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Boomers

TODAY

Also:

• Illinois Valley Super Bowl’s senior league offers friendship and fun

• Learn about the Sainte Genevieve, a paddlewheel boat

• Carrot recipes you’ll root for

BUZZING ALONG

These pollinators add life to your garden

Being Constantly Available

The other day I accidentally left my phone at home while running an errand. I was going to be gone for approximately three hours, and I can’t even express how uneasy not having my phone in arm’s reach made me feel. It’s a little embarrassing to admit how worried I was about it.

What if my kids had an emergency? That was my first thought, and I had to remind myself that they are capable and responsible teenagers, and if they ran into a situation they couldn’t handle, they would call their dad if they couldn’t reach me.

My next thought was: What if my car breaks down and I need help? While that’s always possible, my car doesn’t have many miles on it, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve ever been stranded on the roadside in my 34 years of being a driver.

Realistically, I knew my loved ones and I would likely be fine for the three hours I would be away

from my phone, so I’m not sure why it felt so unnatural and somewhat scary. I was a teenager in the 1980s, years before people had cell phones. And I drove from my home to my college campus many times in my beat-up, old car without a cell phone in sight.

It’s funny how sometimes it feels like I’ve swapped my independence and tranquility for convenience and accessibility. I know I can ignore my phone whenever I want, but when I hear that notification beep, I instantly stop what I’m doing to see if a colleague, family member, or friend needs something from me. It’s often expected in many professions that you take work calls outside your normal work hours or that you answer a text immediately from a family member. Downtime has become more of a luxury than it used to be.

My kids have never lived in a world that didn’t have cell phones. I tell them about the “olden days” when we didn’t have them, but I

Ismet Purelku Memorial Senior League

The

These vegetables give you more than a satisfying crunch.

don’t think they truly understand how different the world felt when you didn’t have the opportunity to instantly call for help or reach anyone at any time you wanted.

They’ll never know the experience of being yelled at by your parents because you had tied up the landline phone for too long while talking to your best friend, or feeling the need to go home and check your answering machine because you were wondering if you missed any important calls. While I love the convenience of cell phones, it makes me a little sad that my kids will never know what it feels like to live in a world without them.

Best wishes,

Shannon Serpette, Niche Editor

Boomers Today 426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200

(800) 892-6452

www.newstrib.com

Publisher Dan Goetz

Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Regional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Writers David Cook

Brandon LaChance Shannon Serpette

Photographers David Cook

Shannon Serpette

Designer Liz Klein

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Honeybees and many other pollinators love mint and anything in the mint family, including catnip, lemon balm, bee balm, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, and more.

PHOTO BY DAVID COOK

All Aboard the Sainte Genevieve

By Brandon LaChance

Gentry Nordstrom was having one of the most stressful days of his life. His wife Lindsay had just given birth to their third child, Gemma, so he couldn’t make the journey to bring his new financial endeavor – a paddlewheel boat – home.

For seven days, he called his crew every day to make sure plans and schedules were being kept. On the eighth day, he could tell from his partner Nathan Weiss’ voice that everything was not kosher.

“We bought the boat on December 8, 2021, when it was still in Cincinnati. We had to drive it down the Ohio River, up the Mississippi River, and up the Illinois River to get it to Ottawa,” said Nordstrom, who lives in Ottawa. “It was supposed to be a 17day trip. This is a true paddle wheel boat that moves, at the most, six miles per hour, and if you’re going upstream, it goes slower. We knew it was going to take a while, and we knew it was going to be an adventure.”

The paddlewheel boat didn’t disappoint – the journey to Ottawa proved to be a memorable one.

“It was named Mark Twain when we bought it. We knew we wanted to change the name, but we didn’t know what we wanted the name to be. We were staring down the barrel of a 17day adventure on these rivers, and we figured the boat was going to name itself. We knew something was going to happen or something would pop

up that the boat would name itself,” Nordstrom said.

“Eight days into the trip, as the boat turned to go up the Mississippi River, we ran into some weather-related issues. The boat ultimately got slammed against some rocks on the bank. We didn’t know it immediately, but the rocks actually breached the hull and poked a hole in the boat. We continued to drive through the night. When the sun came up the next morning, it became evident that the boat was taking on water. It was pretty close to sinking if we didn’t act pretty quickly,” he said.

While unfortunate, the incident did lead to the boat’s fitting new name.

“The crew was able to beach the boat on a sandbar in the Mississippi River. We were rescued by a local barge company, and they took us to their quarry, which was in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. They were really hospitable to us,” Nordstrom said.

“We thought, ‘Is this the moment the boat named itself?’ We did some research on Sainte Genevieve. She is actually the patron saint of Paris, and her legend is, at one point, her enemies conspired to drown her in a lake, but they ultimately weren’t successful. When we read that, we knew the boat named itself and she became the Sainte Genevieve.”

