SVM_Lake Lifestyle_March 2023

Also inside ... Artist carries her passion for painting wherever she goes

There’s no place like home plate for a Day Trip

Lanark Library has a lot to check out

Business finds its target audience: Axe throwers

FRESH FOOD AHEAD

Carroll County is a great place to make the journey between growers’ fields and your plate a short one

Page 18

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MARCH 2023

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We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lydia Sitter to our team!

egend has it that Paul Bunyan created the Grand Canyon by dragging an axe behind him.

Christopher Chapman created a business by throwing an axe in front of him. Both those statements may sound implausible, but only one of them is a tall tale. The other is Rustic Ridge Axe Throwing, where Chapman invites customers to take a hatchet in hand and let it fly.

Rustic Ridge Axe Throwing in downtown Oregon is a place where people can jump on the bandwagon of a sport that’s grown in popularity in recent years. Axe throwing is similar to archery, but you don’t need and bow and arrow, just an axe and an arm. A good eye helps, too, because the object is to hurl the hatchet at a target painted on a piece of wood. The closer to the bullseye, the better the score.

Once you pick up the axe, it can be hard to put it down — just ask Chapman. He first tried out axe throwing only a few months ago. Now he and his wife, Cassandra, have made a business out of it.

“It’s very addicting,” Chapman said.

The activity — fans will tell you it’s a sport — has grown in popularity in recent years, and governing bodies for tournaments have been established around the world. Axe throwing businesses have popped up throughout northern Illinois and Chapman has brought it to Ogle County.

“They enjoy how laid back it is, and enjoy the throwing,” Chapman said. “I actually had a birthday party recently and they left a Google review that they can’t wait to come back because my employees made it enjoyable. We try to get as many people as we can when we’re working with them to hit the targets well, give them the pointers we can, and go let them do their thing. If we see something that we can help correct, if there’s time, we can make a comment here or there and most times it will work, and they like that.”

Like any sport, equipment can make a difference. Axes come in many types, and people have a preference for their favorite, whether it’s head heavy or more balanced. It doesn’t take long pick up the basics of throwing — about 10-15 minutes — but as with anything else, practice makes perfect Chapman said, with the right coordination of stance, throwing and determining the right release point.

Rusty Ridge owner Chris Chapman said most folks can

“A lot of it is power, it doesn’t take much to stick them in the boards,” Chapman said. “If you overpower it, you’ll over-rotate it. If you under-power it, you’ll underrotate it. There’s a lot more to it than just aiming it and throwing. Foot placement, hand placement on the axe, things like that.”

Chapman said that there are a couple of ladies in their league who never threw an axe before coming to Rustic Ridge, but now they really have a handle on it.

Chapman’s own business tale with the axes started a little more than a year ago. He and Cassandra own a ranch west of Oregon called Rustic Ridge and had thought about opening a western-themed store in town.

Then Christopher threw his first axe — and then another, and then another. He was hooked, and he figured other people could be too.

Rustic Ridge Axe Throwing opened May 28 and has been growing in popularity ever since.

“I looked at my wife the first time I actually threw one, and said, ‘Guess what we’re doing,’” Chapman said. “I’m kind of glad we did this instead of the western store.”

Rustic Ridge has seven lanes — three sets of two, and one all by itself — where people can throw, built by Chapman and a few friends. Cottonwood is used for the target boards because it holds up with to repeated throws, and Chapman goes through about a skid of them a month.

Rustic Ridge is affiliated with both the World Axe Throwing League and the World Knife Throwing League; Chapman is a certified coach through both leagues. Knife-based sessions also are available and leagues are being considered for the future, Chapman said.

Leagues run for 6 weeks and are on Tuesday nights. The one that ended in August had 26 participants, more than double what Chapman was expecting.

Though Chapman isn’t able to coach much — he’s busy keeping score — he enjoys seeing the helpfulness and camaraderie that comes with axe throwing.

“It’s a great group of people, and they’re very helpful with each other,” Chapman said. “I told them from the get-go that I can’t coach since I’m scoring and can’t tell you what to fix, but I have no issue with other players doing it. If other players want to give pointers, I encourage it. They want to see everyone get better and do better. They hit bulls eyes or kill shots and are whoopin’’ and hollerin’. They make it fun.”

Want the axe throwing experience to come to you? No problem. Chapman has a trailer set up for axe throwing that’s made appearances at corporate and church events, the Oregon Farmer’s Market, and festivals such as Let Freedom Ring in Mount Morris, Sauerkraut Days in Forreston and a Big Rig truck show in Franklin Grove in August — even a couple bridal showers.

Brandy Haynes of Oregon is one of two employees at Rustic Ridge, and like her boss, it didn’t take too long for her to get addicted to throwing an axe at a target.

“It’s really addicting,” Haynes said. “You’re going to be a little anxious about trying it out because it’s something sharp and something you haven’t done before, and new things are scary. Having a safe, controlled environment to do something like that, you can get the adrenaline and get the pride when you actually hit a bullseye.”

Brandy Haynes of Oregon, who works at Rustic Ridge, shows off her custom axe. It didn’t take too long for her to get hooked on throwing axes.ing,” she said.

ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL @SHAWMEDIA.COM

Rustic Ridge Axe Throw-

When the lanes are full, there’s a waiting area with tables where people can sit and chat, and maybe even sharpen their bragging rights. Snacks and beverages are sold at the front counter, and outside food can be brought in, but outside beverages aren’t allowed. Chapman plans to have arcade games in the waiting area, and maybe a pool table, too. The waiting area also has a small kid-safe toy target for anyone to try.

In order to throw, participants must wear close-toed shoes and fill out a liability waiver before throwing their first axe. Those ages 14 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult; those 10 to 13 must also be approved by Chris personally before they can heave one at a target.

Axes are available on site, and customers can bring their own, too — but only certain types. They must be World Axe Throwing League approved and looked over by Chapman.

The cost is $20 per person per hour, or $35

for 2 hours, with discounts available for large group reservations or parties. Reservations are encouraged to ensure availability of a lane for a specified time.

One way Chapman gets the word out about Rustic Ridge is through the sale of T-shirts and they come with a perk. Wear it to the next throwing session and get a discounted rate.

Axe throwing is a niche business that often is found in a larger towns, but Chapman is glad to have it in Oregon alongside the town’s other host of unique businesses and activities.

“Being in a small town kind of makes it fun,” Chapman said. “I have a lot of regulars who have come back several times. It’s kind of a middle ground with other people where you can be buddy-buddy with everybody here and not have to worry about it. I grew up in a small town and I love seeing stuff like this.”

Rustic Ridge Axe Throwing, 117 N. Fourth St. in downtown Oregon is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Find it on Facebook or Instagram (@ rusticridgeaxethrowing), email info@ rusticridgeaxe.com, go to rusticridgeaxethrowing. com or call 815-881-8217 for more information or to join a throwing league.

Artist Laura Readdy (insets on facing page) enjoys exploring different mediums in her work. At right is a painting done on music sheets printed on canvas. Religious works are one of her favorite themes.

PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

BY CODY CUTTER SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

nspiring people is what Laura Readdy strives to do every day, and she does it with class.

Most days that class is at West Carroll Primary School in Savanna, where the Chadwick art teacher spends 9 months of the year teaching art to grade-schoolers. When she’s not doing that, you can find her teaching people the joy of painting, by putting the ‘art’ in ‘party,’ through her business, Inspired Painting Parties.

Readdy’s talents have brought her to many people’s homes for painting parties, where she heads up classes of up to a dozen people. She’s also coordinated the children’s 3-day art camp at Lake Carroll for the past couple of years, and has monthly “Ladies Night” painting parties at Plumtree Lodge.

Helping people break out of their creative shells and tap into their talents has been a labor of love for Readdy, and she’s not the only one who loves it. Last year’s art camp attracted 62 children to a pair of 3-hour sessions: one in the morning for preschool through first-graders, and one in the afternoon for elementaryaged children. During that camp she invited people to “Go jump in a lake” — in a nice way — with paintings, crafts, and games revolving around a lake theme. One highlight was a session where children painted different kinds of fish; Readdy said some of them were made as Father’s Day gifts for dads who were big into fishing. This year, she’s casting a wider net for her creative canvas. The art camp theme will be “Explore, Dream and Discover, from Ocean Space to Outer Depths.” The camp will be from June 13-15 at the Lodge. Readdy came up with the theme after having a hard time deciding whether to focus on outer space or ocean scenery.

Artist — and party host of Inspired Painting Parties — Laura Readdy is shown here in her Chadwick studio.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

This year, like last, there will be a lot more to art than just painting.

“I’m very excited about the art camp again,” Readdy said. “We’re going to do fun things like space-related stuff, make rocket ships and galaxy jars and coral reefs. It’s science intermixed with the art, kind of like a STEM theme [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics]. The galaxy jars will have cotton balls, oil, paint and glitter. When you shake it, it moves and it looks like

Left: About 60 kids took part in the Lake Carroll Art Camp last June at Plumtree Lodge. Children from preschoolers to pre-teens enjoyed painting, crafting, games and activities revolving around the featured theme, “Go jump in a lake!”

a galaxy. The kids will love it. We’ll paint a couple of things, too.” Can’t make it to the art camp at Lake Carroll? Readdy also will have similar art camps at her studio in Chadwick from May 29 to June 2, and at the Savanna Moose Lodge from June 5-9. Those camps, like the one in Lake Carroll, will be split into two sessions, a morning one for the youngest children and older kids in the afternoon. Go to inspiredpaintingparties.com to register.

Photos at right: During most months, Laura Readdy hosts a Ladies Night art party at Plumtree Lodge, where those interested in learning how to paint, or touching up on their painting skills, can paint along with Readdy on pieces they can take home. January’s theme was “Northern Lights.”

When it comes to finding inspiration for her paintings, Laura Readdy takes a page out of her own playbook. When she jotted down the words “Explore. Dream. Discover” in her notes for this year’s Art Camp, she could have been talking about her own process. Sometimes she’ll just explore the countryside and see something that sparks her creativity and makes her think: “That’s a painting!” “Carroll County is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” she said. “I really believe it.

Readdy said she enjoys working at Lake Carroll because of the support the community has shown her. Coordinating a crowd of youngsters can be a challenge, especially for just one person, but fortunately the recreation staff — usually a few adults and a few older teenagers — help out with activities and provides material and refreshments. Those helping hands allow her to focus more on the task at hand: working with the kids.

