Dekalb county magazine february 2016

DeKalb County Magazine

What’s Inside

World Famous Ballerina’s Estate Benefits Local Non-Profit Organizations

Mark & Mary Kay Biernacki Travel the World Oak Crest Offers Luxury Accommodations and Expansion

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Table of Contents Ballerina’s Charitable Gifts Help DeKalb Family, Non-Profit Groups............................... 6 DeKalb Library Unveils State-of-the-Art Building ...... 11 KVAL group art exhibit at DeKalb Library reopening............................... 14 Mark & Mary Kay Biernacki Travel the World ................................ 16 Egg Haven: A haven for fine food......................... 21 Oak Crest: Readies Brand New Independent Living Apartments........ 24 #ProudlyDeKalb................................. 28 Stage Coach Players Theatre............. 32

Publisher: Karen Pletsch Project Manager: Lisa Angel Layout & Design: Allison LaPorta Photography: Danielle Guerra 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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Ballerina’s

Charitable Gifts Help DeKalb Family, Non-Profit Groups By: Aimee Barrows

he legacy of a world-famous French ballerina lives on right here in DeKalb through generous donations to a local family and to three local animal welfare groups, thanks to a little help from former Northern Illinois University Women’s Golf coach, Pam Tyska.

Tyska, who is the executor of ballerina Micheline Bardin-Levin’s estate, gifted the following local charities: TAILS Humane Society, Raven’s Husky Haven & Rescue, the Senior Pet Sanctuary (formerly known as the DeKalb County Animal Shelter), and the Canaday Family in DeKalb. They also donated to three non-profit groups in Wisconsin and to the Paris Opera. The total amount of the Memorial Legacy is more than one million dollars.

“She wanted to give a voice to those who didn’t have either, which are animals and children,” Tyska explained. “I’m lucky to have known Micheline. To help others and to know that Micheline would be so pleased is an incredible gift to me.”

Tyska met Bardin-Levin in Minoqua, Wisc, when Tyska’s family vacationed there in the summer. The two women grew close, and when Micheline, who did not have children, died in 2014 at the age of 94, she tasked Tyska with making sure her money went to worthwhile causes.

“We had a solid friendship and she felt a kindred spirit in me because of my long career in coaching and the obstacles she encountered during her long career,” Tyska said. “She gave me a lot of leeway as far as bequeathing the gifts and establishing her memorial legacy. She wanted me to have local benefactors that I knew needed the support.”

The first local memorial legacy gift was given to the Canaday family

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in November. Amy and Mark Canaday have three boys; Brandon, Chad and Christopher, who at age 15 has had more than 40 surgeries for pulmonary atresia, which is a congenital heart condition. Amy said he will continue to need surgeries throughout his life.

“Christopher has the most amazing smile and attitude that I’ve ever seen in anyone,” she said. “If you look at him, you’d never know he is sick. He’s beaten all the odds.”

In addition to Christopher’s surgeries, Mark was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which Amy said he beat last year. Recently, doctors found a mass in his back and he’s currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.

The Canadays received the gift at the end of November, and Amy said they’ve been able to pay off some medical bills.

She said she was ‘speechless” when she learned that her family would receive the money as part of Bardin-Levin’s memorial legacy.

“This is a person I’ve never met and has impacted and changed our lives.

What an honor to be chosen,” Amy said.

“I’m forever thankful for the love we’ve received. Every obstacle we’ve faced

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 7

has made our family’s love stronger, made us appreciate every day and realize that with the love and support from family and friends we can get through everything.”

Tyska said she knew the Canadays needed the money, so they were her “number one choice” when it came to selecting local benefactors.“I knew they needed the help. Christopher has been battling for a long time,” she said. “If Micheline knew their story, she’d be more than happy. She had her struggles growing up and would’ve respected the Canaday’s battles and how they’re just tremendous citizens.”

The second local gift was given to TAILS Human Society. TAILS was gifted $110,000. Michelle Groeper, executive director, was thrilled.

“I was totally surprised when I learned of the donation, but it was a great surprise,” Groeper said. “It seems like Micheline was quite a neat lady who had a great heart. I’m sorry I never met her but I’m so pleased that animals were something she cared so much about. We promise to be good stewards of her legacy. TAILS will be updating our conference and meeting room capabilities so we can have a better face of the shelter. Our volunteers and other visitors will be able to enjoy a new and improved space that is more conducive to a learning environment. We will also use some of the money to update some other areas of our 10 year old building.”

Groeper said that Micheline will also be recognized for her wonderful contribution.

“We’ll put up a plaque of her or have some sort of naming rights for her because we want to acknowledge her memory,” she said. “The donation will absolutely make a difference. It will be a lifechanger for the shelter and it will help us help more animals.”

Raven’s Husky Haven and Rescue, a “comprehensive and forwardthinking Siberian Husky rescue in Sycamore,” was the second animal welfare group to receive a memorial legacy gift. The group, which was gifted $65,000, which will help provide veterinary care, obedience training and socialization until the Huskies find permanent homes. Jennifer Foule, founder and a director of Raven’s Husky Haven and Rescue, said they’re still considering how to use the donation in the most meaningful and sustainable way that will best serve the animals.

“We’re incredibly grateful and we feel privileged and honored

8 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

to be included as a recipient of this gift,” Foule said. “For our rescue, this gift is extremely significant. This is a game-changer.

We want to do something that would please that benefactor and be in accordance with her wishes. We want to create a lasting memorial to Micheline.”

And finally, the Senior Animal Project at the Barn on Baseline Animal Shelter and Adoption Center was gifted $110,000. The funds will be used to construct a building for the new project, which is one of the first in the country. The Senior Animal Project will provide “upscale, luxury boarding for healthy, senior pets who are in need of long-term care.” This project will greatly benefit senior citizens who can no longer care for their pets at home, by giving them the peace of mind knowing that their animals will be cared for in a safe, loving environment.

The project is also open to deployed military personnel and to those who are ill or injured and can no longer care for their pets.

“We’re very excited that we’re able to use this philanthropic donation to make a difference in our community with our Senior Pet Project,” said Roberta Shoaf, president of the Barn on Baseline Animal Shelter and Adoption Center. “We feel that, having learned about Micheline, that she’d be pleased to have her name on our senior cat area. We’re just so grateful for this opportunity.”

The estate also gifted three non-profits in Minocqua; the Campanille Performing Arts Center, where the $310,000 donation will be used to refurbish the building’s basement into a dance studio, a $186,000 gift to the Northwoods Wildlife Center, where the money will be used for a rehabilitation building to help large birds of prey and a $15,000 gift to the Northwoods H.E.A.R.T Homeschooling education group.

Bardin-Levin will also be honored by the French government at

the Paris Opera Ballet in June. Her estate’s $100,000 donation will help refurbish Caryatid, which are statues of goddesses that hold streetlights which surround the Opera.

Bardin-Levin was born in 1922 in France and rose through the ranks to become the Premiere Danseur Etoile (prima ballerina) of the Paris Opera Ballet in 1948. After performing all over the world, she retired in 1956 after being named one of the best ballerinas in the world, and moved to New York in 1957. She then traveled across the country as a supper club performer and hosted her own variety show in Canada in 1963.

She met her husband, Sherman Levin, in California, and the couple married in 1980. Sherman was from Wausau, Wisconsin and the two frequently visited the area. Bardin-Levin relocated to Minocqua permanently after Sherman’s death in 1993.

