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Flower power and PEOple power help women succeed

Bar owners want to be your emcee for good times

Family invites you to stop by and let the good time roll

Hurdler isn’t done yet — she’s putting the Hammer down

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Ogle County Living? E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Ogle County Living may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

inside Flower power, PEOple power

Members of a local chapter of an international philanthropic organization are helping women succeed, and doing their part to help motivate, educate and celebrate their fellow sisters.

Calling in hair support

Your emcee for good times

Let the good times roll

Putting the Hammer down

The staff at a Monroe Center bar enjoys hosting customers looking for a place where they feel like they’re part of a family.

Service members know you never leave a soldier behind — but they can leave other things behind, like a burden they’re carrying, a memory they want to share, or even a tear they need to shed, thanks to an Oregon barber who invites them to have a seat and feel at ease.

The owners of a Mount Morris bowling alley invite you stop by to play a game they say can put anyone in a happy frame of mind.

An Oregon High School student’s track record is something to be proud of, but her successes so far are only the beginning.

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ometimes, when a customer comes into a barber shop, things aren’t always cut and dried. Some people need more than just a trim and a touch-up. Maybe they’re carrying years of memories, the weight of grief, or a feeling of uncertainty, and they could use someone to talk to — but they might not even know it. Then they have a seat and before long, they’re finding unexpected relief in a simple conversation. Erin Dietrich’s chair at Patriot Barber Shop in downtown Oregon can become that refuge, particularly for military veterans whose experiences she can understand through her own service. And in trading her G.I. gear for barber tools, she’s found something too: purpose, connections and healing. Her single-chair shop has grown into something much larger in her life. It’s become a place where veterans are remembered, where people can lighten their emotional load, and where Dietrich herself has found a way forward through some of life’s hardest chapters. More than just a business, it’s become her mission. “I got to have a mission or I won’t make it,” Dietrich said. “It’s too ingrained, and I think a lot of veterans are that way.” Dietrich opened the shop in 2020 after she took over the Short Cut Barber Shop from Cherie Slack, a longtime barber who had a ties to Dietrich’s family even before she took over the shop. She had cut the hair of Dietrich’s dad, Stuart Toney Sr., as well as her brother’s, Stuart Jr., when the family lived in Mount Morris. Slack also cut Erin’s sons’ hair. Years before Dietrich ever considered becoming a barber, Slack mentioned that she was ready to retire. That thought stayed with Dietrich for a couple of years, but then “life happened,” she said, and she found herself as a single mother who needed a way to provide for her family. PATRIOT cont’d to page 6

Erin Dietrich gives her brother, and fellow veteran, Stuart Toney Jr. a trim on Aug. 18, at Patriot Barbershop in Oregon. “He’s my hero. He’s my mentor,” she said — and he’s not the only one she admires: “I’m proud of the people who served.” ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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PATRIOT cont’d from page 5 “I was talking with my dad one day, and he’s like, ‘What are you going to do?’” Dietrich said. Though she was “very lucky to have a supporting family,” she had left home “and there was no going back.” It was then that she started thinking about what Cherie had told her, about wanting to retire. “It just sounded like something I could do to make some money.” Dietrich went to barber school, learning much of her training through Zoom before eventually taking over the shop. She also knew what she wanted her shop to represent. In the process, she rekindled her appreciation for her military service. “I had the epiphany to name it Patriot Barber Shop,” Dietrich said. “I knew that I wanted to attract my veteran comrades. After getting out of the service in ‘04, I had decided that it was a part of my life that I had kind of dumped. I missed it real bad.” Dietrich served in the Army from 1999 to 2004, eventually reaching the rank of buck sergeant. She became a paratrooper and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Her service took her to Kosovo in 2000 and later to Kandahar, Afghanistan, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. PATRIOT cont’d to page 8

