Casey McGrath changed her life with Fiddlerock!
ALSO:
• Meet two of Illinois Valley’s high-ranking female police officers
• Festival 56 celebrates a milestone
• Potato recipes you’ll want to keep
Three years ago, I finally found a way to ditch my two-cans-a-day soda habit. With health experts repeatedly saying how bad soda is for a person to drink, I knew I owed it to myself to finally kick my beloved drink to the curb. But I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it. I had been drinking soda daily since high school in the late 1980s, except during my pregnancies, and truth be told, I absolutely loved it.
I knew I was going to have to replace my soda fixes with more than just plain water. As a healthy alternative to soda, I started drinking unsweetened loose-leaf tea. At first, I missed my morning can of Coke terribly. I would get random cravings throughout the day for soda, and I would have to fight through the urge. That continued for months. Three years later, I hardly ever have the urge to drink soda, which is something I
never thought I’d hear myself say. Getting rid of your bad habits can be as easy as finding something healthier to take their place. Now, every morning, I brew two or three cups of loose-leaf black tea before switching to green tea. At night, I’ll drink some sort of herbal tea or just stick with water.
I’ve started to study the ingredients in the tea I drink, reading extensively about their health benefits. Now, as I become more familiar with the medicinal benefits of various teas, I find myself instinctively reaching for elderberry tea at the first sign of a viral illness or chamomile when I need a good night’s sleep.
If you ask my husband, he would probably tell you I’ve replaced one obsession with another. I’ve taken over a lot of space in our hallway closet to store my ever-growing tea stash, which requires far more room
Festival 56 has become a community favorite over the last 20 years.
This violinist reinvented her life and couldn’t be happier with the results.
than my 24-pack of Coke did.
Just completing the ritual of brewing tea relaxes me – putting the water on to boil, scooping the tea leaves, pouring the hot water over the leaves, and watching the water instantly change colors. I slowly sip each cup while I contemplate the tasks ahead of me or take a couple of minutes to daydream. It’s a small part of my day but one I look forward to. Sometimes it really is the simple things in life that can give us the most joy.
Best wishes,
Shannon Serpette Niche EditorIllinois Valley Woman
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
Illinois Valley women have earned their way to high-ranking law enforcement positions.
These root vegetables are tasty and versatile.
On the cover: Casey McGrath of Marseilles plays her show Fiddlerock! all over the Illinois Valley.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON SERPETTERegional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com
Writers Brandon LaChance
Katlyn Sanden
Shannon Serpette
Photographer Shannon Serpette
Designer
Liz Klein
Published by:
Festival 56 has become a community favorite over the last 20 years. So much so, the devoted volunteers and cast members have doubled attendance from 2,000 patrons in 2003 to more than 4,000 patrons last year. It comes as no surprise their tagline for this year is ‘Small Town, Big Drama’ as they celebrate how far they’ve come and how much more they’d like to accomplish.
“I’m excited about our 20th anniversary for several reasons,” said Festival 56 Board of Directors President Kathy Missel. “One is the return of our co-artistic directors Jimmy Calitri and Tim Seib. They are both very beloved
Festival 56 alumni who bring a true passion to their work, not only passion for the art of theater, but passion for
Story by Katlyn Sanden | Photos contributed
These are all the shows scheduled for the 2023 season.
the Princeton community itself. Their enthusiasm for Festival 56 has been instrumental in the return of many festival alumni.”
Calitri and Seib carefully selected this season’s productions that exemplify the quality Festival 56 is known for.
“I can’t wait to see Million Dollar Quartet, directed by Tim Seib, featuring cast members from the national tour,” Missel said. “How exciting to have that caliber of talent in Princeton.”
In addition to Million Dollar Quartet, which will run June 24 through July 1, the artistic duo has selected Significant Other to run July 1 through July 8, 12th Night to run July 2 through August 2, Footloose to run July 14 through July 23, and Something Rotten! to run July 28 through August 6.
Shakespeare in the Park will also be returning. The Shakespeare productions are free of charge, with performances every Sunday and Wednesday throughout the summer, beginning July 2.
Cabarets are also scheduled, running from June 23 through August 6, as well as Camp 56, where campers have the opportunity to work and perform with professionals.
But what might be the most exciting activity yet is Christmas in New York City.
