11 minute read
Cover story
from MidWeek_012622
by Shaw Media
LOCAL FLAVOR
By KATRINA J.E. MILTON
kmilton@shawmedia.com
SYCAMORE – Makie Maratos is looking forward sharing his family’s traditional Greek recipes with the community during this year’s Sycamore’s Eat Week.
Maratos, who owns The Village, 418 W. State St. in Sycamore, with his wife Kari and mother Jeanette, opened the restaurant Nov. 26. He said that opening a Greek restaurant has always been one of his dreams.
“I’ve always wanted to share my family’s traditional Greek recipes with the community,” he said. “Sycamore’s Eat Week is a great opportunity to offer a little taste of Greece.”
Sycamore’s Eat Week, organized by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, runs Jan. 24 through Jan. 31. There are about 12 restaurants participating in the promotion, each offering specials, discounts and meal deals with no coupons or tickets required. The event is sponsored by DeKalb Sycamore Chevrolet Buick GMC.
Specials offered during the week include 10% off a guest’s entire order at Giordano’s of Sycamore, $1 off drinks at Kate’s Place and $1 cake pops at Polka Dot Bakery. Meal specials include a barbecue rib dinner at Sycamore Tom & Jerry’s, a prime rib burger at The Dirty Bird Chicken Joint and a Cubano sandwich at Slow Smoke BBQ.
For a list of participating restaurants and their specials, visit www. discoversycamore.com.
The Village’s special is Taste the Village: one pork or chicken souvlaki, half a serving of moussaka or pastitsio and a side Greek salad or avgolemono soup for $9.99.
Makie Maratos said that sharing some of the restaurant’s best dishes as a special is also a tribute to his father, Pete, who passed away a few weeks ago.
“My father lived in Greece until he was about 13, and all of our recipes are ones passed down through the years in my family,” he said.
“At least 90% of everything on the menu is made from scratch, including our gyro,” Kari Maratos said.
Shelby Crackel, events and marketing assistant with the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, described
Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com Kate Huftalin, owner of Kate’s Place, serves up a boosted tea Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the nutrition and wellness beverage shop located at 114 S. California St. in Sycamore. Kate’s Place, along with other restaurants in town, will participate in Sycamore’s Eat Week Jan. 24 through Jan. 31.
Sycamore’s Eat Week as “an opportunity to support local.”
“January is often a slow month for business, and the week is really just about promoting Sycamore’s restaurants, bars and eateries,” she said. “It’s easy to participate: dine in, carry-out, drive-thru or delivery, there are a lot of options. You can stop at one restaurant for breakfast, another for lunch and another for dinner. You can try new places you’ve never been to before and have your whole day – or your whole week – of meals covered.”
Meals can even be replaced with drinks at Kate’s Place, 114 S. California St. in Sycamore. The shop offers teas, coffees and protein shakes.
“Eat Week is a great chamber event because it helps bring new customers in,” said owner Katie Huftalin. “You can have a drink as a meal replacement or as a snack. Our boosted teas are like energy drinks without the crash, and our shakes are really popular.”
Huftalin recommends her Twix shake or firecracker boosted tea. During Sycamore’s Eat Week, all 16-, 24- and 32-ounce drinks are $1 off at Kate’s Place.
Jaimie Feathers, manager of MVP Sports Bar, 124 S. California St. in Sycamore, said that a limited menu will be available for Sycamore’s Eat Week with 10 to 15 new items for customers to try. There will be suggestions for beer and drink pairings with all items.
“We’re testing out new items and would love feedback,” Feathers said. “One of my favorite items on the menu is a cilantro burger with an egg on top. Eat Week is the perfect time to tweak our menu, try new things and let the chefs try out new recipes and menu options. It also brings in lots of new people, people from Sycamore and from out of town.”
Crackel said that Sycamore residents, community members and visitors can all easily participate in Sycamore’s Eat Week.
“All you have to do is go to the restaurant and say you’re there for the Eat Week special,” Crackel said. “It’s a great way to support local restaurants and businesses, and it keeps Sycamore a unique place to live, work and dine.”
County’s Arts in Action initiative to expand
THE MIDWEEK
After listening to several community conversations about racism in DeKalb County, the DeKalb County History Center and Ellwood House Museum took a closer look in their collections to see if there were any stories connected to the Black and Latino experiences in DeKalb County.