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... And they do at Dietrich’s barbershop, and what they have to say comes with an immense sense of pride in the men and women who, like Dietrich, have served their country. Photos and military mementoes that people bring in fill almost every inch of free space. “Everybody has a story,” she says. ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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PATRIOT cont’d from page 6 After returning stateside, Dietrich spent two years as a D.A.R.E. officer at Fort Bragg, teaching children before leaving the Army. Years later, when her life reached another difficult point, she found herself reaching back toward that part of herself. “Nothing was given to me [in life],” Dietrich said. “There’s still a part of me that had hope and purpose, and being able to go left-right-left. When things went south in 2019, I started to kind of wake up a little bit. The branding in my brain came to me right away for this shop. Ever since, it’s been very healing.” The shop itself is modest. It occupies one room and a storage closet, with a single barber chair, a hair-washing station, Dietrich’s desk and waiting chairs. But the walls tell a much larger story. When she opened the shop, Dietrich envisioned filling them with 8-by-10 photographs of people she knew, customers, family members and even people from the community — all veterans at one time or another. Her collection continues to grow, and more than 100 photos now fill whatever space Dietrich can find, including one of herself. Most are framed, but some are taped to a mirror. Some of the people pictured are still living; others have died, some under circumstances their loved ones understand, but some without answers. The photos keep coming, but space doesn’t — but even with her walls filled with photos, Dietrich is committed to finding room for more.

“These walls, if they could talk,” Dietrich said. “I’m proud of the people who served. Everybody has a story.” Dietrich has become part of those stories, too. People come into the shop for haircuts, beard trims, foil shaves and waxes. The shop operates on a walk-in basis Tuesday through Friday, with Dietrich taking a lunch break during the middle of the day. She offers special appointments for clients with particular needs and keeps her prices affordable, mindful of people who may be struggling financially. On Tuesdays, she offers what she calls “Old Fart Tuesday,” a senior haircut discount. The haircuts, though, are secondary. “The hair has never been the main thing,” Dietrich said. “It’s been about the people that I attract. It’s not just military, there’s a lot of people who come in here and we discuss their time in the service, their family’s history in the service. It’s just the neatest place to work. There’s just so much depth to it that I couldn’t have anticipated.” The chair has become kind of like a doorway. People may walk in expecting a haircut, but what they choose to leave behind can be something much more. “I call it ‘shedding,’” she said. “Sometimes we shed tears, sometimes we shed bull. It feels like there’s kind of a reverence when people sit in my chair.” PATRIOT cont’d to page 9

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

If she can find room on her shop walls, Dietrich will have something else to pin up: a Pin-Ups For Vets calendar she’s featured in. Proceeds from calendar sales will go to support veterans’ causes. “I saw that opportunity and thought that would be a real neat thing," she said. Copies of the calendar will be available at her shop during Oregon’s Autumn on Parade event Oct. 3-4. Can’t make it to her shop? Copies are also available at pinupsforvets.mybigcommerce.com/

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PATRIOT cont’d from page 8 Dietrich considers herself especially attuned to the people who sit in her chair. Sometimes she senses that someone needs more than a haircut, even if they don’t say it. “I’m pretty in tune with people,” Dietrich said. “I had a female in here recently and I didn’t know whether she was crying or she had allergies. I got her some Kleenex and said, ‘You’re leakin’.’ Then she kind of had a moment, and then she got in my chair and, wow, we had a great conversation. It’s what she needed. It’s healing. I feel that’s kind of what I get to do here, and it’s healed me, too, in a lot of ways, especially when we’re talking single motherhood or military experiences.” The connections made in that chair sometimes linger long after the last bit of hair falls to the floor. Dietrich has received letters from customers, including one family that thanked

her for helping their father during what became his final haircut. She never saw the family again, but their message stayed with her. The shop also has given Dietrich a way to continue serving causes and people she feels called to help. She has a particular concern for single mothers who are struggling and has become involved in community efforts when she feels she can make a difference. Her commitment to veterans sometimes takes a public stage. She was a featured speaker at Oregon’s Memorial Day service this year and has participated in veteran projects, including the documentary film, “Take Your Own Notes,” which featured Dietrich and other women veterans sharing their experiences. The documentary ends with Dietrich and others hanging veterans’ photographs on the walls of her shop. She’ll also be featured in the 2027 Pin-Ups For Vets calendar. Dietrich traveled to Los Angeles for a photo shoot in which she posed for a World War II-style photo in front of a vintage fighter plane, sporting 1940s hair style and wearing a red-and-white polka-dot dress. The calendars will be available when Oregon celebrates Autumn on Parade on Oct. 3-4. Copies will be sold at her shop, with proceeds going to a variety of national veterans healthcare and mental support programs. “I saw that opportunity and thought that would be a real neat thing,” Dietrich said. PATRIOT cont’d to page 10