“We’re hosting a New York City trip to celebrate our 20th season,” Missel said. “This is an amazing opportunity to travel with area theater fans to see two Broadway productions, take in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall featuring the Rockettes, and enjoy an exclusive tour of the historic New Amsterdam Theatre. We’re so excited to offer this opportunity with a portion of the proceeds directly benefitting Festival 56.”
Missel is optimistic about what the next 20 years might hold for Festival 56.
“What I love about the organization is how it brings the whole community together. The support of the community is phenomenal in bringing these amazing artists to Princeton. I also enjoy seeing the lasting bonds created between the artists, their colleagues, and host families. I don’t think there’s anything quite like it. I enjoy giving my time to organizations like Festival 56, who have given me so much. It’s a small price to pay to ensure that Festival 56 is here for many years to come.”
The 20th season of Festival 56 will officially kick off with a Cabaret on June 23. Visit festival56.com for tickets, or call the box office at 815-879-5656.
The set of Shakespeare in the Park, where the community is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy the show.
Casey McGrath had reached a point in her career many musicians dream of attaining – a comfortable, stable job in academia, putting her doctorate in music to use. For more than a decade, she served as an adjunct music professor, concertmaster, studio teacher, and guest concerto soloist with various orchestras.
When she realized, though, she had lost her passion for what she was doing, she decided to make a radical job shift when she was in her late 30s.
As a violinist, McGrath, who lives in Marseilles, wanted to be excited about the music she was playing. So in 2019, she decided to resign from her positions and focus on developing and performing Fiddlerock!, her solo violin act.
Fiddlerock! unites audiences of all backgrounds and musical tastes through popular music. It first began as ten handwritten pieces of sheet music performed on a borrowed sound system. Since then, the show has grown into a full light and sound production with more than 250 arrangements in nearly every musical genre, along with the help of her boyfriend, A.J., who is the sound technician and helps in other roles.
“Each show is different,” McGrath said, adding that she works hard to make it a multi-generational show so everyone can find something to enjoy or hear a popular song in a new way.
When McGrath first decided to
quit her orchestral and academic jobs to concentrate on Fiddlerock!, it was concerning to some of her loved ones who worried about this new journey, while others fully encouraged the change.
“It was kind of mixed,” she said.
While some may have had their concerns, all her loved ones ultimately understood that she needed to pursue her passion and see where she landed. She was no longer excited about what she was doing and couldn’t envision doing it for decades longer.
“The music itself I was not excited about anymore,” she said, adding that she knew she had to choose. “I couldn’t do orchestra and do Fiddlerock! I know this is not a traditional path, but I never considered myself traditional anyway.”
McGrath’s journey to a musical career has been unique. Although she first started playing the violin
This violinist reinvented her life and couldn’t be happier with the resultsStory and Photos by Shannon Serpette
FROM PAGE 7
at age 8, she didn’t have her first private lesson until she was 16 years old. Before that, she’d learn pieces by ear. She’s also had setbacks along the way.
“In 2020, I was diagnosed with significant hearing loss,” she said.
Protecting their hearing isn’t something all musicians think about, but they should, she said, because it is a serious risk and concern.
Despite her untraditional path to music and having to learn the ins and outs of marketing herself as a musician because that isn’t something she was taught in school, McGrath has managed to carve out a successful niche for herself.
One of the first local venues McGrath played was CatsEye Wine Bar in downtown Ottawa.
“She comes several times a year,” co-owner Francie Skoflanc said, adding that her performance draws a big crowd. “We get a lot of tourists. We want to bring quality entertainment to our wine bar. Casey is one of my favorite performers and people.”
McGrath now has five commercial recordings, thousands of Facebook followers, a YouTube channel, a packed performance schedule, and has set up a home recording studio. Perhaps most importantly, now at age 40, she feels she has found a healthy life-work balance, with her happiness and passion no longer playing second fiddle in her life.
“You have to look at what you can do forever,” she said. “Having a lot of projects keeps me from getting bored.”
The violin Casey McGrath plays is over 310 years old and was made in Milan.
It doesn’t happen as often as it once did, but when Sarah Raymond and Sarah Kinkin handle a law enforcement call with a male partner, the male is sometimes addressed as the higher-ranked officer. But if you look at the badges, it’s Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond and Spring Valley Deputy Chief Sarah Kinkin.
