TODAY SPEND SOME TIME IN NATURE Boomers
Also:
• An octogenarian stays super fit
• Realtors discuss downsizing
• Fall recipes for a cozy day of cooking
Keeping an eye on medical progress
Every morning when I read news headlines, I am always most drawn to medical research stories. Whether we love artificial intelligence or hate it, there’s no doubt it has enormous potential in the medical field. I am endlessly interested in the things they’re learning about the human body and the medical breakthroughs we’re seeing because of human ingenuity and AI.
It’s hard to separate the facts from the hype sometimes in these medical headlines. I can’t count how many times I’ve read about a cancer treatment curing cancer in mice. The mice in America should be the healthiest animal population in the
world by now. We’ve cured virtually every disease they’ve ever faced. Humans, not so much. We still have work to do before we eradicate our diseases.
Of interest to me lately is all the anti-aging research. Now that I’m on the other side of 50, I love the idea of living a few extra years and improving my health.
Recently, there were several articles stating that researchers have discovered that people have a rapid age acceleration around the age of 50. I could have told them that. I’ve been telling my family for the past couple of years that my body fell apart when I hit 50. Who wouldn’t
love some sort of therapy or treatment that could turn back the clock a little?
I know the state of our current world isn’t ideal, with tough topics like global warming, microplastics in our water, air, and bodies, and constant political arguments. But there’s also a lot of hope for the world’s future, too.
Best wishes,
Shannon Serpette Niche Editor
General
Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com
Writers Brandon LaChance Katlyn Sanden
Shannon Serpette
Photographers Katlyn Sanden
Shannon Serpette
Designer Liz
PHOTO BY KATLYN SANDEN
‘Once you start sitting around, I think you’re in trouble’
Mendota’s Jack Kilmartin stays active at 85
Story by Brandon LaChance
Jack Kilmartin will hand you his phone. The black and white YouTube video he presents is a clip from a Northern Illinois University basketball game in 1966 where he is running the floor and making a basket just inside the free throw line.
The Mendota native and 1957 Mendota High School graduate hasn’t stopped being active since then, even though he is 85 years old.
Although he isn’t playing basketball anymore, you can find him at Northbrook School basketball games as an assistant coach or at the Mendota Golf Course, any day the sun is out.
“They say golf isn’t a strenuous sport. But when I golf, I hit an average of 500 balls every day,” Kilmartin said. “I only play 18-holes of golf once a week. The rest of the time I’m at the golf course. I’ll hit balls for two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and another hour or so toward the end of the day. I do this every day.
“It keeps me in a lot better shape than people would think. Swinging a golf club 500 times a day is good exercise. Plus, I usually pick up the balls, so I’m bending over 500 times. It’s a lot more than golf. If someone followed me around while I was hitting balls or golfing, they’d have trouble if they were my age, picking up balls and swinging
Jack Kilmartin (right) poses with professional Supercross and Motocross racer Chase Sexton at the Mendota Golf Course. Although it was a guest appearance for Sexton, Kilmartin spends a lot of time at the golf course. He is there for hours hitting an average of 500 balls a day, at 85 years old.
that many times,” he said.
“I don’t even try to stay in shape. I just like sports and being at the golf course. I do know it’s important to be active. Once you start sitting around, I think you’re in trouble. You have to keep going. I used to jog slowly on a regular basis. Then I had a hip replacement and my doctor said I was jogging too much and to just walk,” Kilmartin said.
Not only does Kilmartin spend time at the golf course, but he also goes to Anytime Fitness to walk a mile twice a week during the summer. Once colder weather hits northern Il-
linois, he’ll be there four or five days a week to walk or for arm strength and resistance training.
During the Northbrook basketball season, he is currently an assistant for the sixth-grade boys’ basketball team and has assisted the eighth-grade team during his 15-year run with the Spartans.
He likes to give back to the sport – basketball – that he played for a majority of his youth, as well as his 20s and 30s. Kilmartin first picked up a golf club when he was 12 and played off and on until he was 15. Then he turned to basketball in high school. After his
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1957 graduation, he played basketball for a junior college in Creston, Iowa, followed by two years with NIU in DeKalb.
The Huskies’ website tallies Kilmartin with 34 points and 27 rebounds in 18 games during his two seasons, 1964-65 and 1965-66.
“A lot of people are getting out of shape and out of an active lifestyle at 26. I was playing NCAA Division I basketball. I was in my prime for 10 years,” Kilmartin said. “When I left NIU, I played basketball with the Mendota Dodge Boys until I was 34. We were the best AAU team in the state.
“At one time, I was playing basketball for five teams. I had five uniforms hanging in my closet. Until I was 40, I played basketball five days a week. My wife, Cathy (passed away in 2016), lived through all of my basketball. She never divorced me,” he said.