Tyska said while in Minocqua, she often had dinner with BardinLevin, and frequently helped her with household chores. Tyska described her as “quite a character,” and said that BardinLevin was like a mentor to her. “She trusted me, and she knew I knew some things about philanthropy, and she trusted that I’d be able to carry on with her wishes,” Tyska said.

Tyska will continue to manage Bardin-Levin’s estate and said additional smaller gifts are in place and would still be made, including some local donations. She said she was lucky to have known Bardin-Levin, and described her as “an extraordinary woman.”

“She went through so much as a performer and someone who was in the spotlight and became a shining star,” Tyska said.

“She could look right into your soul and see what kind of person you are, which is a wonderful quality. She treated everyone the same. She was a mentor to people and always reached out a hand to help and support.”

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By: Aimee Barrows

DeKalb Library Unveils State-of-the-Art Building

Dee Coover, director of the DeKalb Public Library, had a vision for what a library should be. And after almost two years of construction, her idea has now come to life.

“A library can do a lot for a community,” she said. “It can bring people together and can broaden the definition of literacy. And this reality is even better than the vision.”

DeKalb Public Library’s brand-new, 46,000 square foot state-of-the–art building opened to the public in January. The original building, which is still undergoing renovations, will open later this summer, completing the 65,000 square foot library.

The library will hold its official grand opening when phase two is complete, and Coover hopes Gov. Rauner will be able to attend the August celebration. The library was awarded a grant from the state in 2013, which Coover said was the largest-ever grant given to a public library in Illinois. Construction on the new building began in July of 2014.

Coover said the new building will help the library carry out its mission of promoting not only textual literacy, but digital literacy and information about the modern world.

“We couldn’t do that in our old building, but we can do it now,” she said. “We can fully support access to a new range of literacy. We want the community coming together to broaden our vision of access to all citizens of DeKalb. The library becomes a place to learn and grow and share.”

The library will offer more programming based around what Coover called “strategic goals,” which include life skills, health, art and culture and digital literacy. The library will even offer classes on coding, which Coover said is an important part of the digital world.

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 11

“The plan is to offer more programming, including after-school programs for elementary students,” she said. “I can’t wait for our summer reading program because we have so much more space now, whereas before we were so constrained.”

“We do what libraries traditionally do, but so much more,” she said.

“We’re interested in making the library a neutral place to discuss societal issues. We are tremendously excited about the opportunity to bring all this to the community.”

The original library was built in 1930 and was meant to serve a population of just 8,000 people. With the population of DeKalb now around 46,000, Samantha Hathaway, communications assistant, said the library desperately needed more space.

“We’re fully ADA accessible now. In the old building, patrons in wheelchairs couldn’t access the second and third floors,” she said.

“The upper level didn’t meet fire code and now everything is up to code. It’s incredibly important for a library to offer access to everyone, regardless of physical capabilities.”

Patrons will notice some big changes right when they walk through the main entrance. At the front of the main level is what’s called “the living room,” complete with cozy furniture, a working fireplace and the library’s periodicals collection. There’s a large help desk to greet patrons as they enter, but there’s no central circulation desk. All materials are now checked in and out by machines.

“We have four self-checkout stations and two check-in stations,” Hathaway explained. “We had one before but it wasn’t nearly as high tech. But we will still have an outdoor drop box and we’ll have a drive up return box when phase two opens this summer.”

One of most impressive parts of the new building is the expanded children’s area, which comprises the entire second floor of the new building. It’s not only been expanded, but now offers three study rooms, a “tree room” for toddlers and preschoolers, Lego tables, early literacy stations and internet stations.

Theresa Winterbauer, youth services manager, is beyond excited for the public to see the new children’s area, including the activity room, which is dedicated solely to story times and children’s programs.

12 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

Much of the new children’s area was based on input from the community and various groups, including Community Coordinated Child Care, and teachers. The “tree room” has plenty of toys, including a puppet theater and dollhouse, so toddlers and preschoolers can learn through play and interacting with other children.

“Play is a very important part of learning, and we’re all about increasing children’s knowledge, skills and learning capacity which will help them when they go to school,” Winterbauer said.

“Playing helps with social and emotional development, and creative thought leads to problem solving.”

Edith Craig, communications manager, has given many tours to the public and said people have been raving about the children’s area.

“People are excited about it, and rightly so. The new area is pretty fantastic,” she said.

Teens aren’t forgotten, either. They’ll have their very own area, including two study rooms, which will be in the old building once the remodel is complete. For now, the teen collection will be housed in the adult stacks.

“The teen area will be a place for them to hang out with no younger kids or adults hovering over them,” said Hathaway, who also emphasized that the teen room will be staffed at all times. “The room will have the teen collection, a big screen TV for gaming, lots of furniture and outlets for their devices.”

The old building will also be the home of the local history room, which was the fiction room of the original library. The old employee offices will be turned into a collaboration room which can be reserved by community members. That room will have multiple stations where people can project personal devices onto a big screen. Hathaway said this area is a good place for projects where groups can work on something together. She described it as “the highest tech area in the library.” The old circulation desk will now be the IT help desk.

Adult services are on the main level of the new building, where

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patrons will find books, CDs and DVDs, in addition to four study rooms. The new building’s lower level has three meeting rooms of various sizes, all of which are named after donors. The largest room is fully-equipped for digital presentations, and even has a small kitchen. The rooms can be rented out by community groups.

Craig said that the new building is a “dream come true” for her, and she’s most excited about having so much more space.

“The staff has been so involved from the get-go and there was a lot of interaction about what was going on in both the design and construction,” she said. “Just seeing the whole construction process from digging the hole in the ground, to the steel frames, to drywall and pluming, it’s just been exciting to be a part of.”

Coover believes community members will be very pleased with the library, and she hopes becoming familiar with the new DeKalb Public Library will encourage the public to feel comfortable taking advantage of libraries everywhere.

“We want people to know that they can go to any library in the country and get quality, professional help and information while being treated with respect,” she said. “People will be proud that we kept the old building and rehabbed it. We respected our predecessors.”

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Mark & Mary Kay Biernacki

Travel the World

BY Stephen Haberkorn

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

– Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad

Since retiring in 2013, DeKalb resident and former city manager, Mark Biernacki, has traveled all over the world with his wife, Mary Kay. Mark eloquently chronicles the couple’s journeys in a blog titled, “Paint the Map” (paintthemap.blogspot.com/). In the blog’s author profile, Biernacki states his goal to “reflect on my community, my country, and the world with the time I didn’t have, or the perspective and appreciation I couldn’t express, while working as a public servant.”

The Biernackis have visited twenty different countries, and every continent except Australia and Antarctica. They often visit places that are off the path beaten by most American tourists, including Costa Rica, Peru, Ukraine, Turkey, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and Tanzania.

The only country they did not travel to together was Tanzania. Mark went there in 2013 with a local non-profit development support group, in order to help build a library and community resource center. Mark has been to Tanzania twice, the most recent of which was in January when he hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The Biernackis’ adventurous spirits have enabled them to have numerous memorable experiences over the years, such as Marks’ thrilling motorcycle ride on the backstreets of Musoma, Tanzania and the couple’s sampling of exotic cuisine on the road to Siem Reap, Cambodia – among other hair-raising tales. “[Eating] tarantulas for me [was] the worst, because they still had the fuzzy hair on them,” said Mary Kay. “That was a one-and-done,” explained Mark, “just to say we did it.”