“It didn’t really hit me that it was such a big deal for a woman to be the chief until someone came up to me and explained their path in life as a female construction worker and how they were degraded,” said Raymond, 43, who is from Bourbonnais but moved to the Illinois Valley to join the Peru Police Department in 2004. “Here we are in 2023 and the Illinois Valley has a female police chief. It has created an opportunity for other women to take on bigger roles within their departments.”
“Sarah Kinkin is now the deputy chief with the Spring Valley Police Department,” Raymond added. “There are females in the Peru Police Department besides me, such as Amy Sines. Sines was a patrolman for a long time, and now she is one of my detectives. Women are taking on different roles, and hopefully, it’s because they’re seeing more and more female police officers moving up in the ranks.”
Raymond understands the importance of her role and how it may inspire other women.
“It means a lot to me. I hope other women see it. I hope they see that they can
succeed in a male-dominated profession,” she said. In high school and even while attending Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Raymond had no idea she was going to wear a badge. Let alone the highest-ranking badge in a police department.
After becoming a patrol officer in 2004, she became a sergeant in 2009, a commander in 2017, deputy chief in 2021, and was promoted to chief in November 2022.
“Law enforcement was not a dream of mine or a career I thought about. I went to college to play softball,” Raymond said. “That’s really all I had focus on at the time. By my junior year, they made me declare a major. I chose criminal justice, but I was still un-
sure of what I wanted to do.”
“I came to know policing a little bit through the program and decided I’d give it a shot. I really wanted to be a detective when I first came into it, but I was promoted to a supervisor position within four years of being hired, so I continued down that road to learn more about leadership and what it entailed to get as high as I could in the police department,” she added.
Police work seemed like a natural fit for Raymond.
“I’ve always liked to find a means to an end. I’ve always enjoyed working cases that you had to investigate and figure out what’s going on and how it happened. Those are things that have always inter-
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ested me. It was a good career path for me, and I’m glad I took it. It’s a very noble profession. Police officers should be proud of their profession.”
The Illinois Valley is vastly different than the suburban Bourbonnais. When Raymond was on patrol, she wondered why she was being called to underage drinking parties as much as she was. After being told by the kids that they drank because there was nothing else to do, she vowed to make a difference and engage youth in as many programs and opportunities as possible.
As she took leadership roles and was at the office more, she realized the Peru Police Department was always positively receptive toward females in uniform.
For the public, it took some getting used to.
“It was odd because I thought as time went on, people would move away from the stereotype and start to realize females can hold these types of positions,” Raymond said. “But unfortunately, that’s not how everyone sees things. Women are still struggling. They’re still struggling to have positions that men predominately hold. It is starting to ease up a little. It probably won’t fully ease up or be 100 percent equal for a long, long, long time. Back when those things happened, it was part of life, you rolled with it, and moved on. If you let it affect you, it would affect the entirety of what you’re doing. It wasn’t worth it to me to get upset about it. It actually fuels the passion to continue on and show people that they could be wrong.”
Kinkin, who is 38 and was born and raised in Spring Valley, attended Bradley University in Peoria before returning to Spring Valley. She has taken the same approach as
Raymond – she has vowed to do her job to the best of her ability and not let others’ judgment impact her career.
“I’m not the person who is going to play the, ‘I’m a woman’ card, whether it be negative or positive,” Kinkin said. “Not that long ago, another person in law enforcement came to our office. I was in the front where the dispatcher normally is, this may be why they assumed, and he came in and he asked, ‘Can you call in a couple of the guys? I have a question for them.’”
“I asked, ‘Is there anything I can help you with?’ He responded, ‘No, I need to talk to the guys.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m the deputy chief; what can I help you with?’ Then it was, ‘Ohhhhhh,’ Kinkin said.
“There are definitely stereotypes that come into play. They may not immediately recognize the person they’re talking to is a police officer. It’s laughable to me. It’s not anything that offends me. It’s nothing I hold against people,” she said.
Kinkin double majored in criminal justice and sociology at Bradley with the intention of coming back to Spring Valley. She had a desire to be part of the Spring Valley Police Department.