For the past 3 years, Readdy has also hosted Ladies Night painting parties at the Lodge. She comes up with a theme, draws the outlines on canvas and helps participants put their own artistic stamp on their piece, from mixing paints to making the picture come to life. January’s class, with a Northern Lights theme, had a great turnout, Readdy said.

She also plans to have a painting party at Candlelight at Lake Carroll, and she already has her first subject in mind: a rooster, in keeping with one of the diner’s signature menu item, Chicken George.

“We have fun there. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with the people at Lake Carroll,” Readdy said. “They’ve just been fabulous and there’s no complaints.”

Readdy also offers painting parties at her Chadwick studio, businesses, churches, local social clubs, schools and in people’s homes. When she first began the parties in 2015, her materials were stored at her home, but as their popularity grew, so did her business, and she moved into a studio of her own — a former feed and grain station near the main railroad junction in town — in August 2021. Its walls have become a gallery of Inspired creations, both her own and some done by her students and customers. The parties usually last 3 to 4 hours, but sometimes go longer if participants are really

Several of Readdy’s works based on religious and rural themes are on display at the Spirit of the HeArt Gallery at CGH Hospital’s Main Clinic in Sterling.

engaged. Readdy will provide the materials, all you have to do is come up with a theme when it’s booked, which allows here to do the painting prep work: coming up with a design, outlining it on the canvasses, and coordinating the colors.

“Usually about 8 to 12 people is typical for me; some parties are bigger, but I do about that size,” Readdy said. “The host or hostess picks the painting, I draw them all out ahead of time, and I bring everything from the aprons to the easels, the paints and brushes, everything. I’ll set it all up, everyone sits down and we talk, we yak and we have fun. Everybody paints, and in front of them I show them out to do it. I’ll walk around and make sure everyone’s happy and goes home happy.”

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While the parties generally follow a theme, that doesn’t mean the paintings are the same. Each budding artist brings their own character to the canvas. She finds painting brings a lot of smiles to people’s faces, especially for the folks exploring painting for the first time and discovering a newfound pride.

Readdy enjoys sharing in that pride; she’ll take a group picture of the class with their finished paintings that they can share on social media.

“It’s very important to me that everyone feels inspired and proud of themselves,” Readdy said. “I want them to be, like, ‘Look what I did!’ ‘This is awesome!’ Then they can go home and show it off to their family. If they aren’t doing that, I feel like I’m not doing my job.”

Readdy fell in love with art as a young child growing up in the Chicago suburbs. Her aunt Cari, who Readdy said was an amazing artist in her own right, saw Ready’s passion, and turned a tragedy into an opportunity. After Cari became a quadriplegic due to a car accident, she gave her painting tools to a 12-year-old Laura. Later, in high school, she took adult-level art classes, became a member of the DuPage Art League and took private lessons at the Art Nook studio in Villa Park.

Readdy often credits her aunt in helping write her story as an artist. “She gave me her box of oil paints and brushes. I had always been into art, but she said, ‘I want you to have this. I believe you’re going to do something good with it.’ It was kind of intimidating for a 12-yearold to get this. I dived right in and she coached me through stuff, even though she could no longer paint, she was very good at helping me.”

Marriage and children would later limit the time she could devote to art, but as her children got older, she found more time to enjoy painting again. She eventually earned a teaching degree, and that led her to teaching art at Milledgeville Elementary School and Unity Christian School in Fulton. She’s been at West Carroll Primary since 2020, where she teaches around 350 students in grades K through 5. More than just teaching techniques, she also incorporate aspects of history, literature and STEM themes into her lessons.

On top of painting parties, running a business, and teaching, Readdy still finds time to paint for herself, and even does the occasional commissioned work. She sells her paintings and photo prints of her work online. Much of her own work incorporates biblical themes, as well as Carroll County scenery. She’ll often work from photos, but sometimes inspiration strikes and she’ll file it away for her next project. It can be as simple as something she sees when she’s driving around. She’ll see something and say to herself: “That’s a painting!”

CODY

“Carroll County is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Readdy said. “I really believe it, especially when the seasons change, and when they’re cutting all of the corn. It’s just a beautiful places to live. I’ll go out and take pictures. It’s just stunning, those views. You can see for miles.”

Readdy’s talents have also been tapped to give people a boost while they’re healing at the hospital. About 40 of her pieces are on display at CGH Hospital’s Spirit of the HeArt gallery in Sterling. The gallery was created in 2016 as a way to celebrate local artists and help patients and families by promoting the healing and health benefits of artwork. Readdy’s exhibit runs through mid-March.

She’s even found herself spreading The Word overseas. In 2019, she taught at a Bible camp for teenagers at the Word of Life Bible College in Tóalmás, Hungary, a suburb of Budapest. She has friends who were missionaries there, and they’ve invited her to come back in July.

While there’s only so much space on a canvas, Readdy can’t imagine running out of space in her heart for art.

“I like what I do,” she said. “I live and breathe art. It’s who I am.”

Laura Readdy's Inspired Painting Parties has a studio at 57 S. Main St. in Chadwick. Find “Inspired Painting Parties with Laura” on Facebook, go to inspiredpaintingparties. com, email inspiredppwl@gmail.com or call 815-590-4071 for information on art classes and special events. Go to laurareaddyart.com for pictures of her works. Go to lakecarrollassociation.pixieset.com/2022artcamp to view pictures from last year's Art Camp at Lake Carroll. For more information about art classes at Lake Carroll, contact Recreation and Events Coordinator Christine Barron-Montiel at christine@golakecarroll.com or 815-213-4973.

