sense of pure calm.”

Because the streets are very narrow on the Ring of Kerry, all tour buses have to run in a counter-clockwise direc on, since they can’t pass side-byside. “You have to have the pa ence of a saint to drive on the roads,” said Embrey. Along the stunning coastline, you can see The Cliffs of Moher, which is famous for its scenic views. You can also view the inlets where Irish pirates used to hide out from the English.

Another interes ng stopping point on the Ring of Kerry is the Kerry Bog Village. A bog is a wetland that accumulates peat, or dead plant material— usually moss. Peat bogs cover 17% of Ireland’s surface and have been an important part of their culture. The peat is cut and dried and then used for fuel for hea ng and cooking. The Bog Village is a visual re-crea on of 18th and 19th century life in Ireland. The thatched co ages contain authen c décor and figurines to create scenes showing how people lived and worked during that period. You can also see Bog Ponies and Irish Wol ounds at the village. A highlight of the bog village for Smallwood was their Irish coffee, which is coffee and Irish whisky topped with freshly whipped cream. “It was fabulous” stated Smallwood.

On the way back from Killarney to Dublin, the group stopped in the village of Moneygall at the Barack Obama Plaza. One of Obama’s ancestors, a great-great-great-grandfather on his mother’s side, was from Moneygall and the ny village has subsequently become a tourist des na on.

The truck stop contains a museum to honor American presidents, and par cularly Obama. According to Embrey, 40 of the 45 presidents of the United States have Irish ancestry. “People don’t realize the importance of the Irish and the Sco sh in our society,” said Embrey. “A large percentage of people who signed the Declara on of Independence were of Irish or Sco sh descent and there are more direct descendants of Irish people in the United States than there are in all of Ireland.”

Consequently, the Irish are more knowledgeable about our poli cal system then most Americans.

Also, with tourism being Ireland’s number one industry, they have a strong interest in the American economy.

“The people’s interest and knowledge of American poli cs was very surprising,” said Sleezer. “I didn’t expect that much interest in our elec on. It was the general topic in most of the pubs and restaurants.”

222 |2February COUNTY 22 | February Feeb bru ruar ar2017 y 2017 2017 20 1|7DEKALB | DEKALB DEK DE KA A LLB B COUNTY C OUNT OUN OU NTTMAGAZINE Y MAGAZINE MA M A GAZ GA G A ZZIIINE NEE N

With Dublin being a major interna onal city, the group was allo ed several days there to explore. There are over 320 different a rac ons to see in Dublin. Some of the most popular sites include Trinity College Library, which contains the Book of Kells, the Guinness Storehouse, the Old Jameson Whiskey Dis llery, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol (prison) and The Brazen Head Pub. Since there are no skyscrapers in Dublin, the tallest building is the 7-story Guinness Storehouse, which is shaped like a giant pint. Visitors to the gravity bar on the top floor (the head of the pint) can enjoy panoramic views of the city while enjoying a pint of the famous beer. Tourism may be Ireland’s number one industry, but the beer brewer and distributor is number two by itself. Before the prohibi on period in America, there were 70-80 dis lleries in Ireland, but since they relied so much on exports, prohibi on put most of them out of business. One that remained was Jameson Whiskey. The Old Jameson Whiskey Dis llery in Dublin is more of a museum than a func oning dis llery, though. The group ended up touring the Teeling Whiskey dis llery, the only opera onal dis llery le in the city.

The Brazen Head Pub was established in 1198 and is Ireland’s oldest pub.

If you really want to get to know Irish people and experience their culture, visi ng pubs is a must. “Their socializa on is going to the pub, having a pint, and watching the telly. That’s what they do,” said Embrey. “Breakfast, lunch and dinner all the restaurants are filled. You wonder if these people ever eat at home.” For Smallwood, the me spent in the pubs was a highlight of her me in Ireland. “I found that in the pubs everybody is very friendly,” said Smallwood. “There is almost always live music, which was wonderful. It was just really, really fun to be amongst all these people. At one place we went, most of the people knew the words to the songs that were being played and were singing along. It got to the point that it was so crowded you didn’t even have a table of your own. People would join you, or you’d go and sit with someone you didn’t know, because it was just like being in this one big happy family.”