“Spending time in the woods and physically exerting oneself is a tonic that cures the malaise caused by the routines of daily life” – (paintthemap.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-thru-hike-on-appalachiantrail-is-not.html) Most of the couples’ travels include outdoor adventure elements, such as hiking, backpacking, and canoeing. To make the trips enjoyable, they try to keep themselves physically fit by doing a lot of biking, walking and weightlifting. “Siting on a tour bus all day for ten days doesn’t appeal to us,” said Mark. “We’ve been blessed with our health, so we want to take advantage of that while we can.”

They have hiked along the Appalachian Trail, sailed amongst

16 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

the Virgin Islands on a catamaran, biked across Civil War battlefields, walked the roughly 100-mile Tour du Mont Blanc around Europe’s highest peak, wilderness canoed through the US and Canadian Boundary Waters, and completed a 124mile pilgrimage along a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. “We like to test ourselves physically,” said Mark. “For whatever reason, that fulfills us – in addition to the cultural immersions.”

Mark Biernacki, 57, was born and raised in Glenview, IL. He came out to DeKalb in the late 70’s to attend Northern Illinois University. After earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Urban-Economic Geography from NIU, he worked in city planning in Roswell, New Mexico for three years and Fairbanks, Alaska for four years, before returning to the City of DeKalb in 1989 to become their Director of Community Development. His love of travel and the outdoors took root during his time living in New Mexico and was cultivated throughout his years in Alaska.

“I guess I was always a nomad from the beginning, leaving home on my own, moving to New Mexico, working there, [then] leaving there to live in Alaska for a while. Alaska is what cinched it, in terms of the desire for travel and the outdoors,” said Bernacki. “When I moved back here, we had to go a little farther afield to find the same things we otherwise had available to us in Alaska.”

Mary Kay, 52, grew up in DeKalb. Her father was a farmer. Her love for the outdoors came at an early age, as she was introduced to activities like camping, hiking and skiing as a child. Mark and Mary Kay were married in 2001, having been drawn to each other by their shared love for the outdoors and adventure.

Mary Kay is also retired from her job with the City of Naperville, where she served as the executive assistant to the city manager. “I was married to one and I worked for one,” she noted, amusingly.

“Flights to the start of our Himalaya trek to Everest Base Camp were canceled because of persistent fog and snow. We instead trekked to the aptly named Annapurna Sanctuary, an area surrounded by a visual feast of glaciers and towering snow-capped 25,000-foot mountains. Travel reminds us to be patient and openminded. When things don’t go as planned, the alternative is usually just as great and memorable.” – Mark Biernacki, quoted from a January 14, 2015 Travel article published in the Chicago Tribune.

When they travel, Mark and Mary Kay complement each other perfectly.

“Mark is a great planner; that’s his forte,” said Mary Kay. “He’s really good at planning the whole trip – getting our hotels, all that stuff. The day-to-day stuff, I would say I’m better at – just paying attention to where we’re going each day and winging it. So that makes a good coupling, as far as travel. He has the big picture all the time in his head and I’m ok with doing the small picture.”

Working as a city planner helped Mark with his travel planning skills.

“You plan and regulate growth and development within the community just as you plan and anticipate unforeseen circumstances in your travels,” said Mark. “I’m not one to wing it when we travel. I like to have things laid out, and a base plan from which to make decisions and alternatives in case things go awry … as they generally do.”

Mary Kay, on the other hand, has helped Mark to become more flexible and be able to change plans when necessary. Mary Kay said you need to be willing to adapt and even enjoy those times when you are forced to change your plans. “You have

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 17

to travel with an open heart and an open mind and just live in the moment of it,” added Mary Kay. “Travel is a give and take. You have to compromise – if not, you jeopardize the wonderment of the journey with your best friend.”

guide he wouldn’t have made it out of the jungle alive.

As far as determining where they will travel, the Biernackis look to experience both picturesque settings and different cultures. “For me, it’s just really interesting, neat places that not necessarily anybody would think about going to or not going to,” said Mary Kay. “Machu Picchu was on my bucket list I always wanted to do. It was breathtaking.”

One of the first hikes they did together was on Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. “We were at the ranger’s station getting our permit and we heard that a guy in his middle 50’s with his son had fallen and died the day before, so that kind of freaked us out a little bit. So we promised each other if we’re scared we’re just going to turn around and we’re not going to finish the whole thing,” said Mary Kay. “So we got up there and got kind of light-headed and turned around and went back.” “We like measured risks; we don’t have a death wish by any means,” explained Mark.

Mary Kay also mentioned the Tour du Mont Blanc in the French Alps as particularly scenic. “Every day you woke up, you had majestic mountains all around you,” said Mary Kay. “It was like, ‘Wow! I can’t believe I’m here.’ It was just so beautiful.”

Another place that stood out to Mark for its beauty was the Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal. Set among the highest mountains in the world, the site offered “majestic views, fantastic scenery, and fantastic people.”

Oftentimes, when the Biernackis travel they have to persevere through terrible weather. “That’s part of the fun of it. You just deal with it,” said Mary Kay. On Mark’s 50th birthday, they did a trek through the mountainous jungle of Costa Rica. The remote hut they began their hike from even featured an open-air outhouse.

They were attempting to hike up to the highest peak in Cost Rica – Cerro Chirripó. They hired a guide who took them up through the mountains during torrential rain, with water and mud up to their knees. The guide had his father-in-law meet them the day after they started.

At some point, they realized they weren’t going to make it up to the mountain peak and had to turn around and go back. Mary Kay went ahead with the father-in-law because she was moving faster. Mark stayed with the guide. Mark’s equipment was not adequate for the conditions, and he kept slipping and sliding in the mud. Mary Kay got back to the hut about two hours before Mark and was very worried, until they finally spotted Mark and his guide’s head lamps through the darkness and the rain. Mark said if not for the

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“It was dark, raining. You’re cold. You’re wet. You’re weak, and you didn’t know where you are at,” said Mark.

Another memorable trip, that is well-chronicled in the Biernackis’ blog, was their walk along a portion of The Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James). The Camino de Santiago was a popular pilgrimage route in the Middle Ages and leads to the shrine of the Apostle James in Northwestern Spain.

“It was so spiritual, because Mark’s mom had cancer,” said Mary Kay, “Every town you would go through had a church.

We would always go into the church, light a candle and pray for her.” [Mark’s mother has since been cured of her cancer.]

“That was a great cultural trip, as well as the physical activity of walking 15-20 miles a day, every day,” added Mark. Besides being surrounded by beautiful scenery and challenging themselves physically while on their journeys, the couple particularly enjoys meeting interesting people and seeing the way they live. They like to immerse themselves in the cultures they encounter to compare the way people live in other places to what they are used to in their daily routines back home.

Despite their less-than-satisfactory experience eating tarantulas in Cambodia, they are firm believers in trying the local cuisine when traveling. “And it’s always really good food,” said Mary Kay.

“The fun part about traveling is that you have to step away from yourself and what you’re used to … to step out of the box, because those are the most memorable traveling experiences. And a lot of people have a hard time doing that,” said Mary Kay. “If you don’t travel you shortchange yourself.”

Mark points out that you don’t have to travel far to have those types of experiences.

“You don’t have to go to all four corners of the world,” said Mark. “You can get a lot of those same experiences in the United States. Just get outside of your comfort zone; it enriches you by doing so.”

Mark and Mary Kay believe no one should be afraid to travel to unfamiliar places. They have encountered language issues and a couple of scam attempts along the way, but don’t view either of those things as deterrents to enjoying foreign travel.