By Cody Cutter Sauk Valley Media

eople have really been sinking their teeth into the farm-to-fork movement in recent years.

The movement that strives to shorten the journey between farmers’ food and the consumers’ tables has been growing in popularity as people have embraced the idea of sourcing their food directly from the farm, which not only benefits their health, but the local economy too.

Fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, a honey of a deal and more — from breakfast to dinner, you can put a lot on your plate thanks to growers in Carroll County, and as winter begins its retreat and spring begins its March forward, those growers are gearing up for another year of tilling and toiling and planting and picking. It won’t be long before farmers markets return and people can get a taste of what Carroll County has to offer.

But where do you go when you want your menu to have a local flavor? The county is home to a number of growers who are more than happy to put food on your plate, and on the following pages is a list of some them. So get ready to hop in your car, put the key in the ignition and get a fresh start!

Schell Farm Produce

John and Janice Schell’s homegrown produce has found a home at farmers markets throughout Carroll County for nearly 15 years. The Schells farm nearly two acres, growing five varieties of potatoes, 200 tomato and green pepper plants, 700 asparagus roots and 2,000 onion sets. They have also grown blueberries, apples, herbs, radishes, beets, kohlrabi, okra and garlics; and also sell local honey and cheese. They sell from April through November, and bulk orders and preorders are available.

Strawberry Stewards Plants & Produce

12968 state Route 78, Mount Carroll 815-238-1997

Jason and Esther Yoder and their five children make farming and raising produce in an organic, chemical-free way a family affair. The Yoders opened shop in 2020 north of Mount Carroll at the east end of the Elizabeth Blacktop after spending a couple of years solely as a vendor at local farmers markets. Flowers are the store’s primary product, coming in both potted and hanging varieties, but they also have a selection of fruits and vegetables, eggs, maple syrup and pastureraised chicken. Pasture-raised turkeys are sold in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Call for updated store hours and opening dates. As for the name, Strawberry was the name given to an old oneroom school on the property many decades ago.

The Yoder family — dad Jason, mom Esther, and Jonas, Judah, Jabez, Hadassah, and Teddy.

Thank You

Center Hill Orchard & Apiary

10415 Getz Road, Mount Carroll

Contact: 815-238-9382 or info@ centerhillorchard.com

Online: Centerhillorchard.com

Center Hill Orchard has been growing a variety of fruits from mid-to-late summer to early fall since 2015. Cherries, peaches, berries, pears and apples are available during in season. Various jams and jellies, as well as honey in both liquid and comb varieties, are available all summer. Products can be ordered and picked up at the farm or during the Mount Carroll Farmers Market, and can also be delivered to Mount Carroll or Savanna.

Family

The Iskes are in their sixth generation of farming east of Lanark. They raise hogs and chickens, grow plants and vegetables and make their own maple syrup from their own sugar shack. Eggs from the chickens they raise also are sold. Follow the family’s farming activities on their YouTube channel, @IskeFarms.

Neumiller Farms

7389 state Route 84, Savanna

Contact: 815-273-4505 or farm@neumiller.farm

Online: Neumillerfarms.com

Hours: 7:30 to 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. daily

Potatoes are the name of the game at Neumiller Farms, where a 35-pound bag of spuds is just $10. The Neumillers are third-generation farmers who began raising potatoes in Wisconsin around 75 years ago, and have been in Illinois since 1974. Its potatoes, which come from fields in Savanna, Hanover, Erie, Cordova and Bath, have been used by food companies who sell salad and potato chips, including the Kettle Brand company.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Garlic comes in a variety of different types, shapes and sizes, and Darrin and Jenny Eubanks (pictured above) grow some of them on their farm east of Lanark: music garlic, which is the most common type around; red and white German garlic; and their branded Straddle Creek garlic, which is native to Pennsylvania and doesn’t pop up locally very often. Typically, China supplies about 80 percent of the nation’s garlic, but the Eubanks provide a more direct farm-to-table approach. They also grow tomatoes and jalapeño peppers, and organize the occasional open house on their farm (check its Facebook page for updates). Products can also be purchased on its website.

Argo Acres

16295 Argo Fay

Route, Thomson Contact:

815-259-2132 or argocare@me.com

Online: Facebook

Straddle Creek Gardens

25269 Locust Road, Lanark

Contact: 815-275-7930

(preferred contact) or eubanks@ straddlecreekgardens.com

Online: Straddlecreekgardens.com

Dennis and Diane Etnyre have been selling homegrown produce directly from their farm east of Thomson for more than 20 years. A food stand is open on the farm during the summer and begins the season with green beans, tomatoes and sweet corn, and ends it the fall with apples, pumpkins, squash, gourds and Indian corn. The stand is open during the spring by chance. Asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries are among the earliest produce available, starting in April, and can be ordered during the spring when the stand is closed. Popcorn, red raspberries and painted pumpkins also are available on occasion. Check the Facebook page for up-to-date opening dates and hours.

