ALSO:
• Kathy Casstevens discusses her career at Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center
• Get creative in the kitchen with these fish recipes
• Heritage Harbor – a staycation haven
The moment I’ve been dreading for the past 18 years has finally arrived. As I write this, my son is packing his belongings to take with him to his new college campus. From the day he was born, I’ve dreaded letting him go, knowing that not having him near me would create a giant hole in my heart.
Every passing year has been a mental countdown to his 18th birthday – the day he officially would become an adult. He reached that milestone in July – no matter how much I wished I could rewind time and have the privilege of raising him all over again. While the rest of the world will view him as a grown man from this point on, to me, he’ll always be my baby.
Some moms look forward to the day their children leave home, so they can reclaim their personal time and explore new hobbies. Not me. Not at all. I’ve truly enjoyed every minute of being a mom. My only consolation is that my daughter will have two more years of high school, so I won’t be an empty nester quite yet.
I’m so proud of my son and all he accomplished in high school, and I know he’ll do equally well in college. But I also know it’s going to be a difficult adjustment for both of us. Luckily, his college campus is less than two hours away, so it’s close enough that I can make frequent trips to see him.
I also know, though, that I can’t
drive there whenever I want. He needs and deserves the freedom to explore new experiences without me hovering too much. As a parent, you need to trust the lessons you’ve taught during the past 18 years and hope your child has been paying attention. This is his chance to show everyone what he has learned, and it’s my time to share him with the world – whether I’m ready or not.
Best wishes,
Shannon Serpette Niche Editor
Princeton resident, loves to help at Corner Chair Market, the Princeton store owned by Ruby’s grandmother, Wanda DeLong, and Wanda’s sister, Sharon Sarff. Ruby is sitting at her favorite piece of furniture in the store.
cover: Ruby, a
Story & Photos by Brandon LaChance
Boring is one adjective Kathy Casstevens has never used to describe the career she has had for the last 20 years. The Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center Marketing Manager is never handling the same responsibilities or duties day to day.
Casstevens has plenty of trails, waterfalls, wildlife, lodge accommodations, food, drinks, bands, visitors, staff, and much more to market and juggle.
“The variety is what makes my job wonderful every day. It’s exciting to meet the different people that I meet. I have travel writers coming in from all over the world. To share the passion that I have for this place with the writers makes them want to come back. That’s what I want. That’s my goal. I love that part of my job,” Casstevens said.
“I also like creating something from nothing. For example, the tribute shows we have. At one point, we didn’t have any, and now we have over 50 shows a year. I’ve worked with people through the years to create a lot of things we never had,” she said.
Casstevens was born into an Army family in Kansas, but she grew up in La Salle by the Veterans Home. She attended Illinois Valley Community College and transferred to Purdue University, where she graduated with two degrees – public relations and fine art photography.
After 18 years in Naperville and Aurora, Casstevens and her two children – Stephanie Baiocchi and Grant Casstevens – moved back to the Illinois Valley.
Casstevens found the marketing manager position at Starved Rock almost 20 years ago and hasn’t looked back while blending her writing and photography background to bring people to Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby.
“I’ve seen the attendance at Starved Rock go up since I’ve started and even more so since I was able to use digital media. That made a big difference. Summer is our busiest time of the year because of all of the water cruises we have, but we have extended our season to include winter tours,” Casstevens said.
“The winter tours have become a big, wonderful thing because Starved Rock Lodge isn’t just a three-season destination anymore. We have events planned throughout the entire year. We mainly market our product to flourishing families because we know it has a multi-generational appeal. There is something fun for all ages,” she said.
Casstevens has her hand on the digital pulse of the state park marketing while she writes a blog for the website, helps manage
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the website, takes photos, and has a role with commercials. In print marketing, she is the executive in charge of all brochures, magazines, handouts, posters, and displays. And, of course, more photos.
“My job is to update everything printed to keep it current,” Casstevens said. “I handle all of the maps, all outlets within the lodge, the brochures, and everything else printed. But photography is my strongest asset I bring to the position. Where would we be without great photos? We want to market everything here, so there are photos of drinks, meals, bands, and anything else included at the lodge. If you like details, you like working here,” she said.
And not only does she market to Illinois, but out-of-state visitors are also on her demographic chart.
“I’m always looking for new markets. Of
course, the people that know about Starved Rock are going to come and they return routinely every year,” Casstevens said. “I call them legacy travelers. I just tapped into a new market in Indiana, and I always look toward the Quad Cities. I chose Quad Cities for a destination Illinois interview rather than Chicago. We have marketing in Chicago, so I wanted to try a new place. We can’t rest on our laurels and have to expand as much as we can.”
Besides the versatility to use many of her strengths and passions, Casstevens is also thrilled with the support she has received within and outside of Starved Rock over the years. It has come from executives, visitors, partners, and all ethnicities and genders.
“At Starved Rock, we have a very strong leadership presence by women,” she said. “It just shows the power of commitment and that women are every bit as qualified as men. Our workforce here is strongly composed of women, and I’m proud of them.”