Mary Kay speaks some Spanish and Mark speaks some French, but neither are fluent in any language other than English. “Citizens of foreign countries really appreciate when you make an attempt to speak the local language,” said Mark. “Once in a while, they’ll stop us mid-sentence when we’re trying to spew out Spanish or French, and they’ll start talking to us in English. We’re so fortunate as Englishspeaking citizens that everywhere you go, almost without exception, you’ll find someone who knows enough English to get by.”

One minor issue the couple has encountered in their travels is financial scams. Mark was once tricked out of ninety dollars during a money exchange in Kathmandu, Nepal and they were also almost swindled by an elaborate scam in Bangkok, Thailand. After these experiences, Mark gives the following advice to travelers: “Be more self-aware of your surroundings, what people are saying or doing. Not that you should be distrustful, but be wary – especially when you get out of the airport. When you’re more disoriented and tired, that’s when you’re going to get sucked into some scams.”

The couple claims, though, that no matter where you go, everyone is just as friendly and helpful as you would expect

to see in America. “They want to show off their country. No matter where we turn to there’s always someone who will help you out, so there’s really no reason to be afraid,” said Mark.

“When you really need help; when you’re somewhere and you’re just kind of lost and you don’t know where you need to go or what you need to do, we’ve been so fortunate to run into people,” said Mary Kay. “People are just really friendly.

That’s what we find … Everyone is just the same as you or I. If you were to walk down the street and someone was lost, you would help them.”

Another factor that helps to ease travel anxiety, according to Mark and Mary Kay, is the increased connectivity around the world. For example, Mary Kay was surprised when her son was able to take and send pictures with his phone from a mountain top in Colorado. “It makes you feel safer, knowing that you can do that,” said Mary Kay. Mark is amazed that just about everywhere you go in the world now there is internet. Even in remote villages in the far reaches of Nepal, he was able to send blog updates back home every day.

In fact, they were in the remote mountain farmhouse in Costa Rica when they got the message about the February 14, 2008 shooting at Northern Illinois University. From where they were at, they were able to see video of the DeKalb police officers helping people and even call the DeKalb police chief to find out what had happened.

Perhaps the most important benefit the Biernackis have derived from their travels is the relationships they have formed with people all over the globe.

When they traveled on the Camino de Santiago in Spain they met an Australian couple and their daughter, with whom they became good friends. They are sure that some day they will visit them in Australia. When they were in Costa Rica, their guide invited them into his home. They then rode with him to his child’s school and to a doctor’s visit with his pregnant wife. They were able to experience intimate moments with this family whom they had just met. And they have had many moments like that during their travels.

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 19

The Biernackis also have close friends, whom they still communicate with regularly, in parts of Ukraine that are now under Russian occupation.

“All the stuff that was happening with Russia and Ukraine, it was killing us because we so wanted to be there for them,” said Mary Kay. “Twenty years ago, I would not have even known where Ukraine was even at, and this sounds terrible, but I would not have even cared. So that’s the really other neat part about traveling is that you learn to really care about other people – what they’re going through and how they live.”

“There are so many people who live through so much more oppression and poverty,” said Mary Kay. “It’s an eye opener. I wish more people had the money or the wherewithal to travel, because they’d come back very appreciative of everything we have here.”

Mark and Mary Kay have also grown very close to, and kept up with through Facebook, the guide who took them up in the mountains in Nepal and his wife. The guide, Ramkumar (or Ram), even calls Mary Kay, “Mom,” because he’s the same age as Mary Kay’s children. When the couple’s home was destroyed in the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake and the family was left living in a tent in the town square, the Biernackis sent money to help them rebuild.

Biernacki said that he’s kept a record of every trip he’s taken in a journal. He sometimes refers back to those records when planning upcoming trips. Many of those journals are now contained in Word files that have yet to be published. The journal eventually evolved into the blog, as a way to inform family and friends about the details of the couple’s increasingly farflung travel adventures.

While those practical reasons created the impetus behind the blog, it has now become more of a creative expression for Biernacki.

“My entire career, 35 years in government, it’s all been technical writing, which by its nature is dry and full of jargon,” said Biernacki. “Whatever creativity [I have] in terms of writing skills was muted. So I’m unleashed from that yoke, now. I guess it’s my hobby. It’s my way of expressing some creativity.”

Mark has always desired to do freelance writing for travel-type publications, and recently had the pleasure of seeing a couple of his recollections published by Chicago Tribune travel writer, Josh Noel, in his 2014 and 2015 readers’ travel highlight articles.

Finally, the Biernackis travel adventures have also had an impact on their own children.

Between them, they have three children from previous marriages.

“Because Mark is so adventurous and we traveled a lot with the kids, it has given my kids the bug to go and experience different places and things,” said Mary Kay. “If it had not been for Mark and I getting married, I do not believe that my kids today would be as experienced or as joyful in the desire to travel as they are.” And that nomad spirit of Mark’s seems to have taken root in the couple’s grown children. Mark’s son did three tours in the Middle East as a marine. He’s now a police officer with the city of Amarillo, Texas. Mary Kay’s son is a journalist and has lived in Beijing, China and now Hong Kong. Her daughter lives in Longmont, Colorado.

She went out there without a job and now works with computerized mapping for 911 call centers and loves it. Last summer, she spent two months volunteering in Uganda with a nonprofit community development organization.

All of this drives home the point that Mark and Mary Kay Bernacki have discovered: when travel takes us out of our comfort zone, it leads to significant personal growth that both enriches our lives and the lives of those around us.

“Soon, the route presents us with two options for us to consider. There is the low route which follows the highway as it traces through the valley for most of its length, the path being the paved shoulder off to its side. Alternatively, there is the high route, 500 to 1000 feet up in the mountains along a dirt track with views of the surrounding country and of the valley and river far below. Since today is MK’s birthday, and since we have a history of walking the hard way on her special day, we choose the high route through the mountains.” – paintthemap.blogspot. com/2015/11/why-take-easy-way-taking-high-route.html

20 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

n e v a H Egg

A

d o o F e n i F Haven for

By: Stephen Haberkorn Egg Haven, has been DeKalb County’s original breakfast and lunch café, opened its doors in 2004 and has built a devoted following ever since.

The name, Egg Haven, embodies the restaurant perfectly. They are located on Sycamore Rd. in the Northland Plaza Center in DeKalb. They are open from 6:00am until 3:00pm daily, with breakfast being served at all times. Eggs are their primary menu item. And the atmosphere provides a safe haven for both diners and staff.

With consistently good food and friendly service, the restaurant has always been rated among the best in DeKalb by Yelp, Trip Advisor, and the Daily Chronicle readers. Even though it is difficult to find a time when they aren’t busy, Egg Haven maintains a cozy, intimate feeling for their regular patrons.

“It’s like walking into a familiar place, like a family,” said Larry Brockman of Paw Paw. Brockman and his wife, Karin, have been dining at Egg Haven once or twice a week for over ten years.

Karin Brockman said she doesn’t have to look at the menu or even order anymore; the servers just ask if she wants “the regular” – which for her is ham and eggs with hash browns.

“The food is as good, if not better than what you could prepare at home,” said Karin Brockman. “It’s one of the few restaurants where the hash browns are made from real potatoes, not frozen or pre-prepared. The taste is just exquisite.”