Sainte Genevieve was towed from

The Sainte Genevieve, a paddlewheel boat, is shown while docked at Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.

PHOTO BY SHANNON SERPETTE

Boat

FROM PAGE 4

its namesake to St. Louis and stayed through the winter of 2021 and the early part of 2022, while repairs were made to the hull and other work was completed on the boat.

The trip was finally completed on March 12, 2022, when Sainte Genevieve made it to Nordstrom and Weiss in Ottawa. After seven months of gutting and remodeling the riverboat, Sainte Genevieve became operational on October 4, 2022, when it made its first cruise on the Illinois River.

“I’m good friends with Nathan Weiss. He’s the owner of Ottawa

Millwork Co. in Ottawa. He’s always been a fan of riverboats because his father was always working on boats, including the famous Julia Belle Swain. Nathan grew up around boats and fell in love with them at an early age,” Nordstrom said.

“We have a great riverfront in Ottawa. He had the vision, brought the idea to me in the summer of 2021 when the Julia Belle Swain went up for sale in Wisconsin. Nathan didn’t want to get involved on the business side, so he came to me knowing that I was involved in business and that we would make a great partnership,” he said. “After crunching the numbers, we realized the Julia Belle Swain was too expensive and too big of a

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project. But I liked the idea and thought if we found the right boat, we could make it work.

With Kevin Stier, who is the owner of the riverboat named Twilight in Iowa, and some other friends, we had some guidance, but Nathan and I were starting from scratch. We kind of bootstrapped and figured it out.”

Nordstrom wasn’t extremely excited about having a short 2022 season, October 4 through December 18, but the soft opening has led to excitement about the 2023 season. The 2023 season started May 12 and will run through November with evening cruises on Thursday and Friday, three cruises on Saturday, and two on Sunday.

If there is enough interest,

to R: Beth Beck, Chrissy Korn, Philip Slevin, Krista Westerman, Marisol Gavina and Tammy Humpage

there may be Wednesday night cruises or an additional Friday or Sunday cruise, but for now, the Sainte Genevieve will tour Thursday-Sunday. The various types of cruises, including standard sightseeing, collaboration, dessert, brunch, and dinner cruises, will have different price points.

The Sainte Genevieve trips will go one of two ways. They will either go upriver from downtown Ottawa, past Heritage Harbor and toward Marseilles Lock and Dam, or downriver past Buffalo Rock before turning around and heading back to Ottawa.

During the winter season when the rivers are frozen, Sainte Genevieve will be docked at Heritage Harbor.

“This past winter, we did quite a few events on the boat. We didn’t make a ton of money, but it was nice to bring in a little bit of revenue, get more people on the boat, get more people talking about the boat and excited about the upcoming season,” Nordstrom said.

“We did a concert series during the winter. It’s a closed cabin, so we have a heated cabin. For a winter event, we can get 50-60 people in the cabin of the boat. We also did holiday parties and corporate meetings. We will also do bridal showers, family reunions, and any other type of private event needing a space of 50-60 that offers a unique setting with a full bar on board. We are generally

pretty open on what type of events we’re going to host.”

When some people think of a riverboat, they associate it with gambling.

However, the Sainte Genevieve detours from the riverboat and gambling connection.

“The boat is a true paddlewheel, so it’s a classic riverboat,” Nordstrom said. “We’re really trying to highlight that old, antique-ish feeling with a bit of a modern flair. We’re more focused on the vibe inside the cabin and the views of the river. We’re not going to get involved with the gambling scene. We’re not going to fill the boat with slot machines. It’s more about getting people on the boat and providing a cool experience.”

Giving Your Garden

A Buzz

David Cook

Lend a Helping Hand by Planting for Pollinators

The easiest way to make a beautiful, eye-catching garden even more enjoyable is to consider its appeal to those who will appreciate it the most – those little creatures known as pollinators.  Illinois may be known as The Prairie State, but according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), less than a hundredth of one percent remains of the 21 million acres that were the native Illinois prairie. This type of landscape change has greatly contributed to the threatened existence of the beloved Monarch Butterfly and many of the other tiny animals we depend

See BUZZ page 10

Story & Photos by

This bumblebee has finished with this Obedient Plant and has taken off for another set of flowers.

Buzz

FROM PAGE 9

on for our food. Add to this habitat loss the widespread use of pesticides, as well as herbicides which kill many of their natural food sources, and it’s become more important than ever to help feed and shelter pollinators.

Finding and planting flowers that butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and many other pollinators will enjoy visiting is a fairly easy task. Many of their favorite blooms are perennials, meaning the plants will return from their roots or reseed themselves the following year.