Sleezer, who was visi ng Ireland for the first me, came back from the trip with lots of photos and great memories. “I did not expect the overwhelming serenity of the villages, castles, cathedrals or the landscape un l I was there,” said Sleezer. “I came home with over 800 photographs and not one expresses the true depth of my trip. I’m anxious to get back for more explora on.” “If one loves quaint villages, charming people, endless history and unbelievable architecture you will not be disappointed with Ireland,” exclaimed Sleezer.

In addi on to memories, Smallwood also came back with a full suitcase.

“The number of woolen items was amazing—sweaters, lap robes, infinity scarves, caps. All the different pa erns. There are a lot of things to buy, but the woolen products were just extraordinary,” said Smallwood, “If you’re going over there, you should plan on ge ng something to bring home,

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If you are planning a trip to Ireland, Embrey suggests you go in the fall, if possible. “When you go in the summer at the height of tourist season, you can’t even get around in places.

This way, you can actually walk in and see things and do things. You really get more me for your investment,� said Embrey.

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DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 23

Mediterraneo

Brings Authentic Flavor to DeKalb By: Aimee Barrows

If you’re in the mood for something a little different for dinner, you don’t have to travel far for delicious, ethnic cuisine. Mediterraneo is one DeKalb restaurant that stands out for its authentic recipes that offer guests a taste of the Middle East.

Omar Musfi, 40, never saw himself as a restaurant owner. Music, specifically percussion, has always been his passion, even as a child growing up in Damascus, Syria. But, for the past six years, he’s been the proud owner and operator of Mediterraneo, a downtown DeKalb staple that offers authentic Syrian and Lebanese cuisine.

Musfi wound up in the Midwest in 2001 after touring the U.S. as a percussionist with various music groups. He was accepted into a master’s program in jazz studies at DePaul University in Chicago, where he lived for several years. In 2009, Musfi transferred to Northern Illinois University to finish his master’s degree in music performance, which he completed in 2012.

He began teaching music classes at NIU, and is currently the director of the university’s Middle Eastern music ensemble.

Shortly after arriving in DeKalb, Musfi frustratingly tried to find local restaurants that served authentic Middle Eastern food, similar to what he enjoyed as a child. After realizing there was no such restaurant in DeKalb, he decided to do something about it. He called up a friend who owns two restaurants out of state and began his quest to provide the community with the delicious recipes of his homeland.

“Music is what I do. I had no restaurant experience. I’d never worked in one,” Musfi explained.

“But I quickly found the space, rented it and my friend helped me out for about six months before he had to go back to his restaurants. Music and food are the two things that can be used to introduce people to any culture.”

24 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

After his friend left DeKalb, Musfi and his wife, Rawan Alhalabi, began running the restaurant by themselves, with a few employees. The couple, who have two young sons, met in Syria and have been married for six years.

Mediterraneo doesn’t serve alcohol, but customers are allowed to bring in their own alcoholic beverages. Business has been good at the restaurant, thanks to Musfi’s commitment to serving only the freshest, homemade food.

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“This is how we make it back home, it’s not Americanized. The hummus, rice, soup‌ everything is made daily,â€? he said. “It’s not fast food. My tahini is made from the highest quality of sesame. You have to do it right. My family and I eat here, and I want my customers to eat how we eat. So people know my food is better, but they don’t know how much effort it takes.â€?

Some of the more popular dishes at Mediterraneo are the hummus, falafel (deep-fried chickpea and vegetable patties), chicken or beef shawarma and gyros. Musfi’s mother, who still lives in Damascus, taught him how to make many of the items on the menu, which he said was chosen from the most popular Middle Eastern dishes to satisfy a wide variety of customers. He said some have been a little reluctant to try different foods, but he’s noticing that people are becoming more adventurous. “In any small town, if you give people the chance to try something new, they will, and we’re giving them options,� he said. “I have customers who come here from Geneva, Rockford and Elgin.

They come for the delicious food.�

Alhalabi, 33, takes care of all the accounting and the financial aspects of the business but also waits on customers. She said running the restaurant was challenging initially because of the language barrier and also customers’ reluctance to try new things. “Most people here aren’t encouraged to try new things and they like to eat what they’re used to eating. But when people try new things here, they come back. We’re always getting new customers because of the NIU students who come and go,� said Alhalabi, who is also from Damascus.