After he tied his basketball shoes for the last time, he shifted to tennis for 10 years.
Grueling, competitive singles tennis appealed to Kilmartin because it gave him another athletic showcase and challenge. He played every day for a majority of a decade.
On a Saturday, he could be seen on the courts for six hours and then he’d do a repeat performance on Sunday.
“There was never a time where I laid around, or even close to it. I’ve been fortunate to like a lot of different sports,” Kilmartin said. “Also, I’m very lucky because during the prime of my life, I ate everything I wanted. I never went on a diet, and I stayed around 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. I would eat two bowls of spaghetti, all of the ice cream I wanted, and I never gained weight.”
Besides golf, basketball and tennis, Kilmartin also didn’t add pounds because he was bowling, at the pool table, playing fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball, and running 10K races.
When the Holy Cross boys’ basketball team won an IESA state championship in 2024, Jack Kilmartin (center) was there every step of the way with players such as Cal Doyle (left) and Quinn Eddy. He’s also been with the Northbrook School basketball program as an assistant coach for 15 years. He is on the sixth-grade boys’ team’s sideline this season.
Kilmartin will tell you he can’t run the floor like the YouTube video shows he could in 1966. However, he can still play golf, walk for miles, and
build arm strength at the gym. He’s living proof that age is just a number.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Hickory Grove Campground, a camping destination
Story & Photos by Katlyn Sanden
Looking for a way to unplug with the family that doesn’t break the bank? Consider Hickory Grove Campground in Sheffield.
Hickory Grove Campground offers spacious campsites with numerous amenities nearby.
“This is a place where kids can still catch lightning bugs,” owner and founder Joan May said. “It’s just beautiful and so spacious. People aren’t camping on top of each other.”
Hickory Grove Campground is located on the border of the Hennepin Canal and Hennepin Canal State Park, about 2 miles north of Interstate 80. The campground has a boat launch, ramp, and dock on the canal and sits right next to the Great American Rail-Trail for biking and hiking.
It offers 103 campsites and can accommodate up to 80foot RVs for overnight or seasonal stays. They also have cabins available, brand new shower facilities, and a pool.
May says the Hennepin Canal and the National Bike Trail are big draws for their guests.
“People come here just to ride the bike trail,” said May. “There’s a 100-mile race the first weekend of October. It’s
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May says she likes to plug local businesses, such as Bellucio’s in Sheffield, that deliver to the campground. She says it’s a great service for guests arriving late.
Joan May, owner and founder of Hickory Grove Campground, checks in a new guest.
Gary and Laurie Smith say the addition of the pool (which was just completed this year) is a big draw for them. There are also brand new shower/bathroom facilities and a laundry room in the white building behind them.
New shower/bathroom facilities are available to campers at Hickory Grove Campground.
May says her skills as a retired operational engineer have helped her create this camping sanctuary. All their ‘roads’ are asphalt grindings, which cut down on dust.
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pretty neat to see their lights bobbing up and down when they’re going through.”
May says biking isn’t the only draw, though. The Psycho Silo Saloon is just 5 minutes away and is built in an old corn crib and has grown over the years. They host many family-friendly events throughout the year, including a tractor pull, rodeo, car show, and live music on the weekends. If that’s not your cup of tea, May says the surrounding towns are spectacular.
“The City of Princeton is adorable,” May said. “I love sending people into Princeton. Sheffield has cute stuff, also. They have a coffee shop, grocery store, Red’s Bar & Grill. People see that advertised and want to see what the area is. We have people come off the interstate and say it’s so pretty, they’re going to add a couple of days. They aren’t bothered by all the craziness that can happen at some RV parks because it’s so spacious.”
Because of that, May says she
sees a lot of repeat customers throughout the season.
“We’ve been coming here for 7 years now and have been permanent campers for the last 3 years,” said Gary Smith. “The big thing is, you’re not parked side by side. The campground is wide open with lots of trees. Of course, the addition of the pool keeps us coming back.”
Smith travels for nearly two hours with his wife, Laurie, to camp at Hickory Grove.
“We like to kayak the Hennepin Canal, go to the Psycho Silo Saloon when they have live music, and the wildlife park in Buda,” Smith said. “There’s a little bit of everything.”
With almost a decade in business, May looks forward to adding more campsites and making improvements to keep the regulars coming back.
“We’re thankful,” May said. “For nine years, the business just keeps growing. We have a 32 percent increase this year, and every year just seems a bit better. I don’t know why. Maybe camping is affordable for families still. This is a nice, safe place to experience camping with your kids. People come here for the peace and quiet.”
Considering downsizing?
Two local realtors share their insights
Story by Brandon LaChance
Whether your children have left the family nest or you’re realizing you no longer want the constant upkeep of a big house and yard, once you get older, you sometimes need to reevaluate your housing needs and preferences.