SHAW MEDIA FILE PHOTO

Tom and Genevieve

Fairhaven Fruit Farm

966 Creamery Road, Thomson

Contact: 563-213-6134 or bmetz200@gmail.com

Online: Facebook

Open: Mid-August to November from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nedbal own and operate the family fruit farm near the small Carroll County community of Fairhaven. Their orchard has about 600 fruit trees with nearly 30 different varieties of apples, such as ambrosia, honey crisp, McIntosh, monarch, sunrise, red free, zestar and others. One of the orchard’s more popular apples is Gen’s Best, named after Genevieve. These apples are grown on trees with scion wood grafted into them, and are large, round, juicy and have a taste between tart and sweet. The orchard hosts occasional U-pick events; check its Facebook page for up-to-date information, as the weather plays a role in prime apple-picking time. Also offered: honey made by their own bees, as well as donuts and apple cider. The farm also has a pumpkin patch in October.

Sunday

Farming is hard work — tilling, planting, picking, packing — but that work ensures communities have constant, readily available access to healthy foods. Such devotion merits support, and there are many things consumers can do to show their appreciation for local farmers.

BUY PRODUCTS FROM LOCAL FARMS. When buying foods, looking for products from local farms and/or domestic farms can benefit consumers in various ways. Many individuals find locally grown foods more flavorful than products imported from foreign countries. And buying local, whether the farm is on the outskirts of the city you call home or elsewhere in your own country, provides some much-needed economic stimulation to rural communities. Farmers Markets are also a great place to find locally sourced goods

LOOK BEYOND FOODS. Rural communities produce more than food. Soaps, lotions, candles, decorative items, and other products people use everyday are produced on farms and within rural communities. Choosing these products over mass-produced alternatives made in other countries or in places where profits are less likely to be funneled back into local communities is a great way to support rural economies.

ORDER DIRECTLY FROM LOCAL FARMS. Some farmers have embraced the ecommerce revolution and begun selling the foods they grow to consumers via their own websites. Research local farms and determine if it’s possible to buy directly from them. Farms may offer delivery or pick-up, and consumers can enjoy fresh foods even more knowing that they helped farmers earn higher profits by buying directly from them.

SPREAD THE WORD. Get the word out after a satisfying experience with local farms and farmers. Whether it’s buying food from farms or taking advantage of family days that let kids enjoy a day on the farm, sharing positive experiences via social media or wordof-mouth can be a great way to inspire your neighbors to support local farmers as well.

— Metro News Service

t won’t be long before spring is in air and green grass is on the grounds at Wrigley Field and Guarantee Rate Field (or Comiskey Park, depending on what you want to call it).

By Cody Cutter Sauk Valley Media page26

Major and minor league players from the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and 28 other Major League teams are getting ready to get into the swing of things as they gear up for spring training, keeping their eye on the ball and their eye on the prize: a shot at the World Series. Whether you’re a casual fan who can’t wait to hear the crack of the bat, or you’re a number-cruncher who can rattle off stats, enjoying America’s pastime is a fun and relaxing way to pass the time, wherever you enjoy the game — in the bleachers, on your couch, in front of a radio, or sitting at the bar. Even if you don’t get a taste of the peanuts and Cracker Jack, you can still get a taste of the game at places throughout Northern Illinois — and you don’t even have to go to the Windy City to make enjoying the baseball a breeze. Plenty of interesting baseball connections are within driving distance — and who knows: You might just have so much fun visiting them that you’ll find yourself saying “I don’t care if I never get back home!”

Field of Dreams movie site & stadium

28995 Lansing Road, Dyersville, Iowa

Online: Fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok

ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour, 50 minutes

BELOIT SKY CARP (HIGH-A, MIDWEST LEAGUE) ABC Supply Stadium

217 Shirland Ave., Beloit, Wisconsin

Online: Milb.com/beloit, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Did you know that the closest official Major League Baseball game played from Lake Carroll wasn’t in Chicago? The Field of Dreams, named for the 1989 movie with Kevin Coster that’s made it famous, has both a staged diamond — the one used in the movie — that visitors can play on, and a professional diamond where one MLB game has been played each year since 2021. The White Sox defeated the New York Yankees, 9-8, in the first game, and the Cubs defeated the Reds, 4-2, last year. Unfortunately, no game will be played there this year as the pro diamond is undergoing a renovation, but there’s still plenty to see there — and even better? You won’t get stuck in rushhour traffic getting there.

Beloit, located on the WisconsinIllinois border 20 minutes north of Rockford, has been home to minor league baseball since 1982 when its team was called the Beloit Brewers. Today, the Beloit Sky Carp is the High-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

Baseball stars Prince

QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (HIGH-A, MIDWEST LEAGUE)

Modern Woodmen Park

209 S. Gaines St., Davenport, Iowa

Online: Milb.com/quad-cities, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok

ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour, 30 minutes

The Quad Cities’ professional baseball connections date back to 1879, with minor league teams in both Moline and Rock Island on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. Since 1931, pro games have been played at Modern Woodmen Park (originally John O’Donnell Stadium) in downtown Davenport against a backdrop of the Centennial Bridge behind right field, just off the Mississippi River.

Affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, the River Bandits won the Midwest League championship in 2021, but struggled to a 54-78 finish

From July to September, a 90-minute “Greatest Show on Dirt” comedy performance features the movie’s iconic ghost players emerging from the cornfield. The two-story home on site that belonged the Kinsella family in the movie is original, and is available for tours during the spring, summer and fall; and also can be rented out for overnight stays on occasion.