“I’d suggest trying to have a selection of plants that will ensure there’s always something

blooming for them. That will help support them from early spring through late summer and into early autumn,” Molly Blogg of Hornbaker Garden in Princeton said.

Milkweeds, Coneflowers, Bee Balm, Compass plants, Butterfly Weed, Blazing Star, Prairie Clover, Salvia, Asters, Cardinal Flower, Goldenrod, Mint, and several others will all attract a variety of pollinators and will bloom at varying times. Every flower has a special time when pollinators will favor them over others in the area.

“Some of the best pollinator plants are our native species, but it’s good to know that those aren’t always the most tame, and it may take some work to keep them within your chosen boundaries,” Blogg said.

Adding a water feature, such as a simple birdbath or small fountain, can push the appeal of your garden to backyard visitors even further because everyone appreciates a cool drink of water on a warm summer’s day. Additionally, keeping your garden well mulched, especially with plant litter consisting of fallen leaves, will not only help your plants by protecting and nourishing the soil, but it can also provide shelter and safety for pollinators.

As with many garden additions, it may take a few seasons for your new pollinator-friendly plants to fully establish themselves as a big batch of nectar-rich flowers, but it’s always worth the wait for the day you walk into your garden and find it full of fluttering, buzzing life.

The vibrant orange flowers of Butterfly Weed are a great choice for any garden.

A Pink-Edged Sulphur butterfly on an aster. Asters are a popular late-summer destination for many pollinators. Left: An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail feeds on purple Bee Balm. Right: An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail enjoys a fragrant, purple Butterfly Bush. There are also white and yellow varieties of this plant.

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The Fun Keeps Rolling for Seniors at Illinois Valley Super Bowl

By Brandon LaChance

Although change can be scary, it’s a constant in life. Throughout life, our bodies morph, town buildings and landmarks are reconstructed or replaced, communities evolve, and society changes. Even bowling experiences change. It’s a game for children, a sport for high schoolers and college student-athletes, and the committed bowlers who are sponsored. It’s also a leisure activity parents can share with their children and an activity for seniors.

The Ismet Purelku Memorial Senior League provides the opportunity for anyone over 50 to take the lanes at Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru on Thursday afternoons, from the Thursday after Labor Day in September until the end of April or

See LEAGUE page 14

The senior bowling league at the Illinois Valley Super Bowl held its first season in 1990. Since then, bowlers over the age of 50 have shared the lanes, laughs, friendships, and conversations. The only time the scores, wins, and losses matter is at the end of the season when a champion is crowned. The winning team from the 2022-23 season were (left to right) Laurie Bersztaitis, Sharon Gallup, Theresa Hart, John Scheppler, and Lynda Shawback.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

League

FROM PAGE 13

beginning of May, depending on how the dates fall on the calendar.

“That’s the main purpose; it doesn’t matter if you bowl well or not,” said Jeffrey Sittler, the president of the senior league. “It’s about interacting with people. If you stay in the house and are away from your friends and family, you start to feel blue and begin questioning your worth. You’re in your

golden years, you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself. You’re not supposed to be feeling sorry for yourself or getting lonely. During league, we’re always having fun talking and bowling.”

Sittler has been the president of the senior league for the last five years but will be the first-year president of the Ismet Purelku Memorial Senior League since the league changed sponsors from Liberty Village to Four Star Family Restaurant before this upcoming season. Ismet Purelku, who owned Four Star and passed away in

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

At the end of April or the beginning of May, the Ismet Purelku Memorial Senior League holds an end-of-theseason banquet. Although awards are handed out, the bowlers are mostly there for camaraderie. Purelku was a longtime senior league bowler until he passed away in 2021. In his honor, his family is now sponsoring the league under the family business, Four Star Family Restaurant.

2021, was a longtime senior league bowler.

Purelku’s son Isa wanted to sponsor the league in his father’s name. The connection the league forms with its participants is one of the reasons it has stayed on the lanes since its inception in 1990.

“It’s a friendly, fun league. There are no additional fees since it is a non-sanctioned league,” said Sittler, who has bowled in the league for ten years. “It’s not about scores and winning and losing. That is secondary to the camaraderie and having fun. Everyone gets along in our league. We clown around and have a good time.”

The last senior league campaign, 2022-23, featured 24 bowlers made up of six teams with four bowlers each. During Thanksgiving, the senior bowlers take to the lanes on Tuesday so they can have delicious food during the league potluck. At the end of the year, there is a banquet where the team champion and individual accomplishments are recognized. At the end of every season, each member of the winning team received a cash prize, as well as the league bowler with the high game, high series, and highest average.