Musfi said that running a restaurant is stressful because he has to know everything from cooking to managing the business. But he was quick to point out that his restaurant’s success comes from the personal relationship he has with many of his customers, whom he described as “very loyal.� He said the DeKalb community has been wonderful to him and his family. “I’m very thankful to be here. I’d like to thank DeKalb for letting us be a part of the community,� he said. “I like the small town feel because we know each other. I’ve met a lot of friends through the restaurant.�

Mediterraneo is located at 122 E. Lincoln Hwy. in DeKalb. For more information about the restaurant, call 815.758.8450, or visit www. mediterraneogrilldekalb.com.

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www.DelanosHomeDecorating.com DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 25

KEEPS LOCAL HISTORY ALIVE By: Aimee Barrows

While most banks are closing branches and replacing employees with technology, Resource Bank is doing the exact opposite. The DeKalb-based bank, which is now the only locally-owned bank in the area, has opened three branches in recent years. But these branches are different than most others.

That’s because the bank has restored historic buildings in Shabbona, Hampshire and most recently, Sycamore, to reinvest in its communi es and help preserve each communi es’ unique past.

The Shabbona and Hampshire branches feature one-room schoolhouses, while the old Townsend Garage is the home of the Sycamore branch. Diana Sho , execu ve vice president, explained that the bank’s leaders know how important it is to keep local history alive, and are proud to bring the community a piece of the past.

She said using historic buildings is a way the bank can differen ate itself from others.

“We care deeply about our communi es and each of them has its own fabric,” she said. “It’s an experience going into these buildings and history is important in these communi es. We try to be stewards of that community and be a good representa on of what that community stands for.”

In fact, Resource Bank, who has many history buffs among its staff members, produced a documentary on one-room schoolhouses in DeKalb County in 2003 as a way of recording the area’s history. The documentary was provided to all of the county’s schools and was used in the curriculum.

A er the bank staff members saw the intense interest in the documentary among community members, Sho said she thought using one-room schoolhouses would be a great way to develop a unique facility in some of the bank’s rural communi es.

The bank first acquired the old Quilhot one-room schoolhouse in 2012 to use for its new Shabbona branch. The historic building was constructed in 1856

26 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

and was closed in 1947. It was named for Leona Spray Quihot, who was the last teacher at the school. A er it was shu ered, it remained on private property in Shabbona and was used as a farmstead storage facility, un l the bank took it over and completed a full renova on.

The schoolhouse was moved about one mile from its original site, and was used as part of the bank’s branch design. It was renovated into a community room that’s a ached to the bank building. The bank wanted to honor the building’s history, so the schoolhouse is adorned with an que desks, old books, and even the original potbelly stove that was used to keep children warm during the harsh winters.

One unique feature of the building is that excerpts from Leona Quilhot’s diary were printed in her own handwri ng, and affixed to the wall along the room’s interior perimeter.

“The artwork in the Shabbona branch is historical photography from the community that was expanded onto canvas, and the landscaping is all na ve prairie plants” Sho explained. “We received tremendous feedback. Residents were surprised, pleased and it evoked a lot of childhood memories for some people. They cared that we took the me to save the schoolhouse.”

And now, the room, which features a full kitchen and audio-visual capabili es, is available to rent at no cost to community groups or for social gatherings. Sho said the bank felt it was important for Shabbona to have a community space.

“Every community needs to have a place where they can gather and in a small town, there’s o en limited spaces, so it’s nice to have a facility that can used seven days a week and on evenings,” she explained. “We’re a neighbor in the community, and this allows people to feel comfortable and safe.”

A er the overwhelming success of the historic Shabbona branch, the bank wanted to con nue its commitment to local history. In 2014, the bank acquired a second oneroom schoolhouse that was located on Big Timber Road in Kane County to incorporate into the soon-to-be Hampshire branch.

The bank purchased a vacant exis ng bank building and moved the Eakin one-room schoolhouse about nine miles from its original loca on. The schoolhouse was built in 1859 and used as a school un l 1931. A er its closing through 1980, it served as a mee ng and polling place, and then remained vacant from 1980 un l 1994. It was then sold to the Kane County Forest Preserve for $1, and from 2003 un l its disbandment in 2013, the schoolhouse was used by the Rutland Township Historical Society as a storage and mee ng space.

In 2014, the bank received approval to move the schoolhouse, which had been empty for about a year.

While the bank did some restora ve work, much of the renovations had been done by the historical society. Like the Shabbona branch, the Hampshire schoolhouse is also used as a community gathering place that’s available at no cost to Hampshire groups and residents.