Fielder, Greg Vaughn and Kevin Seitzer honed their professional baseball skills in Beloit early in their careers during the Brewers’ years. This season, the Carp will look to rebound from a 62-67 season and compete for its first Midwest League postseason berth since 2013.

The Carp’s first game is at their home park, ABC Supply Stadium, as they take on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of Appleton in the first of a three-game series at 6:35 p.m. April 7. The Midwest League’s regular season concludes in mid-September before postseason play begins.

last year. Having been affiliated with 12 teams through the years, many baseball legends have been part of Modern Woodmen Park’s history: hall-of-famer Jim Bunning; Most Valuable Player award winners Joe Mauer and Justin Mourneau; Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana; and other familiar names of the past, including Billy Wagner, Frank Tanana and Carney Lansford.

The River Bandits’ first game is at home as they take on the South Bend Cubs in the first of a three-game series at 6:30 p.m. on April 7.

ROCKFORD RIVETS (NORTHWOODS LEAGUE) Rivets Stadium

4503 Interstate Blvd., Loves Park Online: Northwoodsleague.com/ rockford-rivets, Facebook, Twitter

ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour, 10 minutes

The Northwoods League is one of the few in the nation that exclusively features college baseball players who are looking to make it onto a professional league roster. The Rockford Rivets, the only Illinois team in the league, has a history dating back to days when the franchise was once part of the Midwest League.

The Rivets open their season on May 29 at the Traverse City Pit Spitters, and have their first home game at 6:35 p.m. May 31 against the Kenosha Kingfish.

Clinton LumberKings (Prospect League)

NelsonCorp Field

537 Ballpark Drive, Clinton, Iowa

Online: Northwoodsleague.com/ rockford-rivets, Facebook, Twitter ETA from Lake Carroll: 45 minutes

Rockford Peaches and Beyer Stadium

245 15th Ave., Rockford

Online: Gorockford.com/listings/ beyer-stadium/1156

ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour from Lake Carroll

Having fun at the ol’ ballpark watching the Clinton LumberKings play ball is an annual summertime event that locals have enjoyed since 1937. Clinton was home to several minor league baseball teams for 83 years and saw nearly 300 players make it to the major leagues during that time. Like the aforementioned Rockford Rivets franchise, Clinton also was part of the Midwest League before a reorganization of Minor League Baseball eliminated them from the league.

The Prospect League also features exclusively college players aspiring to make it to baseball’s next levels. The LumberKings named for the city’s past as “The Lumber Capital of the World” — open their season at 6:30 p.m. May 31 in Clinton against the Normal Cornbelters

There’s no crying in baseball, but there is loads of history, includ ing this reminder of a time when women played professional baseball. Never heard of it? Then maybe you’ve heard of the 1992 movie that made it famous: “A League of Their Own,” which starred Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell.

The

were the featured team in the

The real Rockford Peaches team was part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1954. Games were played at Beyer Stadium, which was originally built in 1913 for mens minor league baseball, as well as high school football games. No team in the AAGPBL had more success than the Peaches, who won a league championship in 1945 and three more in a row, from 1948 to 1950. Players including Lois Florreich, Dorothy Kamenshek and Gladys Davis starred for the Peaches during their successful tenure. Only the ticket booth remains from the park’s heyday as the Peaches’ home, but a new diamond has been built on the former grounds. There are also informational displays nearby that share the history of the park and team.

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Rockford Peaches

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Taylor Park

900 E. Stephenson St., Freeport

Online: Freeportparkdistrict.org/taylor-park

Once the crown jewel of recreation on Freeport’s east side and once home to minor league games, Taylor Park continues to be a place where families can relax and kids can get in a game of baseball.

Fairgrounds Park

450 Kilburn Ave., Rockford

Online: Rockfordparkdistrict.com

ETA from Lake Carroll: 1 hour

Taylor Park hosted minor league baseball from 1905-1910 and again in 1915. The first few years were as members of the Wisconsin State League, and the 1907 Freeport team won the league’s championship. Two teams took to Taylor Field in 1915 in different leagues: the Pretzels of the Bi-State League and the Comeons of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (“Three-I”) League.

ETA from Lake Carroll:: 30 minutes

Freeport’s most famous baseball alumni was Frank “Shag” Shaughnessy (inset at right), a native of Amboy. Shaughnessy played for the 1907 championship team and later had a successful coaching career in Canadian collegiate football and hockey. He became a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. Future hall of fame baseball manager Casey Stengel also played a few games in Freeport as a member of the visiting Kankakee Kays team.

With the exception of the Comeons’ brief existence, Freeport’s baseball nickname was the Pretzels. Freeport High School later adopted the name for its own sports teams after minor league baseball left town.

Once home to the Winnebago County Fair — from which it takes its name — the park was the first home of professional baseball in Rockford. The city’s first team, the Forest Citys, formed in 1867 and was made up of adults and teenagers who had a grasp of the fledgling sport at the time.

Albert Spalding and Ross Barnes (inset at left) were two of professional baseball’s earliest stars who started out in Rockford, and were teenagers attending Rockford High School when they played. Both Spalding and Barnes moved on to the Boston Red Stockings club in 1871, where they became part of the first’s first great dynasty run with four straight world championships. Spalding was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Fairgrounds Park looks much different today than it did when Spalding and Barnes played; in fact, no baseball field remains. The park does have a picnic shelter and enough green space for kids to play a game with whatever they want to use as bases and pitching rubber, and follow in the footsteps of the two early stars who played there.