Casstevens enjoys her position because of the different ways she can do her job, but
also because of the different audiences. There are older visitors who enjoy walking down memory lane. There are roughly 150 couples getting married at Starved Rock every year.
The Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center hosts meetings, scavenger hunts, and corporate events. If you need to send a stamp, post offices throughout the entire country now have a Starved Rock stamp featuring La Salle Canyon. Casstevens is linked to it all.
“La Salle County tourism created a tourism committee to wisely spend the Pillow Tax that has accumulated from guests who stay here and anywhere in La Salle County that collects Pillow Tax,” Casstevens said. “We’re the primary contributor to the Pillow Tax, so I have sat on the tourism collation my entire time with Starved Rock because I care how that money is reinvested into tourism.”
“It should be reinvested into tourism. When I was a child, manufacturing was the
major employer in the area. It’s not anymore; tourism is. This is why I put all of my faith, hope, and future into getting businesses here that enjoy having tourists come into their business,” she said. “They have a product that tourists want to buy, and they have the attitude that welcomes people of all ethnicities and diversities.”
Through Starved Rock, Casstevens is not only associated with La Salle County Tourism but with Heritage Corridor Destinations, which is five regions in Illinois, and the Illinois Office of Tourism.
And through all of her duties, her responsibilities, and the years, Casstevens has never become complacent or regretted her everyday job. Instead, she looks behind a camera to highlight her current marketing tool and smiles.
“I have a dream job,” Casstevens said. “Every day is fun. I work with great people. I have a passion for this place and have unlimited resources to showcase it to everyone.”
When some people retire, the last thing they want is to spend their time sitting on a couch. They’d rather search for new challenges and projects to work on. Sisters Sharon Sarff and Wanda DeLong, both of LaMoille, decided to take a more active approach to retirement by opening a store, Corner Chair Market, located at 414 South Main St., Princeton.
The sisters decided this was the ideal time to begin a busi-
ness together.
“I’m not a great retired person,” DeLong said, adding that she likes to stay busy. “I like to do projects. I like to be creative. This was something we’ve always talked about.”
The store opened in April 2023, giving Sarff and DeLong a place to show off their creative talents. The two women repurpose old furniture –something they are well familiar with. Both women began repurposing furniture decades
ago as a way to save money after each of them were married.
In their early years of marriage, both DeLong and Sarff were given older pieces of furniture by their parents and grandparents. Sometimes they had to give the furniture some attention to bring it back to life.
“That’s where we learned to refurbish furniture,” Sarff said. “Back then, antiques were valued.”
Still, to this day, both sisters have hardly any new furniture in their homes.
“I find value in the history of it (old furniture),” DeLong said.
Wanda and Sharon both have a real appreciation for the materials and craftsmanship of old furniture.
“The old furniture is wellmade,” DeLong said.
With the mid-century modern movement surging in popularity, they hope older furniture will be more sought
after. When the sisters come across a piece they want to rehab and sell in their store, they admit they don’t always immediately know what they want to do with it.
“Sometimes we have to look at it for a while,” Sharon said.
DeLong, who worked at LaMoille School District before retiring, and Sarff, a retired sales representative, work well together and enjoy each other’s company. Their business has become a family
affair, with DeLong’s 5-yearold granddaughter, Ruby, spending time helping in the shop and input being offered from the sisters’ husbands as well.
“Our husbands are very much involved,” DeLong said. Both women enjoy unleashing their creativity while making pieces for the store, but the social aspect is also much appreciated, with family stopping by and having the opportunity to meet new customers.
LLooking for a place to have a great staycation for your busy family? Since 2008 when it first opened with 50 boat slips, Heritage Harbor in Ottawa has steadily grown and earned a reputation as an outstanding place to visit, vacation, or live year-round.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything,” Tammy Barry, vice president of sales and marketing for Heritage Harbor, said.
Those who are looking for things to do can always find something interesting happening in Starved Rock Country. Whether you’re looking for quiet contentment at a spa, retail therapy, varied dining options, festivals, state parks, or wine tasting, this part of Illinois has it all. Giving others the opportunity to enjoy all there is to offer in this region is the reason Heritage Harbor
was first conceptualized.
“We were trying to take advantage of all the outdoor amenities,” Barry said.
Heritage Harbor is more than a place to rest your head, though – it’s a great destination all on its own. If you’d rather skip the driving and want to find something to do at Heritage Harbor, you’ll still have plenty of options.
As a boater, vacationer, or permanent resident at Heritage Harbor, you can enjoy the scenic beauty of the 32-acre marina, visit other places on the Illinois River on your boat, or join in on the fun of one of many things to do there. If you want to spend the day on the water and don’t own a boat, you can rent kayaks,
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boats, or jet skis.
“We have no wake in the 32 acres,” she said.
If you do have a boat, Heritage Harbor gives you a secure area to keep it in a nowake zone. Currently, Heritage Harbor has 192 boat slips, and eventually, it will have up to 350.
“Our marina is a full-service marina,” Barry said.
If you don’t want to go on the water, you’ll have your pick of other activities, including strolling along the harbor, enjoying sand volleyball, listening to live music, participating in seasonal events, renting a golf cart, and using the pickleball courts.