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Patriot Barber Shop, 115 N. Fourth St. in Oregon, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It accepts walk-ins only. Find it on Facebook or call 815-732-7700 for more information. PATRIOT cont’d from page 9 Dietrich says veterans carry their military experiences with them long after their service ends, but believes there are ways through even the most difficult chapters of their story — and there’s something waiting for them on the other side. “There’s hope,” she said — but “you got to want it.” It’s something Dietrich herself wanted, and found. She decided to move forward in her own life, and what she

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found was her own sense of self-worth, becoming more confident and determined, and building positive chapters in her life, like buying her first house last November. Some of that momentum has come from people sitting still, taking their place in her chair as she lends an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on in a shop where conversations can move from military service to family history, grief, hardship, hope or something as ordinary as the day’s events. “People are just good to me,” Dietrich said. Dietrich’s work has become inseparable from the mission that brought her to her barber shop in the first place. The haircut may be what gets someone through the door, but the connection they make is what makes the place meaningful — it’s a feeling she hopes will only grow in this current chapter of her life. “I think I’m going to stay in here my entire life, and have a barber shop forever,” Dietrich said. “I don’t think I’ll ever retire. I want to be the old lady cutting hair slow, if life doesn’t get in the way.” n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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here is a certain strength in knowing someone is in your corner. It can be found in the encouragement offered when a new opportunity comes along, the quiet support during difficult days, and the shared joy when someone reaches a goal. Sometimes, those simple acts of caring become something much larger. That can be especially true if you’re a woman, which is why it’s nice when that “someone” in your corner is a sister. In Mount Morris, a group of “sisters” has spent generations turning connections into something tangible — supporting one another through life’s challenges while creating opportunities for women to pursue their goals. Mount Morris P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women, known as “sisters” among its membership, celebrate the advancement of women and help educate them through scholarships, grants, and awards. Mount Morris’s is one chapter among thousands across the United States and Canada. Mount Morris’ chapter, Chapter CU, has 35 members, ranging from women in their 20s to some who have belonged for more than 50 years. It was organized Nov. 16, 1929, making it the oldest chapter in Ogle County. The organization’s roots reach much farther back. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) was founded Jan. 21, 1869, when seven women formed a friendship circle at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Today, the organization has more than 5,400 chapters and has helped more than 132,000 women pursue educational goals, providing approximately $490 million in educational assistance as of July 2026. P.E.O. cont’d to page 15

“ “

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Chapter CU in Mount Morris is the oldest P.E.O. chapter in Ogle County, having formed in 1929. It is one of many chapters in Illinois and North America. Pictured are members Dianne Swingel, Pam Ballard, Sandra Stengel and Melissa Rojas. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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P.E.O. cont’d from page 13 According to the organization’s website, “women 17 years and older who acknowledge a belief in God” are eligible for membership. For Sandra Stengel, a Mount Morris native who joined the local chapter a year ago and handles its publicity, the mission that began nearly 160 years ago still carries weight. “It’s about supporting other women,” Stengel said. “In 1869, that was a pretty radical thought. Some cultures today, it’s still radical and not accepted. It’s all about helping women succeed.” The chapter’s most direct connection to its mission comes through annual scholarships. Each year, the chapter provides at least one $500 scholarship to a young woman at Oregon High School. On a state and national level, the organi-

zation also provides additional financial assistance, including loans for women pursuing higher education, scholarships for international women pursuing graduate study in the United States and Canada, and need-based grants for women whose education has been interrupted and who need to return to school. The organization also provides merit-based awards for women pursuing doctoral degrees. Stengel said P.E.O. some women who members wear have received a flower-shaped assistance pin, helping them through its local easily identify a scholarships have fellow sister. gone on to establish careers, go to graduate school, or earn doctoral degrees. The opportunity to help women move forward is what makes P.E.O.’s mission particularly meaningful, she said.