ILLINOIS OFFICE OF TOURISM

Byron Museum of History’s Albert Spalding collection

110 N. Union St., Byron

Online: Byronmuseum.org, Facebook

Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

The aforementioned Albert Spalding (left) went on to fame in the game from his playing days as a Rockford teenager, but Byron was the town where he was born. The Byron Museum of History (right) has a display of many baseball artifacts and local mementos from the Spalding Family’s time in town.

ETA from Lake Carroll: 45 minutes PHOTOS:

After his playing days, Spalding managed the White Stockings and started the Spalding Sporting Goods business. The Fall 2022 issue of Shaw Media’s Ogle County Living magazine featured a history of Spalding’s career, centered on the 150th anniversary of the Red Stocking’s baseball championship of 1872. Go to issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ svm ocl 090822 to read it.

Abner Dalrymple

Field at Meridian Park

209 Franklin St., Warren

Online: BHPD Meridian Park on Facebook

ETA from Lake Carroll: 45 minutes

Today’s heavy hitters in baseball slug out around 50 home runs during a season, with Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds known as the heavy-hitters. In the 1880s, though, home runs were less frequent. A big name of the time, Abner Dalrymple (right) racked up only about half as many. Having grown up on a farm between Warren and Gratiot, Wisconsin, Dalrymple played professional baseball from 1878 to 1891, with most of those years spent on the Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs). In 1884, he hit 22 home runs for the White Stockings, which was the second-highest season total in professional baseball history at that time. By 1886, he owned the No. 5 spot on baseball’s all-time career home runs list. Dalrymple finished with 43 career homers and later retired back home to the Warren-Gratiot area, where he died in 1939.

The baseball field in Warren, which is now the home to the Warren-Stockton high school baseball team, is named in Dalrymple’s honor, and a plaque was placed near the backstop with his career details (above left)

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BY CODY CUTTER

isiting a library is like reading a good book. Every time you turn the page, you find something new.

SAUKVALLEYMEDIA

At the Lanark Public Library, every time you turn the corner you find something new: there are books, of course, but the library also offers summer reading programs, community events, local history, family trees, research, audio books, CDs and DVDs, computers, and much more.

Lanark’s library, which has been around since 1885 and in its current home since 2013, is the closest one to Lake Carroll, and Janie Dollinger has seen many lake residents take advantage of its catalog and growing number of resources since she became its librarian in 1970. She doesn’t do it alone, though: In addition to library volunteers, there’s a nine-member library board appointed by the mayor. The library also has some really good friends.

The Friends of the Lanark Public Library is a support organization that helps promote the library and raise money for its materials and events. The Friends group is “such an asset to us,” Dollinger said. “They do a great deal of things for us. They help

pay for all of our subscriptions for our large-print books that we get every month, for our e-books that are online that people can use with their electronic devices, and they help us co-sponsor a lot of our programming. The Friends are very supportive of our programming.”

Among the services and programs the library offers are a resources for revealing the roots of people’s family tree. National Library Week, which runs from April 23-29 this year, has been a

primary event at Lanark’s library for a number of years. The celebration revolves around a theme, and this year’s is “There’s more to the story.” Playing off that theme, the library will help families learn more about their own story, with 30-minute genealogy sessions offered from April 2628, in which volunteers will help people learn the ropes on the Ancestry and Ancestry World family history research websites. Those interested in participating must call the library to make an appointment, and come with at least someone’s name and a date range to start with.

Director

“We have a subscription here, so when you use our computers. We can log you in and you don’t have to have your own personal account,” Dollinger said. “They’ll get your started and whet your appetite. The bug will bite you because just one little interesting fact about your family really makes people want to delve in and get answers immediately.”

Ramona Koning is the library’s genealogy volunteer on Wednesdays and Fridays, and has spent decades doing family research, both through the library and on her own time. She plans to be a big part in helping people get started on their quest for family history when National Library Week rolls around.

“I’ve used Ancestry for a long time,” Koning said. “I enjoy helping

other people and I love it when we find stuff. You can find tons of stuff, and they’re adding all of the time. Just because you’ve looked 20 years ago doesn’t mean you won’t find more now.”

Using websites such as Ancestry is like browsing through a worldwide library of information.

“Years ago, you couldn’t do that,” Dollinger said. “You had to write letters to people and hope they answer. Now, with computers, it’s completely different with what you can find, and what you can find on Ancestry. There’s so many photographs and information — you could see your greatgrandfather’s signature on something, and that’s exciting.”

Lanark Public Library

Janie Dollinger shows off a farm shelf with ag-related books for children, donated by the Carroll County Farm Bureau’s Young Leaders group.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Having a service like Ancestry.com available isn’t free; like other research websites, there’s a subscription fee. That’s where the Friends of the Lanark Library steps up and steps in to help. Through used book sales and fundraising the group, with nearly 60 duespaying members (membership is $12 per year), lends the library a hand.

The most visible part of the Friends group is the Twice-Sold Tales used bookstore, located in a small mall inside Special Touch Flowers and Gifts on state Route 64, at the south edge of town. Volunteers staff the store and organize donations of books. Books are priced from 10 cents for small paperbacks to $5 for lightly used large hardcovers. The store also sells CDs, VHS tapes, DVDs and audio books. All proceeds go to the library.

The store is not only a win for the library, but also a win for the flower shop as well, helping boost customer traffic.

“It’s a benefit for both of us,” Dollinger said. “They have to walk through the florist to get to our bookstore.”

The store’s sales have helped the library build up not just its book collection, but offer other programs and services, too.

While readers appreciate the library’s peace and quiet, patrons have come to appreciate its pieces and quiet, too. Late last year, the library began offering jigsaw puzzles for checkout, and they were a big hit for both families and businesses, Dollinger said.

“During the couple of days when we had the Christmas blizzard, they were very popular because people had all of their wrapping done and weren’t going to be going anywhere. [Families] could start a big jigsaw puzzle, and even companies have started jigsaw puzzles as well.”

History buffs have taken a shine to the library’s local history room, which contains microfilm from Lanark and Carroll County newspapers, high school yearbooks and local history books — including a copy of the two-volume history on Lake Carroll, “The Story of Lake Carroll: The Great Escape,” written by former resident Evelyn Rolfs in 1992. Local history material stays at the library and can’t be checked out.

Publications in the local history collection have sparked attractive exhibits to help bring people to the library. During Eastland High School’s Homecoming Week in mid-September, the library used its yearbook collection to find photos of businessmen who were on the local football teams more than 30 years ago and create a “then and now” guessing game.

Dollinger said they’ll do something similar for this year’s Homecoming, but likely with pictures of Homecoming queens.

“We wanted to do something about football,” Dollinger said. “We went through a list of businessmen or Chamber of Commerce members who used to be football players, and went through the yearbooks back into the ’60s, the ’70s and ’80s and copied their football picture. We made a big tri-fold poster with all of these football players, and one cheerleader, and we had a sheet where you could try to name all of these people to win the contest.”

The library’s history collection also has a picture book, “Lanark Illustrated” (1901), which features pictures of local houses. The library used it so that people could match old photos to a current one and guess the homes’ location.

“We had people come up with their children,” Dollinger said, “and tell them, ‘Grandma’s house is on here, where is it?’”

There’s a lot more than just books at the Lanark Public Library ...

Patrons can pick up a puzzle, or DVD, look at microfilm, see pieces from local photographers and artists, do genealogical resources and more. Can’t find what you’re looking for? The staff will be happy to help.

As Valentine’s Day approached, the staff put together this display, encouraging people to let them set them up on a “blind date” with an item from the library’s collection.

Library assistant Jim Williams shows an old plat map of Lanark.

Research assistant Ramona Koning readies a roll of microflm for project. “I enjoy helping other people and I love it when we find stuff,” she said.

Young patrons can log on to this AWE early literacy computer workstation.

PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

While the Friends group has been a big help, the library is also supported by a share of local property tax dollars. The library district includes the city limits of Lanark. In addition, a small percentage of city sales tax also goes to the library. Those who reside or own property in Lanark’s limits can have a free library card. People outside of the district, such as residents in Lake Carroll and Shannon, can get a card for $50 a year.

Card holders can also take advantage of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), a system that taps into a statewide network of public, educational and professional libraries to make a greater selection of books available. If one library doesn’t have a book, another might, and the books can be ordered for checkout from participating libraries. Dollinger said she’s has handled a number of books from part-time Lake Carroll residents who’ve checked them out from libraries in their hometown and returned them in Lanark.

Among the items in the Lanark Public Library’s local history collection is a copy of the two-volume history on Lake Carroll, “The Story of Lake Carroll: The Great Escape,” written by former resident Evelyn Rolfs in 1992. While local history material may not be checked out, people are welcome to stop by and peruse the past.

Another way Lake Carroll residents have benefited from the library is through its audiobooks. The commute to and from the Lake can be a long one for some residents, and the audiobooks helps pass the drive time. Dollinger has patrons who use them during round-trips to work far away from town.

“I see a lot of people who work in Rockford that live in Lanark,” Dollinger said, “and they like to listen to a book a week spending an hour and 15 minutes each way driving to Rockford and back.”

Both the library and the Friends group each have an active Facebook page that promotes special events, reading programs and new books. Last year’s summer programs at the library were bustling with activity, and it plans to be just as busy this summer, Dollinger said. In addition, the “Swap and Share” events have become popular in recent months at the library, where people can bring in household decor and goods to swap or share. Library volunteers also use the event as an opportunity to talk about what the library has to offer. What it has to offer is a lot — and don’t let the size fool you. It may look like there’s not a lot in the unassuming building the library shares with City Hall, but you know what they say: You can’t judge a book by its cover.

LANARK PUBLIC LIBRARY, 111-A

South Broad St. is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, noon to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Find it on Facebook, email lanarklibrary1@gmail.com, go to lanarkil.gov/lanark-publiclibrary, or call 815-493-2166 for more information.

THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETS at 5:15 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the City Council chambers directly across the hall from the library.

TWICE-SOLD TALES, a used book store operated by the Friends of the Lanark Public Library, is at Special Touch Flowers and Gifts, 504 state Route 64. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Find "Twice-Sold Tales and Friends of the Library Used Books and More" on Facebook or call 815-238-4763 for more information.

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