Staff found unsettling information. There were examples of restrictive housing in neighborhoods along with restrictive cemeteries, ultimately keeping races separated not only during life but also in death. Newspapers from the 1920s revealed Ku Klux Klan rallies of 15,000 people, while in the 1970s newspapers reported on migrant housing where Latino workers lived with infestations of insects and rats. There also were stories of inspirational hope and perseverance. For months the organizations struggled with how to turn the conversation into action.
A committee was formed, and discussions began. In March of 2021, as part of a Healing Illinois grant, the online exhibit “Arts in Action”was launched. Using an artistic perspective provided an opportunity to combinethe complex local history with a medium that invited further discussion and analysis.
Photo provided ”American Gothic_Breaking Ground” by Terrance Gray is featured in the “Arts in Actions” online exhibit.
Based on the positive feedback from the online exhibit, the History Center and Ellwood House Museum secured three additional grants to expand the project.
Illinois Humanities is funding a website that will provide a central location where our community can see itself, become curators of their stories, and offer an opportunity to interact with and grow the content. This grant also includes support for an in-person exhibit and programming during the spring. Additionally, four other museums in DeKalb County – Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society, Kirkland Historical Society, Hinckley Historical Society and Sandwich Historical Society – are beginning to review their collections and work with the community to expand the local history narrative to include people of color.
The DeKalb County Community Foundation awarded the History Center and Ellwood House a grant that will be used to develop curriculum and lesson plans that could be used by classroom students and stay-at-home learners to hear and understand the untold stories of Black and Latino history in our county. ”The Community Foundation believes in highlighting and elevating the importance of people’s stories related to race and racial injustice,” Teri Spartz, community engagement director, said in a news release. ”We are proud to support this innovative and collaborative approach to better understanding the significance of race relations and local history in DeKalb County. The project brings a needed awareness to a diverse perspective on DeKalb County history.”
The Mental Health Board through Community Investment Funding also recently approved a proposal for a project manager and an app that would connect the stories of people of color to physical places in DeKalb County.
“The DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board is excited to fund the Arts in Action project,”Deanna Cada, executive director, said in the release.“ This project does important work to bring to light to the diverse stories of DeKalb County and takes strides to build a sense of belonging for all residents of our community.”
With this project, the History Center and Ellwood House are looking forward to greater collaborations, building trust from community members of all races, and an increased sense of belonging for everyone who lives in our community.
If you have stories to share or would like more information, contact Michelle Donahoe at michelle@dekalbcountyhistory.org or Brian Reis at breis@ellwoodhouse.org. To visit the current Art in Action website, go to https://dchcexhibits.org/arts-in-action/.
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Image provided The new Joiner History Room, DeKalb County archives, website will be discussed during the Feb. 3 Brown Bag/Local Lore program.
Discover features of new county archives website
THE MIDWEEK
One of the main goals of the Joiner History Room, home to the DeKalb County archives, is to make the wealth of materials in the collection available and accessible to as many people as possible.
While visiting an archives in person and handling the historical materials is still the way most research happens, the Joiner History Room’s new website will provide a variety of materials for those who are out of town as well as help researchers prepare for their visit to make the most of their time.
The public is invited to a sneak preview of the website during the next Brown Bag/Local Lore program at noon Thursday, Feb. 3.
During this virtual program, Rob Glover, archival and collection specialist and Joiner History Room director, will lead a discussion and walk through the website.
The new website will include the major elements and essential components identified by the archival profession.
The talk will provide examples of nine elements outlined in best practices for archival websites. He also will discuss how people interested in researching family genealogy, property searches, and other historical study will find resources they need. For example, genealogists want to see names, places, certain document types, and details of events, while researchers are looking for significant sources like minutes, reports and correspondence.
The program is free and open to the public. To register, visit the DeKalb County History Center’s website, dekalbcountyhistory.org and scroll down to”Upcoming Events.”
The lecture series is sponsored by the Mary E. Stevens Concert and Lecture fund.
For more information, call 815-8955762 or email info@dekalbcountyhistory.org.
BRIEFS
NIU Annuitants to see ‘Sound of Music’
The Northern Illinois University Annuitants Association is planning a trip to the Fireside Theatre in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, to see “The Sound of Music” on Wednesday, March 9.
Seats are available, but are limited to 25 because of COVID-19 protocols. The reservation deadline is Feb. 16, or until seats are sold out.
Based on a true story set in Austria in 1938, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” tells the story of a young postulant nun sent to care for the seven children of a widowed naval officer. Maria reintroduces music and warmth to their home and quickly charms both the children and their father.
The group will depart DeKalb at 9 a.m. for the 1:15 p.m. matinee performance. Lunch is included. The fee is $149 for members of the NIU Annuitants Association.
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