“When I learned what it was, I’m like, ‘I absolutely support that,’” Stengel said. “I absolutely support equity to achieve equality, that you do help women. I just love that aspect. We are helping women better themselves and be better citizens.” Membership dues help fund the awards. The chapter also raises money through activities that have become part of the Mount Morris community calendar. For more than 45 years, members have operated a pie-and-ice-cream concession once each summer during the Wednesday evening Kable Band concerts at the Mount Morris bandshell. In 2024, the chapter added a Friday fundraising meal during the Mount Morris Jamboree concerts, serving meatball sandwiches, chips and soft drinks. The chapter also has given money to the local library and supported Mount Morris village beautification projects, including landscaping and flowers. P.E.O. cont’d to page 16

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P.E.O. cont’d from page 15 The organization’s educational mission also funds Cottey College, a private liberal arts and sciences college for women in Nevada, Missouri. Founded in 1884, Cottey is the only college in the United States owned and supported by a national women’s organization; P.E.O. has owned and supported the college since 1927. The fundraisers have also given the chapter a visible presence in the community, something that has become increasingly important as its members try to introduce younger women to P.E.O., member Dianne Swingel said. “It used to be that people in town would think, ‘Those women are in P.E.O.,’ because it had a reputation that it was high-level or uppity,” Swingel said. “It was very much considered a secret society” — but over time, she said, that has changed. P.E.O. membership is by invitation. A current member submits the name of a prospective sister, the chapter votes on the nomination and the woman then

receives an invitation to accept or decline. Pam Ballard, who has been a member for 13 years, experienced the process personally when a longtime high school friend returned to the area after 40 years away. “I thought she would be a perfect person because she exemplifies the character of what our P.E.O. sisters are,” Ballard said. “I submitted her name and she was voted on. She accepted the invitation because she wanted to know people. She had been gone from this area for 40 years, so this helped her make friends and get to know people. At her initiation, when it was over, it just warmed my heart to see all of the sisters hugging her and bestowing so much love upon her. It was exactly what I told her that P.E.O. is about, and it was what was happening to my lifelong friend.” The relationships don’t stop after someone becomes a member. When a sister or a member of her family is sick, the chapter responds with cards, meals, transportation to medical appointments, and emotional support. When a spouse

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dies, sisters gather together at the funeral. “If one of our sisters is going through an illness, or their spouse or child is, we send cards to them, we support them — not just monetarily, but emotionally,” Ballard said. “We’re here for each other. We’ll provide meals for a sister in need because maybe they have to be at home because of illness, or even taking someone to doctor appointments. We had a sister who had a stroke and needed doctor appointments; we’d take turns doing that.” For Melissa Rojas, a Mount Morris resident and seven-year member, her sense of connection goes beyond the local chapter. Rojas, who also is executive director of the Mount Morris Senior Center and serves on the Village Board, attended the Illinois State Convention last year, where representatives from chapters throughout Illinois gathered. She said the experience demonstrated how the organization creates a common bond among women who may have never met. P.E.O. cont’d to page 18

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SANDRA STENGEL

Clockwise from top center: • Mount Morris P.E.O.’s Chapter CU participated in the Walk Today for Women Tomorrow fundraiser in August, hosted by the Oregon P.E.O. Chapter IU. • Nearly every meeting of the Mount Morris P.E.O. chapter includes learning from a guest speaker or field trip, such as a field trip to Snodgrass Dairy Farm in 2025. • P.E.O. members of Mount Morris Chapter CU gather for a picture before serving the concessions during a Mount Morris Jamboree concert this summer. • Carrie Rogers (left) of the Mount Morris Police Department, was a guest speaker at one of 2025’s meetings.