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DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 21

Over the years, the Brockmans have gotten to know several of the long-time servers at Egg Haven, as well as the owner, Peter Panagakis. “I recommend anyone who comes here more than one or two times get acquainted with the owner, Peter. He’s a delightful individual,” said Larry Brockman.

For Egg Haven founding owner and manager, Peter Panagakis, running a restaurant is in his blood. He comes from a self-proclaimed “eccentric Greek restaurant family.” After immigrating to the United States, his family settled in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, where they opened and operated many successful establishments over the years.

“It was a family affair. We all pitched in,” said Panagakis. “It gave us a sense of work ethic, a sense of pride, and a sense of the restaurant business like you can’t get out of business school.”

Panagakis’ father, who also went by the name Peter, had other dreams for his children, however. “My father’s goal was to educate us and get us out of the restaurant business, because it is a long, hard day of work.”

The younger Peter Panagakis went to business school at the University of South Florida in Tampa and then worked for CompUSA after college. He was given the opportunity to go to Virginia and open up a store for CompUSA, but came to the realization at that point that his true calling was running a restaurant.

He said he had butterflies in his stomach about turning down “a great job with great pay and great hours” to go back into the high risk restaurant business, but he followed his heart and opened up a little restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, instead.

In 1992, his relatives asked him to come back to Illinois to help with some family restaurants.

When he returned to the Midwest, he noticed that the restaurant business had changed dramatically. Corporations were now the mainstay and you needed more than just the basics of good food and good service to be successful. Thriving restaurants incorporated themes, concepts, and specialties, and/or were focused on individual time frames such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. “You couldn’t be everything to everyone, as some mom-and-pop restaurants had been for many years,” said Panagakis.

In order to learn more about the current restaurant scene, Panagakis went to work for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc. – a large restaurant management company based in Chicago that owns many well-known brands, such as R.J. Grunts, Wildfire, and Shaw’s Crab House. He ended up running a Greek concept restaurant called Papa Gus at the Embassy Suites on State and Ontario in Chicago. He also managed the room service for the hotel.

After that, Panagakis went to work for Brinker Enterprises, another large restaurant corporation,

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which owns Chili’s and Maggiano’s Little Italy. He opened up a couple of Macaroni Grill restaurants with them before striking off on his own again.

Through his years working for Lettuce Entertain You and Brinker, Panagakis learned a lot more about the business aspect of running a restaurant, such as structuring, marketing and team-building.

In 2003, Panagakis partnered with George Panagiotaros to found Egg Haven in DeKalb. Panagiotaros, whose contributions were crucial to the restaurant’s success, passed on in 2012.

The property where they located the restaurant was in a new development. They wanted to do something that was unique to the area, so that they wouldn’t be competing with or copying another established restaurant. There wasn’t another breakfast/lunch concept restaurant around at that time.

Panagakis says he works many hours every week overseeing his business, which requires his daily attention. But he doesn’t mind all of the work. “I truly love what I do,” said Panagakis. “I love coming to work every day. I’m a foodie. I love everything about the restaurant business. I love surrounding myself with wonderful people, and I love the interaction with the guests and the community as a whole. For me, you can’t replace that with any office or desk job.”

Since the restaurant closes in the afternoon each day, he does get to pick his kids up from school, help them with their homework, and have dinner together as a family. “It’s wonderful in that sense, but like everything it has its trade-offs,” said Panagakis. “You have to get up at four in the morning to make sure that your grills are on and your sauces are cooking, so that you can open your doors at 6:00am for that first customer.”

Panagakis said that his goal for Egg Haven is not to be the biggest, but to be the best, by paying personal attention to every detail of taste, performance and service. “My business philosophy is to cherish each customer who walks through our door and never take for granted their choice to eat here,” said Panagakis. “We’re at a point in our tenure where we know our guests and our regulars and we’re very fond of that, very grateful for that.”

Located near a major university, and in the middle of a farming community, a business district and a medical district, Panagakis and his staff enjoy the diverse meld of people they serve. “We have everything from your high school types to the college student, to the university professors, to doctors, to farmers. It’s a large mix and it’s great,” said Panagakis.

Panagakis said he has turned down offers to multiply the restaurant and make it into a corporate entity, but he’s learned over the years that it’s hard to take one great thing and duplicate to its exact form; somewhere along the line it loses its essence. He has seen, however, other non-affiliated restaurants in the area imitate the Egg Haven concept.

Egg Haven’s vision is simply to be the best breakfast and lunch restaurant in their dining segment, and the owner said that he couldn’t be more honored or grateful to have become a fixture in the DeKalb County community. “It’s rewarding and makes it all worthwhile,” said Panagakis.

Panagakis is a firm believer in farm-to-table methods. They source many of their ingredients locally. They get free range eggs from Breakfast Acres in Kingston. They also partner with Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, Yaeger’s Farm in DeKalb and other local farms,

depending on the season.

As a “true all fresh and natural food establishment,” all their recipes are prepared in house from scratch daily, including all batters, preserves, and potatoes. They never use any MSG, Trans fats or preservatives.

They buy artisan breads with no risers or chemicals from a bakery out of Highland Park, IL. They also serve gluten-free bread that some people buy by the loaf, as well as gluten-free pancakes, and glutenfree waffles.

Egg Haven was also the first dining establishment in the area to introduce fresh-squeezed orange juice. They use a Zumex juicer that they imported from Spain. According to Panagakis, in 2004, there was not another fresh-squeezed orange juice machine in the county.

The menu has stayed true to its core but evolved over time, as people’s palates have become more complex. Grilled asparagus spears, artichokes, spinach, Gruyére cheese and goat cheese have been added. One of their best-selling items is a feta, lettuce and tomato omelet. Their unique lunch offerings include all white meat chicken salad with fresh red apple and cranberries and their signature burger, with bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg on a toasted brioche bun.

Besides fresh and innovative menu items, another key ingredient in Egg Haven’s success has been their talented, experienced and welltrained staff.

“I’m very proud of the fact that most of my staff has been with me since we opened,” said Panagakis. “I’ve always been a firm believer of hiring great people and treating them well. In return, you get great service and great customer response.” New employees are trained in every position at the restaurant, starting from the bottom and working their way up. They have to pass menu knowledge and receipe exams, and then do floor studies with an experienced trainer before they serve their first customer. “I feel that training is quintessential in a successful restaurant,” said Panagakis.

Shanna Sheaffer of DeKalb has worked at Egg Haven for over eight years. She’s senior staff, so she helps out all of the other employees. She also makes sure all of their customers are happy and they continue to come back. “Our job is to provide hospitality,” said Sheaffer. “Our regular customers like that we are like a family. You get to know your customers and enjoy them.”

Besides being a part of an intimate, family environment at Egg Haven, Sheaffer also appreciates the fact that she is able to pick up her younger son from school every day. “I was a stay-at-home mom for four years, and then I came back to work and it’s been wonderful,” said Sheaffer.

The restaurant is child-friendly. They have an expansive, healthy children’s menu for kids twelve and under that isn’t just fried food.

One of their most popular kid’s items is the Mickey Mouse pancake, which is a buttermilk pancake in the shape of Mickey Mouse, with fresh-cut fruit for the features.“It’s a family restaurant through-andthrough. The seating and accommodations are geared for families, and most of us have kids of our own, so we understand the needs of kids,” said Panagakis.

Don Wood of Venice, Florida (formerly of DeKalb), who was dining with his family while back in the area, likes everything about Egg Haven. “The waitresses are really friendly. The atmosphere’s nice. The food is good. What more could you ask for?” asked Wood.

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 23

Oak Crest Readies Brand

New Independent Living Apartments By: Aimee Barrows

Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and customized layouts don’t immediately come to mind when thinking of senior living centers. But that’s exactly what you’ll find in Gertrude Brigham’s independent living apartment at Oak Crest in DeKalb. And Brigham, a retired physical education instructor who’s lived there for several years, couldn’t be happier to call Oak Crest “home.”

“I was so pleased that when I moved to Oak Crest I was able to renovate and decorate my apartment to fit our lifestyle and tastes,” she said.“I live in a place that not only looks like home, but feels like it.”

Stylish, custom apartments aren’t the only benefit of living at Oak Crest; the center offers a variety of enriching programs and amenities. The current facility has a store, restaurant, chapel, library, salon, fitness center, housekeeping and classrooms. Oak Crest also features several specialty activities for its residents, including music programs, day trips and excursions, exercise programs, a women’s interest group, book club, arts and crafts, a wood carving group, painting and ceramics classes, live music and a pen pal group where residents exchange letters with second graders at Brooks Elementary school.

Oak Crest is often described as a small-town within a larger community. Everything you could want is under one roof but the Oak Crest community extends into the larger area through a number of day trips and excursions, concerts, shopping and theater. Understanding that intergenerational programming and relationships serve a huge benefit, the partnerships between the local elementary, middle and high school, as well as Kishwaukee community

24 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

College and Northern Illinois University, means that the Oak Crest community is more than a home for active seniors; it’s a place filled with activity and energy.

“Oak Crest really has it all,” said Elizabeth Hoppenworth, director of resident services at Oak Crest. “Even with all those wonderful things, one of the most important parts of living at Oak Crest is the sense of community it brings to the residents. People say they feel good about being here. Our reputation for providing exceptional service and care is unbeatable. The Oak Crest community affords people a quality of life that enables they them to live longer and better. Without the worries of home maintenance and the unknowns of future care and needs, people thrive.”

Hoppenworth said there continues to be a demand for independent living and larger apartments at Oak Crest. She said the goal is to provide quality services and the addition will provide the necessary space needed to accomplish this. In addition to more units, the new facility, which is scheduled to open in the fall, will expand the existing fitness center to include a new swimming pool. For two decades, personal training service has been available and the new wellness center will only improve these offerings.

“Why wouldn’t anyone want to live here? We have it all. Beautiful homes, great amenities and services, wonderful friends and all with the guarantee of future care,” Hoppenworth said when asked why people would want to move to Oak Crest. “What’s special about the new addition is the continued emphasis on health and wellness. We’re totally invested in people being as healthy as they can be.”

Long-time Sycamore resident Jane Ovitz will be packing up and leaving the home she’s lived in for decades. And while moving brings many changes, Ovitz is excited to live at Oak Crest, because she will be moving into one of the new independent living apartments.

“I wanted to stay in the area and knowing there is a brand new facility helped me make my decision. I selected the exact apartment, layout, size, location and view,” Ovitz explained. “I have a lot of friends living here and I’m fortunate that I’ll be able to bring in my own furniture. That will help make the transition easier.”

The new facility features apartments that can be customized and personalized. Apartments range in size and design from 900, 1000, 1200, 1600 and larger, square feet and each features full kitchens, in-unit laundry, balconies and the availability of heated parking.

Brigham said she’s looking forward to using the pool and fitness center in the new facility.

“I’m going to be there every day,” she said. “It’s marvelous living here, and I’m so happy. It’s a good community.”

Oak Crest has been in DeKalb for 36 years. It’s an independent non-profit continuing care retirement community that’s overseen by a volunteer Board of Trustees, and the only life care community in the area. There

are three levels of care; independent living duplex and apartment homes, assisted living and nursing care. People move into the facility as independent residents, and must be at least 62 years old. Residents can transition to assisted care or to the nursing care center as needed.

“Oak Crest is designed for planners; people who are well and don’t need care now but realize when the time comes and they need care and nursing services, that Oak Crest is where they want to be,” Hoppenworth said. “People come here for all that Oak Crest offers including the life care commitment and the idea that they don’t have to rely on family or friends for care.”

Resident Marguerite Key grew up in DeKalb, but spent most of her adult life with her husband in Washington, D.C. Upon her husband’s death, Key moved back to the area to be near her family, and was very familiar with Oak Crest because her mother was once a resident.

“Because of the positive experience my mother and our family had with Oak Crest there was no doubt in my mind that this would be the perfect home for me,” Key explained. “What impressed me most was the many programs and events offered within this community. I actively participate in the fitness program and enjoy the company of the people who live and work here. I have an insatiable curiosity and remain very interested in the world around me. I continue to volunteer, participate in many clubs and organizations and take advantage of the educational opportunities available at the University. I also live in a beautiful apartment home that I was able to renovate and decorate to fit my lifestyle and preferences. All this and the knowledge that any care I may need will be provided by a caring and professional staff. This is home to me.”

Jim and Bev Gillett came to Oak Crest from Elburn after visiting several other facilities. Certainly cost was a consideration, but it wasn’t the only thing he and Bev considered. Jim and Bev, like many couples were facing an impending health issue that would affect their abilities to manage the care they would eventually require. Jim wanted to ensure that there would be care available when they needed it and remaining together in the same place and under one roof was vital.

“When I walked in here, I looked around and it felt like home,” he said.

“We’ve been very happy with our decision. The people are great, the food is wonderful and the added benefit is we consider the dollars well spent.”

Hoppenworth said that one thing almost all the residents can agree upon is the outstanding quality of the food.

“It’s just awesome. We don’t contract out so everything is made in-house.

Ask any resident or employee how good it is,” she said with a laugh.

Geri Boyd is a brand-new resident. She moved to Oak Crest in December from Elgin because she said Oak Crest is a “wonderful place.”

“I came with my daughter, granddaughter and great- grandson to take a look at and we were all so impressed I ended up reserving my apartment

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 25

that day and put my house on the market,” she said.“Everybody is so friendly, and this is laid out so beautifully. I’m very excited and I also pleased that my 1200’ apartment has a full kitchen, huge living and dining area ideal for entertaining, an office and room for my piano. Coming from a family of musicians, my piano is like a best friend and I just couldn’t imagine a home without it. ” Boyd’s granddaughter, Becca Westbrook, said she can’t wait to use the pool when she visits.

“I think this will fulfill her needs and will be good for her. I think she’ll be really happy here,” she said.

There are still opportunities and apartments available for new residents.

Hoppenworth said anyone considering moving to Oak Crest should be aware that the entrance fees, which haven’t increased in 16 years, will go up on April 1, 2016. She’s encouraging people to start thinking about reserving an apartment now.

“Now is a good time before the fee increase goes into effect,” she said.

“People need to plan ahead. If you come here when you need care, it’s too late. You need to come here before you need us.”

Despite the fee increase, Hoppenworth still described Oak Crest as “a great value” compared with other facilities.

“Our costs are extremely competitive. The entrance fee is based on the square-footage and the monthly fee is based on meal service, rent and level of living,” Hoppenworth said. “We have the benefits of a big city in a rural community.”

For more information about Oak Crest and the new apartments, call Elizabeth Hoppenworth at (815) 756-8461.

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26 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

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OAK CREST

DeKalb Area Retirement Center Excitement is building and so are we.

Oak Crest is building 24 new 900’, 1000’, 1200’ and 1600’ independent living apartments. Complete with balconies, heated parking and access to our new onsite wellness center and pool.