“The Eakin schoolhouse is the oldest one-room schoolhouse that’s s ll standing in Kane County,” Sho said. “It’s about 666 square feet and is done in Greek revival architecture.

We have leger books kept by teachers of that school in the back of the room so the public can look at them. This is a very well-u lized space.”

Sycamore’s old Townsend Garage, which was constructed in 1905, is the proud home of Resource Bank’s third historic loca on. The bank held a grand opening celebra on in

August of 2016 a er more than a year of me culous renova ons that honor the life and legacy of original owner Frederick B. Townsend.

The bank, which was looking to move from its loca on on the former Brown’s County Market property, purchased the historic building in 2015. Carl Richards, director of marke ng at Resource Bank, said the building is an important part of Sycamore’s history, and bank’s painstaking restora on is a reflec on of its commitment to the city.

“The community has embraced our efforts and the response has been fabulous,” he explained. “The city of Sycamore cares about its history and a lot of people care about that building. People want to see it and be a part of it. This is a Sycamore landmark.”

The 111-year old structure, which is on the Na onal Register of Historical Places within the Sycamore Historic District, was put into commercial use in 1926. It was used as a filling sta on from 1927 un l 1937, when it was transformed into a Ford distributorship. It changed hands several mes and was used once again as a gas sta on un l the early 1980s, when the last gas sta on closed. From 1983 un l 2015, it served as the loca on of several restaurants, including the Carriage House Restaurant, Gramma’s Restaurant, The Round Table and the Towne Square Family Restaurant.

All of the cra smen who worked to restore the bank are local, and paid careful a en on to the detail of the structure.

All of the wood and windows are custom-made and the iron railings in the building’s front, were handmade by clients of the bank to replicate the railing’s original design.

“People are grateful that we saved this. It could’ve been bulldozed but we took the hard way and restored the building,” Sho said. “We took the me to do all of the research. The local companies tried to be true to the original form and design.”

The artwork inside the building is all original photos that were printed onto canvas, and show images of the people and buildings that inhabited Sycamore in a me long gone by. And to give the branch an even more authen c feel, the bank purchased three Wayne 515 gas pumps that are original to the 1920s to decorate the interior and exterior of the branch.

Sho described the Sycamore loca on as a modern facility in a historically-accurate building, and said one of the most rewarding things for her is hearing stories from residents who know about its past.

“We had to make sure all the modern technology, security features, vaults and equipment work in a historic building, and that was challenging,” she said. “So many people thank us for saving the building and doing it right. They appreciate the quality of the workmanship, the a en on to detail and the level of care taken to complete it. I’m very proud. It’s a privilege and honor to do this restora ve work.”

While the bank’s customers appreciate all the modern conveniences it offers, they s ll want a personal rela onship with their bank, and that makes Resource stand out. Sho said the technological conveniences don’t replace human contact.

“We’re very much a people business and our employees are people who enjoy helping others,” she said. “That’s who we are. We’re based on rela onships, and people choose Resource Bank because they know we care about them. If we didn’t care, you wouldn’t’ see these types of buildings.

It’s easier to build new branches than to restore historic proper es.”

DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 27 DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | February 2017 | 27

Sycamore Resident Helps to Build Homes in Bulgaria By: Aimee Barrows

It was the best birthday gift Patty Poorten ever received. On Sept. 22, 2016, Poorten’s 55th birthday, the Sycamore resident began her 10-day journey to Sofia, Bulgaria to help build homes for two families on a Habitat for Humanity Global Village Trip. Poorten was one of six people chosen to participate on the trip, which was sponsored by First National Bank.

“What a great way to start my year; giving back to others,” she explained. “The ming was perfect. It was so nice to start a great adventure on my birthday.”

First Na onal Bank, which acquired DeKalb County’s Castle Bank in 2015, has been sending groups of employees on Habitat for Humanity trips around the world for seven years. This is the first year the bank has opened up the trip to six of its customers, who accompanied six bank employees to Bulgaria. This is also the first me one of the bank’s teams has worked with Habitat for Humanity in the Eastern European country, which is located to the north of Greece and south of Romania.

Kevin Langin, senior director of public rela ons, said the bank wanted to expand the program to provide an experience for customers in the hopes they will return to their communi es feeling inspired and con nue to volunteer locally.