“We have a couple of outdoor pools,” she said. “We rent bikes – regular, fat tire, or electric.”
Heritage Harbor is also an official parkrun USA location. As one of those locations, there is a free 5k group run every Saturday morning where everyone is welcome to participate. During any given run, Heritage Harbor will often have multiple countries represented.
With a wide variety of living options,
including rentals, second homes, and permanent residences, Heritage Harbor can fit every circumstance or stage of life for its residents. If you’d prefer to use your home as an investment, they have an onsite rental company so that people who don’t plan to live in their homes all year can rent them out when they’re not in use.
“Right now, we have just over 190 homes,” Barry said, adding there are plans for a total of 500. “I think the big thing people love about living here is the smalltown charm.”
The homes at Heritage Harbor retain a friendly feel since they are split into different neighborhoods, including Pinnacle Pointe, Navvy Town, West Peninsula, Port Place, Boathouse, and Villas At Heron’s Landing.
Barry said people buy homes at Heritage Harbor for a variety of reasons. Some people choose to buy a home there so they can have a family home where their grown children and grandchildren will enjoy visiting frequently, where the family can spend time together and have a lot to do.
One of Barry’s favorite things about working at Heritage Harbor is seeing families and friends go through the various stages of their lives year after year.
“I know that somewhere along the way, we have created memories for them,” she said.
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With so many well-known and hidden fishing spots in this area of Illinois, it’s no wonder that fishing is a popular hobby. Many of us get stuck in a rut when cooking the various types of fish we land – we often
make the same few recipes time after time. If you want to venture out into unknown culinary territory, here are a few fish recipes to try the next time you score a great catch.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
5 to 6 small catfish fillets
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup melted butter (or olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast almonds in a shallow baking pan for 4 to 6 minutes or until light brown. Cool. Combine Parmesan cheese, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl and mix well. Beat egg and milk in another bowl. Dip the fish into the egg mixture and then the flour mix.
Arrange the fish in a lightly greased baking dish, and drizzle the melted butter or olive oil over them and top with almonds. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
INGREDIENTS
8 to 12 ounces skinless white fish fillets
Sea salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the fish fillets and dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a wide pan over medium heat. When the butter has fully melted and is hot, place the fish into the pan. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute before tilting the pan toward you and using a spoon to ladle the garlic butter over the fish. Continue doing this for three more minutes.
Carefully flip the fish with a spatula, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook for two minutes. Uncover the pan and continue basting the fish with the butter sauce until it is cooked through, which may take one or two minutes.
Add three tablespoons of parsley and turn off the heat. Put the fish onto a platter and spoon the butter sauce over the fillets. Pour the lemon juice over the fish and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley.
INGREDIENTS
Four 8-to-10-ounce fresh or frozen dressed trout, heads removed
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Lime wedges
Thaw the trout if it’s frozen, and then rinse and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine lime juice and oil. Brush the inside and outside of each trout with the juice mixture. Sprinkle cilantro, salt, and pepper evenly inside the cavity of each trout.
To grill, put the trout into a well-greased grill basket. Put the basket on the rack of an uncovered grill right over the medium coals or on medium heat if you’re using a gas grill. Grill for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes when using a fork, turning the basket once at the halfway point of cooking.
Serve the trout with the lime wedges.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh or frozen catfish fillets, about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups whole pretzels, coarsely crushed (about 1 cup when crushed)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Thin lemon slices, if desired
Thaw fish, if frozen, and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving-size pieces. Place flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine the egg, mustard, milk, and pepper, beating with a fork until smooth. In a third shallow dish, place the pretzel crumbs. Coat both sides of the fillets with the flour, and then dip them in the mustard mixture. Coat them with the pretzel crumbs. In a large skillet, cook the fish over hot oil on medium heat for four minutes per side or until golden and flaking. If desired, serve with lemon slices.
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces fresh or frozen skinless fish fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 and 1/2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
8 corn taco shells, warmed
Mango salsa
3/4 cup chopped, peeled mango
Half of a red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Half of a jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon shredded lime peel
1 and 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
INGREDIENTS
Four 6-ounce fresh or frozen flounder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup jarred basil pesto sauce
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw fish if frozen, and rinse. Pat dry. Tear off four large heavy-duty foil pieces, and place each fillet in the center of its own piece of foil. In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, shallots, pepper, and garlic. Spoon over the fish, and top each piece with the pesto. Enclose each piece with the foil, sealing tightly to form a package while leaving a little space for steam. Place the foil packets on a baking pan.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the fish flakes when using a fork. Open the packets carefully to ensure the steam doesn’t burn you.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Stir all the ingredients for the mango salsa together and chill until ready to use.
Thaw fish, if frozen, and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut the fish crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place fish in a single layer in a greased shallow baking pan. Combine olive oil, cumin, and garlic powder. Brush over fish. Bake in a 450-degree oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fish begins to flake when using a fork. In a medium bowl while the fish is cooking, stir together the lime juice and mayo; add cabbage and toss to coat. To serve, spoon some of the coleslaw mixture into each taco shell. Add the fish slices and top with mango salsa.