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P.E.O. cont’d from page 16 “To be in a room where there was one or two people from each chapter from all of Illinois, everyone was just so nice,” Rojas said. “Everywhere you go, you’re all sisters. They treat you like, ‘Hi, how are you?’ when they don’t even know your name. It’s a place where you felt totally at ease, and could talk to anybody at any time. I just thought that was really cool.” Illinois has more than 300 P.E.O. chapters, with roughly 12,000 members. Other chapters in Ogle County are in Oregon, Polo, Byron and Rochelle. Swingel, who spent 11 years as a member in Mendota’s chapter before moving to the area 19 years ago, said the organization’s consistency is another reason members feel connected wherever they go. “One of the many wonderful things about P.E.O. is that I can walk into any P.E.O. meeting anywhere, I would know the character of the people there, I know what they stand for, I know how the meeting is run, and I would know what their goals are,” Swingel said. “That’s lovely. It’s really set up

well and reaches people well.” Meetings are often held at the Mount but the seven women Morris Senior Center, or at other who started P.E.O. locations around the area. “formed this group Each meeting includes a proto support each other, gram or guest speaker. Its and other women in edAugust meeting was held at ucation. ... I can understand the Oregon Train Depot why that was a radical thing, museum, where memand it carried through for bers learned about the a number of decades. Go to peointernational. depot through a guest Over the past few years, org and peoillinois. speaker. we’re kind of becoming org to learn more The chapter’s regular more open on letting people about P.E.O. meetings provide an know what we do.” opportunity for members to The educational mission and stay connected with one another. the personal relationships ultimately “At the end of our meetings, we are inseparable, Ballard said. go around and everyone gets to say what’s “I’m glad there’s an organization that’s going on in their lives,” Rojas said. “We’ll get truly dedicated to helping women through a little snippet of what’s happening. It’s also education, and regularly meets and supone of the ways we raise money.” ports each other,” Ballard said. “It comes For Stengel, the challenge now is helping back to the love and support that you feel more women understand what the organithrough other sisters.” n zation does. Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter “When this started in 1869, you did not can be reached at 815-632-2532 or talk about educating women,” Stengel said, ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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IA.COM CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMED

Jordan Chosnyk and John Dobbs are the manage MC Tap in downtown Monroe Center. The recently engaged couple has enjoyed creating a sense of community at the bar, which is owned by Chosnyk’s parents, Marsha and Bob.

Most kids’ childhood adventures involved hanging around monkey bars. Jordan Chosnyk’s adventures were a little different. She’d hang around a different kind of bar: the local watering hole where her mom would go in the mornings to do the books; and while Mom was doing her balancing act, a young Jordan would head outside to play with the cats roaming near the apartment building across the street. It wasn’t long before she started helping out too, with one of her first jobs putting out and picking up ash trays and cleaning them. Today, she’s still hanging out at the bar, but now she’s tending to customers instead of ash trays. Chosnyk and her fiancé, John Dobbs, are co-managers of MC Tap, a longtime Monroe Center bar and grill where they and their staff will get to know a customer’s usual order sometimes before they even know their name. But even if they don’t know your name, they will eventually. “It’s all about having a good atmosphere,” Chosnyk said. “Everyone here, bartender, cook, does both. They make an environment that’s inviting and just good to be in. You get greeted right as you walk in, someone comes over to you right away. We can get really busy, and it’s still a good time. We put out good food and good service.” MC TAP cont’d to page 22 A Shaw Media Publication | Ogle County Living | Fall/Winter 2026 | 21

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MC TAP cont’d from page 21 CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

The inviting environment is something that Dobbs has come to appreciate as a transplant to the small Ogle County town. Dobbs has spent 15 years in the hospitality business, and the difference here, he said, is the sense that customers are walking into a place that’s more than just a business. “I’ve had a couple of people say that it’s like coming to a friend’s house, and like ‘Cheers,’” he said. “We all know each other’s names, and when they come in, we’ll welcome them and know pretty much what they drink and what they eat.” Chosnyk said that regulars who typically order the same meal can become so known by their order that when someone suddenly breaks from routine, the staff will joke: “Are you OK?” Conversations go beyond just the food and drinks they order. The staff gets to know the people who come through their doors — their doctor appointments, developments in their lives, even when they need a hand. “It’s a great small-town vibe,” Chosnyk said. “Someone needs their lawn mowed? John can do it.” MC TAP cont’d to page 23

These engraved bottles of Gentleman Jack whiskey at MC Tap honor Chosnyk’s grandparents and parents, both of whom have owned the bar: Grandparents James (“Bo”) and Barb from 19942004, and parents Bob and Marsha since then. The bottles are meant as keepsakes, and not cracking open.

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IA.COM CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMED

Burgers (right) are MC Tap’s specialty, but there are plenty of other options on the menu, too, like fish strips and tacos (left). OT A OS KP :M Specials are also offered from C TA P FA C E B O O time to time, like the Reubens and Reuben egg rolls that the bar rolled out for St. Patrick’s Day (above left). PH

MC TAP cont’d from page 22 The business itself has been part of Monroe Center since the early 1960s, Chosnyk said, and she represents the third generation of her family involved with it. Her grandfather, James Bobo, took over ownership in 1994, and her parents, Marsha and Bob Chosnyk, have owned the bar since 2004. Though Jordan grew up around the place, Dobbs arrived much later. He said Chosnyk “stole” him away from another bar, and the two began dating. They now live next door to the bar and became engaged in August. His years working in bars had already given him plenty of experience in hospitality, but becoming part of the Monroe Center community gave that experience a different meaning.

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MC TAP cont’d from page 23 “Being a member of this community has made me be a better employee here,” Dobbs said. “We’re not only looking out for the bar, but we’re looking out for community and we’re looking out for our family and friends.” Some customers make the trip from Rockford simply to get away from the city for a while. Word of mouth has become one of the bar’s strongest forms of advertising, Chosnyk said, along with Facebook posts that occasionally resurface years after they were first shared and inspire someone to stop in. The same familiarity applies to the staff. Aside from a couple of newer hires, many employees have been there three or four years, an unusually stable run for a bar. “We don’t really hire cooks and bartenders, we hire people,” Dobbs said. “If you hire a cook, or a bartender, they can be great at cooking or great at bartending. If you hire a person, they’re great at being people.” While some come to just grab a drink, food is a big draw for the business. Halfpound burgers — the place’s specialty —

can be ordered as doubles for a small additional charge, with choices including bacon cheeseburgers, mushroom Swiss burgers and veggie burgers. The bar gets its meat from Brian’s Trade Rite in Rockford. The menu also includes “Tap Bites,” appetizers such as tater tots, corn bites, mini corn dogs, breaded cauliflower and cheese curds, along with baskets of battered cod sticks, chicken tenders and boneless wings. Sandwich options range from a patty melt and pork tenderloin to grilled chicken, a pork chop, chicken club and battered cod fillet. Weekly specials are offered, including $1 off menu items Monday through Wednesday, Taco Thursdays and Fairdale Fries — a taco salad served over fries instead of chips and named for the nearby community across the DeKalb County line. Sundays bring buy-one, get-one-half-off burgers and $5 loaded Bloody Marys. For customers looking for food later in the evening, the grill remains open until 11 p.m., which helps draw in more business.

“We’re kind of priding ourselves on being open a lot later than other places,” Dobbs said. “It makes us a destination after all of the other places stop serving food. We like having the grill open as long as we do.” Some of the bar’s biggest gatherings, though, are its special events. Its annual crawfish boil has grown into what Chosnyk describes as a block party. The sixth annual event, held June 27 this year, included live music and 50/50 raffles. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving brings the annual meat raffle, an event that Chosnyk said can pack the bar. The events also provide opportunities to give back. Donations have gone to the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Stillman Valley and The Barn on Baseline animal shelter in Genoa, and MC Tap also participates in occasional motorcycle charity rides. “It’s a sense of community,” Chosnyk said. “We’re not doing any of these things for us, we’re doing it for them. The money goes toward a good cause. It’s a good way to give back while promoting community involvement.” MC TAP cont’d to page 25

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MC TAP cont’d from page 24 Evidence of the festivities sometimes remains long after the crowds have gone home. An inflatable crawfish still hangs in the middle of the bar, in a net left from a Halloween party. A flamingo remains from a surprise tiki-themed going-away party for a former employee. “Things go up, and then sometimes they just don’t go down,” Chosnyk said. Other items have accumulated behind the bar, too, turning its shelves into what Dobbs jokingly compares to a collection of misfit toys. If Chosnyk finds something on the floor, there is a good chance it will find a home on a shelf rather than in a trash can. Among the more permanent keepsakes are two engraved bottles of Gentleman Jack whiskey, in honor of Chosnyk’s grandparents and parents. They are not meant to be opened or moved. There also is a bartender chronicle behind the bar, where employees record the strange, funny and otherwise memorable moments that happen during a shift. “Anytime something weird happens, or

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Over time, the trinkets, stories and garden goods have become part of the place, much like the people who keep bringing them through the door. Dobbs said becoming part of the community has changed how he views his role behind the bar, where serving MC Tap, 303 food and drinks is only part of Pacific St. in Monroe the experience. Making cusCenter, is open 11 a.m.tomers feel welcome, giving midnight Monday -Saturday, them his time and helping and noon-10 p.m. Sunday. The grill create a place where they closes at 11 p.m. Monday through recognize friends and Saturday, and at 10 p.m. Sunday. family, he said, is what keeps Find it on Facebook or call people coming back. 815-393-3503 for more just funny or dumb, “We’re more of a family information. or what-the-heck, community at this bar more than we’ll write it in the I’ve ever been at a bar,” he said. “It’s book,” Chosnyk said. not just about getting their food or Customers leave their mark in other getting their beer and on to the next ways, too. During the summer, gardeners will one; it’s about saying, ‘How’s your bring vegetables and other produce to the bar night?’ ‘How’d it go with your doctor’s — tomatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, jalaappointment, is everything good?’ peños and more. Chosnyk said the generosity It’s a community, and it’s fun.” n has become so routine that she generally does Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter not have to buy eggs or vegetables from June can be reached at 815-632-2532 or through November for her home kitchen. ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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Jillian Hammer has learned that championship races demand courage, adaptability and the confidence to attack every challenge standing between the starting line and what comes next. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

and protect carries a decision: hold back de stri ry eve e, rac p shi ion a champ rd to the next hurdle r preparation and push forwa against mistakes, or trust you rubber. or the one propped up on the ahead — be it the mental one sh line meant embracg ian Hammer, chasin the fini Jill r dle hur ool Sch h Hig ion dictate her For Oregon risk and refusing to let hesitat the in nce fide con ing find ing that uncertainty, of the state in one of track and allowed her to reach the top now e hav lls ski er’s mm Ha e. rac nts. ois High School Asfield’s most demanding eve s in 42.84 seconds at the Illin dle hur low r ete -m 300 the n wks, adding a Hammer wo sophomore season for the Ha her end to y Ma in et me te in the sociation Class 1A sta her from a third-place finish dling career that has taken hur a to p shi ion mp cha te sta ing year. of the medal stand the follow event as a freshman to the top pretty good. It was a sel very proud of my f. It feels “I’m d. sai er mm Ha g,” itin lly gratifying.” “It’s very exc rked so hard for it. It was rea wo I e aus bec ber em rem lly moment that I’ll rea rs of work in an event rerepresented the payoff for yea Winning the championship lingness to keep moving hnique, endurance and a wil tec ed, spe of n atio bin com a quiring quickly disrupt a race. forward when a mistake can full speed. she said, is to attack them at e The best way to run hurdles, ng to be in some real troubl if you’re not brave, you’re goi ack att t jus “You have to be brave, and to have to be ready hurdle,” Hammer said. “You with hesitating before that inning you have to be e, of course, but from the beg ctic pra es tak It it. r ove t it and go righ brave enough to even try.” HAMMER cont’d to page 28 A Shaw Media Publication | Ogle County Living | Fall/Winter 2026 | 27

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HAMMER cont’d from page 27 The 300 hurdles, in particular, demand adaptability, she said. The race has eight hurdles, compared with 10 in the 100-meter variety, and gives runners more room to recover when something doesn’t go exactly as planned. The 100 can become highly choreographed, with runners knowing the rhythm and number of steps they expect to take between hurdles. The longer race is less predictable. “You know exactly what’s going to happen and know every step” in the 100, Hammer said. “It’s very robotic, whereas in the 300, you have to be thinking on your feet and be adaptive. There’s more variability in your speed and you’re not always running as fast as you can. I think it makes for a more interesting and dramatic race.” Hammer had already begun developing the bravery and curiosity needed for hurdling as a child. Since then, her life has taken her from Oregon to Oregon —

from the West Coast state to the Midwest town. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, She had always enjoyed running and competing in local all-comer track meets as a child. She joined her first running team in fifth grade, around the time she discovered the hurdles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her mother Katie noticed hurdles that had been left out at a high school and Jillian decided to give them a try. “We were like, ‘Let’s go use them,’ and I went over my first hurdle then,” Hammer said. Her mother had recognized something in her daughter that jumped out at her: a perfect mindset for hurdling. “My mom realized that, and she wanted me to try it because she thought I would be good at it,” Hammer said. “I was really brave. A lot of people don’t want to do the hurdles, but I was wanting to try new things. I wanted to do fun things and jump over things.” HAMMER cont’d to page 29

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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HAMMER cont’d from page 28 Hammer competed in the 100 hurdles as an eighth-grader in Portland, winning the Portland Interscholastic League middle school championship for the Grant High School feeder program. There was no 300 race at that level. Then came another change. Hammer moved to Illinois during the summer before her freshman year. Her father Ben grew up in Polo, where his parents still live. The transition took her from a large metropolitan school environment to a much smaller community and high school program, where the smaller community proved to be a good fit. In Oregon, she found greater individual attention and specialization. She is the only hurdler on the team, and said she has come to appreciate the dedication and resources available to her through the program. “In Portland, my school was so big, it was actually classified as 6A, so we competed against other huge schools, and I was on a huge team with literally hundreds of other girls,” Hammer said. In Oregon, she said, “I feel my coaches are very dedicated to me, and they give me a lot of resources that I didn’t get at such a big school.” The smaller community also has made it easier for her to find places to train, whether on the track, in the school weight room or swimming at Nash Recreation Center in town. HAMMER cont’d to page 30 SHAW MEDIA PHOTOS

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HAMMER cont’d from page 29 “Being in a small town is great,” Hammer said. “I feel like everyone supports me, and it’s easy for me to get access to the resources I need.” Hammer’s first high school season quickly suggested how far she might be able to go. As a freshman in 2025, she won both the 100 and 300 at the Lena-Winslow Sectional, then qualified for the Class 1A state meet. She placed fifth in the 100 in 15.17 seconds and finished third in the 300 in 44.46. “I was thrilled and I hadn’t expected that,” Hammer said of reaching the state podium. “I was happy and proud of myself, and that inspired me to think that I could win next year.” The third-place finish gave her a new way to look at her future.

“I had in my mind that, ‘Now I had gotten third, I can do this,’” she said. “I was very motivated by that moment. It was possible, it wasn’t just a dream.” When it comes to her goals, Hammer said she’s “very number oriented.” She keeps a spreadsheet outlining goals she hopes to reach during the next several years, giving herself benchJillian marks to pursue Hammer sprints rather than to the finish line during leaving her the Amboy Columbus Day progress to Cross Country Invitational chance. With at Shady Oaks Country that mindset, Club on Oct. 13, 2025. / she entered EARLEEN HINTON FOR SHAW MEDIA her sophomore season with the confidence gained from her freshman success. One of her biggest improvements has been becoming more willing to push herself instead of running cautiously.

“I felt more ready to push myself and not just play it safe,” Hammer said. “I could go out and do my best, even if I slow down or trip. That’s been great, and my coaches have helped me a lot with that.” The 300 was also still relatively new to her when she arrived in Illinois, but she came to realize that the event fit her abilities because she enjoyed running in the 200- and 400-meter dashes, although learning to combine hurdling with the longer sprint was a challenge. “It was very difficult and it was so different than the 100 hurdles,” she said. “But I’ve grown into it and have improved a lot from the beginning.” By her sophomore postseason, Hammer felt confident about qualifying for state and focused on being ready for the races that mattered most. The physical endurance necessary to run the 300 at her best developed as the season progressed. HAMMER cont’d to page 31

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HAMMER cont’d from page 30 “He’s amazing,” