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BUSINESS NEWS

Dixon’s vacant Shopko building bought by developer

By KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ kschultz@shawmedia.com

DIXON – An Edwardsville developer now owns the vacant Shopko building at 1350 N. Galena Ave., which it bought for $525,000 earlier this month, Lee County records show.

What R.L.P. Development Co. Inc. plans for the seven-acre site is not yet known. Calls seeking comment Monday were not returned.

It won’t be the southern Illinois company’s first foray into Dixon. It’s also the parent company of R.P. Lumber Co., which has a store at 2158 state R o u t e 2 6 , a b o u t m i d w a y b e t w e e n Dixon and Polo.

The Dixon department store was among the last 120 of its 360 nationwide that Shopko closed in June 2019 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that January.

Shopko Optical continues to operate, including the store at 1600 S. Galena Ave.

The purchase does not include the County Market site west of the Shopko building, at 1380 N. Galena, in the same shopping center.

R.L.P. Development was founded by Robert L. Plummer in 1988, 11 years after he opened his first lumber yard.

“From our beginning as a developer of residential home sites and lots, the company has expanded into providing improvements for entire residential subdivisions, as well as over 100 retail, office, hospitality, entertainment, agriculture and industrial developm e n t s a c r os s m o r e t h a n a d o z en states,” according to its website.

ART SHOW

Phidian Art Show returns

After a two-year absence, the Phidian Art Club of Dixon will present its annual Phidian Art Show for 2022, but now with a change of venue.

The 73rd Phidian Art Show opens on Friday, April 1, at The Next Picture Show community fine arts center, located at 113 W. First St., in Dixon. The exhibit of original artwork is on display on the gallery walls from April 1-22.

Due to remaining COVID-19 concerns, the club is forgoing the in-person awards

Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@shawmedia.com An Edwardsville developer now owns the vacant Shopko building at 1350 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon, which it bought for $525,000 earlier this month, Lee County records show.

See PHIDIAN ART SHOW, Page 11

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Actor, Illinois native Nick Offerman to deliver keynote at Illinois Conservation Foundation gala April 6

Nick Offerman, the actor widely known for his character Ron Swanson on the TV sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” will deliver the keynote address for this year’s Illinois Conservation Foundation gala April 6.

“I am delighted that Nick accepted our invitation to be the keynote speaker at this year’s ICF gala,” said Colleen Callahan, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which receives support from the Illinois Conservation Foundation for outdoors programming. “Nick is a great ambassador for nature and the outdoors, and we are thrilled that he’ll be able to share his message about the importance of conservation back here in his home state of Illinois.”

In addition to acting, Offerman is an author, woodworker and avid outdoorsman. He was born in Joliet and graduated from the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Illinois Conservation Foundation gala

will take place virtually from 6:30 to 8 p.m. April 6. Registration is free, but advance registration is required at www.ilconservation. org/gala. Another highlight of the gala is a segment honoring the 2021 class of the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Nick Offerman Fame. Inductees include Betty DeFord of Bath, founder of the Redneck Fishing Tournament, which has brought increased attention to the challenge of invasive carp; Brian Drendel of Geneva, whose passion for competitive bass fishing resulted in its inclusion as a competitive high school activity in Illinois; and John Burke Jr. of Bartelso, who founded the Jared Burke Foundation, which promotes hunting safety and outdoor recreation opportunities for injured veterans, individuals with developmental disabilities, and youth who might not otherwise have access to outdoor adventures.

Since 1995, the Illinois Conservation Foundation has raised and given away more than $41 million for conservation efforts in Illinois. The annual gala is the foundation’s largest annual fundraising event.

For more information, call 217-785-2003 or email steve.ettinger@illinois.gov.

• PHIDIAN ART SHOW

Continued from Page 10

presentation this year. All awards will be announced to the media on April 1.

The show is open to the public during regular gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public has the opportunity to choose a “People’s Choice Award” by voting for their favorite entry from April 1-14, after which the People’s Choice award will be announced.

This annual event started in 1947 by the Phidian Art Club, a group formed in 1890 to promote art, literature, and music.

The show puts local artists’ work in the spotlight. Awards are given in a variety of categories, including American and regional scenes, nature, best floral, landscape, oil painting, watercolor painting and pen and ink entries.

All awards are monetary prizes.

The Phidians award more than $3,500 in prizes donated by local businesses and individuals.

Artist Registration

Artwork will be received at The Next

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Picture Show, Saturday-Monday, March 26-28, from 2 to 6 p.m. each day. The entry fee is $15 for one artwork and $25 for two artworks with a two artwork limit.

Artwork is on display at The Next Picture Show through April 22. Entry forms are available in person at The Next Picture Show at 113 W. First St., Dixon, IL, or by download on the gallery’s website.

Artist and Art Requirements

Artists must live within 35 driving miles of Dixon and be 17 years or older. Only two-dimensional paintings or drawings, in any medium, will be accepted. Artwork must be original, not produced under the direction of an instructor, no more than five years old, and never have been entered in a previous Phidian Art Show.

All work must be ready for hanging by wire, no larger than 48” in width, or exceeding 25 pounds.

Photography, crafts, sculptures, digital art, or three-dimensional art are not accepted for this show.

For more information about this year’s Phidian Art Show, please call Gloria Nusbaum at 815-631-3560, or email her at gloria. nusbaum@gmail.com.