Figuring out if you want to downsize and when to do it can be overwhelming, thrilling, and even a little bit scary.
“A lot of times, they’ve made the decision to downsize for numerous reasons. Sometimes it’s health. Sometimes it’s the house doesn’t work for them anymore. It could be too much maintenance, too many steps, laundry is in the basement, and they need a smaller place to take care of,” said Christine Hopps, who has been a realtor since 1989 and is currently with Coldwell Banker.
“If it’s health, they have to move to a better facility where they can
“Sometimes they’re excited about the decision to move or to downsize. They’re overwhelmed also. They’ve made the decision, but there is so much stuff in the home they’ve had for 40 or 50 years. We guide them through it. ...”
Christine Hopps, Realtor with Coldwell Banker
get the kind of care they need or to be closer to their kids because they want to be by family. Grandchildren can pull grandparents anyplace and they’ll move across the country sometimes,” she said.
“Sometimes they’re excited about the decision to move or to downsize. They’re overwhelmed also. They’ve made the decision, but there is so much stuff in the home they’ve had for 40 or 50 years. We guide them through it. We tell them to take it one step at a time. Take one room or one little pile, go through it first and decide if it’s going with you, since you’re moving anyway at this point, or it’s going to Goodwill. We help them put it into smaller
increments so they’re not so overwhelmed,” Hopps said.
According to Hopps, 42 percent of the buyers’ market is seniors looking to downsize. A large portion of almost half of the market is willing to pay in cash while some are looking for a new place of residence because of expenses.
The housing market is challenging at the moment because all age brackets seem to be looking for the same type of home.
“Usually, by the time people contact me, they already have it in their mind that they’re ready for a move,” said Wendy Fulmer of Coldwell Banker. “We start by
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Downsizing
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showing them whatever is on the market, although right now, there isn’t much on the market. We have many people, all ages, looking for the same thing. They want the simple one-story, low-maintenance type of properties.
“We are contacted two or three times a week by people who want to downsize while younger clients simply want a smaller home because of expenses while they’re working 40 hours a week. We also have people who say they’re ready to move. Then they start looking and change their mind because they’re not ready to leave their home,” she said.
Hopps and Fulmer have been long-time colleagues and have seen the market swerve, weave, change and adapt. And they both have personal experience with downsizing.
Hopps downsized 25 years ago from a large home to a medium-sized home because it was time as her kids moved forward in their lives.
Fulmer relocated to Liberty Village in September 2024 and couldn’t be happier with her decision.
“The anxiety I had previously, I didn’t realize I had, taking care of a big home and a big yard,” Fulmer said. “I didn’t realize it until I moved into my new home. At Liberty Village, they take care of the yard. All of that anxiety is gone. It’s a wonderful feeling,” she said.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
Wendy Fulmer, a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker, has personal experience with downsizing. Fulmer moved to a smaller home and has felt less anxiety now that she doesn’t have to deal with the upkeep of a big yard and house.
Enjoy the Fall Bounty
By Shannon Serpette
The fall season has so many highlights to enjoy – Halloween, the colorful leaves on the trees, and the crisp air. But one of my favorite things about this time of year is the delicious fall fruits and vegetables that are available.
Whether you love pumpkins or apples, this season truly has something for everyone to enjoy in the kitchen. Here are some great recipes if you want to spend a cozy fall day cooking or baking in the kitchen.
Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
INGREDIENTS
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and chopped (may use other types of apples)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, divided
1 and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray an 8- by 8-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, add the chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and put in the sprayed baking dish.
In another mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, oats, flour, remaining cinnamon, salt, and cold butter. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the oat mixture until they look like pea-sized crumbs.
Spread the topping over the apples in the baking dish. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. This dish is especially good when topped with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce.
TortelliniHealthySoup
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups spinach and cheese refrigerated tortellini
1 and ½ cups packed chopped spinach
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup scallions
3 cups vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS
Add all the ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat. Cook until the soup is hot and the tortellini is done. Let cool before serving.
Pumpkin Gingerbread
INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cups water
One 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 and 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two loaf pans. In a big bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, and eggs. Add water and beat well until blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and clove.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and blend for a short time, just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about one hour.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Cinnamon
INGREDIENTS
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into one-inch cubes
1 and ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 and ½ tablespoons real maple syrup
1 and ¾ teaspoons kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of table salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray. Put the cut-up squash in a big bowl. Add the maple syrup and olive oil, then add the salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Toss to coat and place the mixture on the two baking sheets in a single layer.
Place one pan in the upper rack position and the other in the lower rack position. After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the pans and flip the squash cubes with a spatula. Then return the pans to the oven, reversing the pan positions, so the upper rack is now in the lower rack position. Keep baking until the squash is tender and ready to eat, which will be about 10 to 15 more minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and add the rosemary to the top.