More importantly we are building friendships and memories. We offer the guarantee of future care and peace of mind.

Apartment interest and reservations have exceeded expectations.

With an entrance fee increase scheduled for April 1, 2016, qualified applicants can select the apartment home perfect for them and take advantage of current fees. So, now might be the right time to make that commitment and join your good friend at Oak Crest.

2944 Greenwood Acres Dr., DeKalb, IL For more information call (815) 756-8461 or visit us on the web at www.oakcrestdekalb.org DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 27

By: Stephen Habekorn

A nationwide development grant contest and corresponding social media campaign has given DeKalb community members more reason to be proud of their town.

The City of DeKalb recently advanced to the semifinal stage of the $10 Million America’s Best Communities (ABC) Prize Contest, sponsored

by Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank and the Weather Channel. DeKalb joined fourteen other municipalities with populations between 9,500 and 80,000 who were chosen from over 135 community applicants from across the country. The remaining communities are still in the running for up to $3 million in grant money. DeKalb is the only remaining applicant from the State of Illinois.

“I’m very excited about this announcement, about the possibilities for this community,” said Frank Roberts, chairman of the ABC grant proposal committee. “The opportunities here are profound.”

Frontier Communications created the America’s Best Communities competition as a way of stimulating growth and development in the small towns and rural communities they serve within their 27-state footprint. The goal for Frontier Communications, as well as the other companies who have partnered with them in this contest, is to pump some money, energy and ideas into these communities to help build them up.

“They play in a lot of communities that have real economic challenges,” explained Roberts. “They realized that these communities need help

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They settled on seven projects or components, from an initial list of over twenty, that would be most helpful in achieving their goals: 1. ACE Corridor (arts, culture & entertainment district) 2. LaunchPad (virtual business incubator – website and network of advisors – progressing to a physical incubator) 3. DeKalb Coworks (a coworking space) 4. DeKalb Food Hub (a multipurpose local foods production and distribution facility) 5. SmartSpace (a STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts & math – education center) 6. DeKalb Leadership Institute (a leadership development program) 7. Branding and Marketing trying to think through and implement economic development strategies and revitalization strategies.”

ReNew DeKalb was the lead organization for DeKalb’s proposal, because it had to be submitted by a 501(c)(3) organization, according to the contest rules. ReNew DeKalb originated from a Main Street background and has had a focus on downtown improvements; however, the focus of this initiative is more widespread, involving the entire community.

By advancing to the quarterfinal round, DeKalb earned $50,000 toward research and marketing to develop and communicate a multi-project revitalization plan. They worked with the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University, who helped them draft their plan. They were also paired with the sports network, ESPN, who contributed $15,000 of the $50,000 award, and provided strategic mentoring to help local community leaders find effective ways to implement their plan.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this DeKalb’s participation in this competition is the number and diversity of local leaders who have been involved in developing and promoting the revitalization plan. Over forty leaders from all segments of the community – including government, business, education, fine arts, and media – have worked together in this effort.

In November of 2015, the team submitted their plan to utilize $100,000 in funds over eleven months, should they be selected as one of the eight semifinals.

At the end of April 2016, three representatives from each of fifteen remaining communities will participate in the ABC Summit in Durham, North Carolina, where they will pitch their revitalization plan in person to a panel of independent judges.

If they make it to the final stage, they will receive $100,000 and have eleven months to follow through on some of the things they proposed in their plan, with the ultimate goal of trying to win a $3 million first prize, $2 million second prize or $1 million third prize. The top winner will also be named “America’s Best Community,” which will be commemorated by an outdoor mural and a sign identifying the city as America’s Best Communities winner.

Northern Illinois University President, Doug Baker, said that NIU has been very involved in the Proudly DeKalb initiative and that he has made sure that the university has representation at all of the group’s meetings. “This is important to NIU as part of our own strategic planning – in particular, it supports our goal of helping create and nurture thriving communities,” said Baker.

“It’s already made an impact at this point,” said Matt Duffy, Executive Director for the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of times, what a community needs is a direction to get on board. Every community has their own challenges and their own things to work on together, but it’s hard to get people on the same page.

“This is our direction. This is our roadmap. By doing these projects we’ll be able to make an impact on the community.”

The Proudly DeKalb revitalization plan, as it has come to be called, was developed to meet the criteria of the America’s Best Communities competition, which entailed developing a vision for the community and identifying a list of projects and plans that, if implemented, would best serve in fulfilling that vision.

The City of DeKalb was going through a visioning process at the same time, so the Proudly DeKalb ABC grant team piggy-backed off of their efforts and came up with a shared vision, focused primarily on economic development.

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 29

An important part of the competition at this stage is documenting the community’s progress through social media content. That is where another group came into the picture. At the same time that the Proudly DeKalb ABC grant proposal team was putting together their initial submission, another group of key leaders was getting together with the goal of communicating all of the positive things going on around the DeKalb.

“The focus always seems to be, ‘What can we improve on?’ or ‘What’s not going the way we would like it to?’ said Duffy. But what about all the great things that the school district and the park district and the health system and the chamber and the city and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) are all doing?”

The group decided to share those positive stories amongst themselves and then figure out ways to get their message out to the greater community. “So we got together and shared, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing. This is how we’re marketing it. These are the stories that we’re telling people,’” said Duffy.

At the same time, they found out that the ReNew DeKalb ABC grant proposal team had advanced in the competition, so they thought, “How can we make these things work together?”

The ABC team decided that this subgroup would become the marketing/ communications group of the grant team. That’s where the #proudlydekalb campaign originated. That’s where the idea of sharing the positive stories, videos, articles and pictures on social media and having businesses display the #proudlydekalb sign originated. “Now it’s morphed together and we’re all working on the same thing, which was the whole idea of the group to begin with,” said Duffy.

The #proudlydekalb marketing group set up a website (proudlydekalb. com), where they post news about the ABC competition, highlight points of pride from around DeKalb (called “DeKalb Gold”) and solicit and post positive stories submitted by community members.

Some points of pride that Frank Roberts, Matt Duffy and others like to call attention to include: • The community invested over 450 million dollars over the last decade in a new hospital, cancer center and healthcare corridor, a new high school, a new police station, new residence halls, and a new library • Northern Illinois University • DeKalb Park District (44 parks for a town of 44,000 people)

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• Egyptian Theatre • Hosting the IHSA State Football Championships and breaking the event attendance record • Having the motion picture, “At Any Price,” starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron filmed in DeKalb in 2011 • DeKalb High School offering more AP classes than any school in the surrounding area • Location five minutes away from a major interstate • Regional airport that can handle pretty much any non-commercial aircraft People who live, work, and go to school in DeKalb have always taken pride in the community, but as the #proudlydekalb campaign continues, it is providing a platform for those people to share their own stories.

“The #proudlydekalb campaign started with the idea that there are a lot of positive things going on in the community that never make the news. We wanted to get community stakeholders together to have a common positive voice,” said Alex Nerad, Executive Director of the Egyptian Theatre. “We have found through this process that many people in the community had no idea the vast amount of accomplishments, unique attributes, and talent that DeKalb is home to.”

Ashley Murcia, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager at NB&T, is the Chair of the Digital Communications subcommittee that runs the #proudlydekalb website and the social media efforts for the campaign. “As a resident of DeKalb for the past eight years, I am most proud of the true Midwestern spirit and pride that DeKalb residents have,” said Murcia. “Everyone truly wants our community to be a better, stronger and more vibrant place to live, work and play.”