Sittler is aided by vice president Dee Steele and secretary Dan Sheppard. Steele has been bowling for 73 years and has enjoyed every second of her ten years in the senior league at the IV Super Bowl.

“It’s a way of us ‘older’ people to

get together. We all have such a good time bowling against each other,” said Steele, a 1954 Tonica High School graduate. “We look forward to seeing each other each week. The proprietors are great. The workers are great. The Super Bowl is a nice, clean place to go to and bowl with your friends.”

Steele started bowling while she was a freshman in high school in Tonica.

“We had a four-lane bowling alley. There wasn’t much to do in town, so when I was a freshman, I started bowling in the Illinois Valley Women’s Bowling League,” she said.

Throughout the years, Steele has met many close friends who share the same love and passion for bowling. She’ll tell you, ‘I’ve thrown many balls and met many people.’ Her bowling journey includes 32 national bowling tournaments.

“I just love the sport. And now, I kind of live for it. At my age, there is nothing else to do, and I think it’s a great way to get out of the house and see people,” Steele said. “It’s getting harder to get bowlers to come into the league. A lot of the players we’ve had have passed away. You can’t go out and hog-tie people and bring them in as new bowlers to the league. We have tried, but it doesn’t work.”

“My joke is, I go to the cemetery and tell everyone to come bowling, but no one answers me,” she said. “It would be nice to have new people come into the league so we can all add more friends.”

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These vegetables give you more than a satisfying crunch

By Shannon Serpette

Whether you want a low-calorie snack that helps curb your cravings for crunchy food or a versatile ingredient to boost the nutritional profile of your meal, carrots are an outstanding choice. These colorful vegetables only have about 40 calories per half cup, and they

INGREDIENTS

3 cups carrot, grated

contain lots of vitamin A, are great for your eyes, and may decrease your cancer risk.

Carrots can make an outstanding side dish, main dish, or dessert. These recipes will inspire you to incorporate more of this healthy vegetable into your diet.

Pineapple-Carrot Cake

2 and 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon, divided

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup raisins

1 cup crushed pineapple, canned

ICING INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups walnuts, crushed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together

2 and 1/2 cups of flour, cinnamon, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk all the ingredients together.

In a separate large bowl, beat the

brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs together with a hand mixer on medium speed. Gradually pour in the vegetable oil while the mixer is still running. Add one-third of the flour mixture at a time, beating in with the mixer just enough to incorporate. Take the raisins and toss them with the remaining tablespoon of flour. Add the raisins, pineapple, and grated carrots to the batter by folding them in with a rubber spatula. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool the cakes on a wire rack until

the pans are cool. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them completely cool.

To make the icing, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar, one-half cup at a time, using a medium-low speed on the mixer. After all the powdered sugar has been added, assemble the cake, using a serrated knife if needed on the cake top to make sure it is flat. Frost and layer the cake. When it is completely frosted, press the walnuts into the icing around the sides of the cake. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes so the icing sets.

See more recipes on pages 18 & 19.

Carrot Fever A

Creamy Carrot Soup

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds carrots

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet and add two tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast until they are easily pierced by a fork, about 25 to 40 minutes. You should turn them over midway through cooking. When the carrots are almost done, warm one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook

until the onion is softened and translucent. Add the garlic, coriander, and cumin. Cook for a minute while stirring constantly. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, stirring again. Add the roasted carrots when they are done. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat so

the mixture simmers. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Add the butter, lemon juice, and black pepper. Blend the hot soup to get a creamy texture using a blender or immersion blender.

Carrot Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup margarine

3 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugar and oil together. Add one teaspoon vanilla and the eggs and beat well. Add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Fold in the nuts and the carrot.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-by13-inch pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Cool completely. Beat the margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until creamy and spread on cooled bars.

Glazed Carrots

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds baby carrots

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS

Put carrots into a large pan and add in approximately one inch of water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer carrots until they are tender, which takes about 10 minutes. Drain them and put them in a bowl.

Melt butter in the same pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, salt, and white pepper until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrots and toss until coated. Cook for one or two more minutes before serving.

Carrot Salsa

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded carrots

3 tablespoons diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 jalapeno, finely diced

Grated zest of 1/2 lime, plus two tablespoons of fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Tortilla chips or tacos for serving

DIRECTIONS

Put the carrots in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Move the carrots to a bowl and stir in the red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, olive oil, and salt. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving with tortilla chips or tacos.

Carrot Slaw

INGREDIENTS

One red onion, thinly sliced

1 and 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoons capers

1/3 cup olive oil

One pound shredded carrots

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped dill

DIRECTIONS

Whisk mustard, vinegar, and capers together in a bowl. Add the olive oil and any salt and pepper if desired and whisk again. Toss with the shredded carrots, celery, onion, and chopped dill.