“We strongly support stable housing ini a ves and Habitat for Humanity is a great organiza on to work with.

And if we can involve our customers in our ac vi es, we can share our mindset of community support,” he said.

“That means more people are out there trying to make their communi es be er places.”

Poorten, who is a customer at First Na onal, applied to the bank in February to be selected to go on the trip.

She said the trip “spoke” to her because of her strong background in philanthropy, and she was hoping she would be chosen to go.

“I’ve always done a lot of volunteering in the community and I wanted to do something different,” she said. “I was so excited, and my family was so excited for me. I had to quickly research Bulgarian culture and try to learn a few words in Bulgarian, which is a difficult language.”

A er a round of interviews in Omaha where First Na onal Bank is headquartered, she found out in late June that she was one of the six customers, and the only one from Illinois, who was selected. The other customers came from states where the bank has loca ons, including Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. Three months later, Poorten and her team were on their way to the trip of a life me.

The customers were chosen based on their previous volunteer experience and ideas about giving back to their communi es, as well as their ability to communicate about their trip on social media. Langin said he was thrilled that Poorten was selected.

“Pa y is so posi ve and she really believes in what she’s doing,” he said. “The par cipants have told us that this is a unique experience that can’t be replicated. It’s very enriching for them. They come back changed in a posi ve way.”

Poorten worked alongside the two families whose homes they were building. She said she got to know the families, but some mes it was hard to communicate with them because not all of them spoke English. Despite the language barrier, Poorten said she knew how apprecia ve they were of all the team’s hard work.

Several Habitat teams had previously worked on the home, so Poorten’s team was the last volunteer group to come in and help get the houses completed. The homes usually take between four and six months to finish.

Poorten’s main job during the week was working on walls that separated the homes, which were only about 800 square feet. Each house had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, living room and laundry room.

28 | February 2017 | DEKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

“I’ve never worked on building walls before and it was physical labor, but it was great,” she said. “My team members and I were sore every night. You use muscles you’ve never used before. We were all feeling it. Our team worked so well together.”

years and a stay at home mom for 25 years, she has spent countless hours volunteering at her four children’s schools, sports ac vi es, community non-profit organiza ons and teaching Sunday school at St. Mary’s Church in Sycamore.

The group stayed in what Poorten called a “nofrills” hotel in the middle of the capital city of Sofia. The day began with breakfast in the hotel, followed by a morning prayer before heading off to the job site, which was located on the city’s outskirts. The group took a midday break for lunch on the worksite, which consisted of tradi onal Bulgarian food. In the evenings, the team would gather together to reflect on their day during dinner at a local restaurant. Poorten said she looked forward to trying new things, and quickly became a fan of the cuisine.

Poorten, who grew up in Arizona and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer informa on systems from Arizona State University, said she was inspired to go to Bulgaria by her eldest daughter, Kelli, who spent two weeks in Chile on a Habitat for Humanity project when she was in college.

“I’m an adventurous person, so it was nice to try the new food. It was very different from American food,” she said.

The group did get to take some me away from the hard work of building homes to tour the city.

Poorten fell in love with Sofia and its people, who she described as being very warm to Americans.

“The city is very historic and just beau ful. I felt so safe there,” she said. “Habitat encourages us to meet residents and embrace the culture.

The people were so apprecia ve. They asked us about the elec on, which was cute. I was very impressed.”

This trip wasn’t the first me Poorten has given back to help others. A Sycamore resident for 14

“I asked her about it and she said it was a lifechanging experience. I always wanted my kids to be involved with their community and be good ci zens,” Poorten said. “And now, I know that it’s hard to put into words. You realize you can’t take things for granted. You want every family to have a home to raise their children. And just knowing you had a ny part in that is very nice. It was just such a great experience.”

Another global village trip could be in the works for Poorten. She said while she has no concrete plans yet, she hopes to par cipate in another Habitat for Humanity project in the next few years. She encourages everyone to get involved with Habitat.

“I’ve always felt you need to give back to your community and help others. You get as much as you give,” she explained. “Everyone should get involved, even on a local level. There are so many opportuni es with Habitat. It’s truly a great experience.”

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DeKalb County Magazine

If you would like to adver se in the next edi on of DC Magazine contact Lisa Angel at 815-756-4841 ext. 2236 or email langel@shawmedia.com.

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