During a stint as a mental health counselor at Choices in Ottawa, she joined the SVPD part-time in 2011, was a fulltime patrol officer in 2013 with certifications in crisis intervention, homicide investigation, and sexual assault, became sergeant in February 2021, and made deputy chief in March 2022.
“This was specifically my goal. I did the work, I came back, and I achieved my goal. It’s something I’m definitely proud of. It’s what I wanted to do, and I’m doing it,” Kinkin said. “It’s a source of pride for me to be a woman police officer. I don’t think it’s unique anymore because I think that
attitude is changing drastically. I know from the time that I started until now, there were instances where maybe people weren’t super pleased that a woman showed up to possibly tell them things that they did not want to hear or to tell them there were things they couldn’t do.”
“I think a lot of that has changed, though,” she added. “Some of that can be the difference between me being a new officer and a deputy chief. I think, along the way, I changed a few minds in the area of people who were in the profession that maybe didn’t feel 100 percent cool with women being police officers.”
Kinkin and Raymond love seeing more women joining the law enforcement ranks.
To them, stereotypes or assumptions of what a police officer, a business owner, or any other role or duty in a town should be or look like are not important. It’s about having the passion to enforce the law and be a part of your community.
“I would be just as offended if somebody gave me special treatment as if somebody tried to not allow me to do something,” Kinkin said. “I would like the stereotype of a police officer to be pictured as a man or a woman because it’s both. We’re both capable of doing the job. We both do the job. It’s a job.”
Raymond hopes other women continue on their path to their desired careers, especially if it’s law enforcement.
“If there are women out there questioning whether they should go into this profession and think it may be a good fit for them, they should absolutely do it,” Raymond said. “Even with the climate of policing today, it’s still a great job and a great career choice. If they want a noble profession that they can be proud of, they should absolutely get into law enforcement.”
Whether you bake, fry, or boil them, potatoes are delicious and can go with almost any type of meal. They are also relatively inexpensive, giving you a cheap way to bulk up a stew or meal if you’re on a tight food budget. When making potatoes, consider keeping the skin on, so you can get even more nutrients. Here are some great recipes to try when you have some extra potatoes at your disposal.
INGREDIENTS
4 large potatoes, baked and cooled
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 Tbsp minced chives
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
4 medium baking potatoes
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and mix the cheese, garlic salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and paprika in a bowl. Cut each potato lengthwise into eight wedges. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Stir the potatoes into the bowl, coating them with the seasoning mixture. Place them in a single layer on the pan and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
Trim the ends of the baked potatoes. Slice the potatoes into approximately one-inch rounds. Brush with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the potatoes on the grill rack with the buttered side down. Grill, covered, over medium heat, until browned to your liking and hot. Brush with the remaining butter, turn over, and grill a little longer.
Top the potatoes with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and chives.
INGREDIENTS
Four pounds red potatoes, quartered
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
8 oz spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Chopped chives
Put potatoes and bouillon in a Dutch oven and cover with eight cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain the water from the potatoes, and put the potatoes back in the pan. Mash the potatoes with cream cheese, cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Garnish with chives.
INGREDIENTS
One 5 lb bag of medium Russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 package of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 small onion, chopped
Chives, to taste
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash the potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until fork tender.
Cool and cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Leave the skin on. Mix the mayo and sour cream together in a bowl. Add to the cool potatoes, and then gently fold in the onions, chives, bacon, and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
INGREDIENTS
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
INGREDIENTS
One pack of cooked bacon
Large onion, diced
6 large potatoes, cubed with skins
1 Tbsp salt
1 stick butter
2 cans cream style corn
3 cups milk
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Sauté butter and onion together until limp; add potatoes and salt. Then add milk and corn, cooked on low to medium heat until the potatoes are soft. Add the cheddar cheese and stir. Add bacon that has already been fried crisp.
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup cold milk
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup half and half
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cut into chunks
Bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)
Green onions, diced (optional)
Put the potatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a four-quart or larger crock pot. Stir and cook on high for about three and 1/2 hours or six to eight hours on low until the potatoes are completely cooked and tender. After it has cooked that long, whisk three tablespoons of flour into one cup of cold milk until smooth. Stir the flour mixture into the potatoes and add the half and half. Stir and cover and cook for another 30 minutes. Add the chunks of Velveeta and allow to melt. Garnish with the bacon and green onions, if desired.