Murcia said that she has definitely seen more residents of all ages become excited about the vision and plans that are being developed in support of the America’s Best Communities grant process. She said it has cultivated a desire among people to be a part of this great growth opportunity. “One of the things that has been so impressive to me is to see how well this community supports services for people who live here, and how those services provide opportunities for our students,” said President Baker of NIU. “In addition, DeKalb is just a great place to live and raise a family. That’s very important as we look to recruit and retain both students and the people who work at NIU.” The #proudlydekalb campaign has spotlighted teachers and businesses, and people who have been a part of the community for many years are wanting to get involved and share their stories, said Duffy.

“In the past people were proud of it, but kind of kept it to themselves. Now people are ringing the bell, as I like to call it. We’re proud of the things that are going on here,” Duffy said. “It’s amazing to hear all the great things. Without this competition and this core of people, some of these things might still be hidden away and the story of DeKalb would be not told in the way it should to be.”

Why Libraries?

“Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3-4 times more likely to drop out in later years”.

-U.S. Dept. of Education 2002

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WWW.DKPL.ORG DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 31

Stage Coach Players Theatre Uses Grant Money to Beautify Theater’s Exterior By: Aimee Barrows

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DeKalb’s Stage Coach Players is well-known for bringing professional-level plays and musicals to the area. And now, thanks to a TIF grant from the city of DeKalb that the group received in October, the building’s exterior is getting much- needed repairs that will reflect the high quality of the performances.

“Since we bought the building in 2000, benefactors and Stage Coach have paid for improvements to the inside, like creating a beautiful stage and lobby and remodeled restrooms,” said Susan Johnson, a member of Stage Coach Players who has been overseeing the renovation project. “We want to make sure the outside of the building looks as good as the inside.”

Johnson said many broken windows and doors have been repaired or replaced. The group was also able to correct some tuck pointing problems, and will soon have the parking lot, which is now gravel, replaced with either concrete or asphalt. She also hopes that new signage, which will be installed this summer, will bring more awareness about the theatre to residents.

“The repairs will greatly assist in the appearance on the property on the east side of 4th Street, and it will help show that this area is a vibrant part of the community,” Johnson said. “The fact that the City of DeKalb has been so generous by giving us the grant shows us that they appreciate our history and the great opportunities that we bring to the community.”

The spruced-up building will hopefully attract new audience members to the theater. Johnson said she believes that not a lot of people know where the theater is, or even know that Stage Coach exists.

“I hope that now when people see the building, they’ll know who we are and it will help them remember that when they hear of upcoming shows, they should reserve their seats,” she said. “A lot of our shows sell out.”

Dan Hyde, Stage Coach Players’ president, said that the TIF grant was for $195,000 and Stage Coach Players contributed $75,000. In addition to the repairs, the money will pay for landscaping around the building. He said all the work should be done this spring.

“The city is excited to do this because of beautification,” he said. “That area of DeKalb is a growing section and the city sees Stage Coach as an important part of that. All of us Stage Coachers are greatly appreciative of the city and the taxpayers for doing this for us. The building looks so amazing compared to what it was.”

Stage Coach Players has been an important part of the DeKalb community since 1947. The group is celebrating its 70th year of continuous performances. Johnson said Stage Coach, which is run completely by volunteers, is one of the longest continuous operating community theatres in Illinois.

“A group of people wanted a community theater here and they set a precedent that we continued,” Johnson said. “To me, it’s local people wanting to have theater that’s affordable that they can enjoy with family and friends.”

The current building on South Fifth Street, which holds 165 people, is the group’s third location. The first show was performed at the Old Masonic Temple on Locust Street, and after that, the group moved to the Ellwood Farm Barn in the summer of 1947, where it remained for three years.

After that, performances were held in local high schools until 1953, when Stage Coach Players purchased a modular metal building on

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Loves Road. The group remained there until 2001, when it moved to the current location near the Post Office.

“People like it because it’s a small, intimate theater and there’s not a bad seat in the house. The audience almost feels like a part of the production,” Johnson said. “We have a history of producing top-notch shows with incredible casts and crew.”

Stage Coach Players performs two musicals and four plays each summer, as well as a large musical every March and a Christmas show every year. In addition to the regular season, the group also does a “black-box show,” which is performed with a minimal set and budget, as well as a radio show, each year.

A play-reading committee works all year to choose the shows for each season. The committee selects several shows and presents the options to the board, which determines the shows that will be performed.

Hyde said that it’s important to bring theater to the community, so that residents can enjoy “a little bit of Broadway” right here in DeKalb.

“We have tremendous talent here. At least half of our people could get cast in a show in the city,” he said. “The quality of shows we do here is a step or two higher and a lot of that is because of our theater. We can build any kind of set we want to, and the variety of shows we offer speaks to a lot of different interests.”

Stage Coach Players has also sent two shows to perform in regional competitions, something which Hyde said he is extremely proud of.

Three years ago, the group sent “The Dining Room” to a community theater competition in Wisconsin, and in October 2014, “Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” a play about the two men who founded Alcoholics Anonymous, was performed at a competition on Springfield.

“I think that speaks to the talent and dedication we have on the part of our actors and crew. We do this because we love it,” Hyde said.“I’m very proud of Stage Coach. For a completely volunteer organization, there isn’t much we can’t do.”

Stage Coach Players is now working on the spring musical, “Mary Poppins,” which opens March 10 and runs through March 20. For more information on the 2016 season and to purchase tickets, visit www. stagecoachers.com.

DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 33

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A HAVEN FOR FINE FOOD (815) 748-1200 • egghavencafe.com 34 | 2016 | DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE

2016 Season

“Mary Poppins” (March), “Laramie Project” (April), “My Fair Lady” (June), “Devil’s Disciple” (July), “In To The Woods” (August), “The Dixie Swim Club” (September), “The Game’s Afoot” (October) and “Christmas Carol the Musical” (December)

126 South 5th Street DeKalb, Illinois 60115 (815) 758-1940 stagecoachers.com DeKALB COUNTY MAGAZINE | 2016 | 35

Welcome!

Whether you are visiting the City for business, pleasure, or education, the DeKalb community provides everything you’ll need to

LIVE, LEARN, GROW and STAY.

DeKalb has a history and culture of innovation. We offer all the amenities you need to grow your business, including fiber optic capacity, collaboration with technology and entrepreneurship programs at Northern Illinois University, workforce development programs, DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, convenient tollway access, shovel-ready industrial sites, and commercial space available.

Living in DeKalb is fulfilling. DeKalb is a cultural hub rich in art, music, entertainment, recreation, summer youth science and sports camps, and life-long learning opportunities. We are home to art galleries, live theater, arena concerts, independent films, and championship sports. From School District 428, one of USA News and World Report’s Top Schools, to Kishwaukee Community College and Northern Illinois University, educational opportunities abound.

Big city amenities without the big city drive await you in DeKalb. As the regional hub, DeKalb is a city with everything you need: housing at all price points, shopping, state-of-the-art medical care, excellent schools, and beautiful parks. The City and Northern Illinois University are increasingly intertwined, planning together for the future of DeKalb. Our full service Chamber of Commerce, County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and County Economic Development Corporation are working together to support and grow our community.

Join us and become #PROUDLYDEKALB. Contact: Ellen Divita, Community Development Director 815.748.2361 or ellen.divita@cityofdekalb.com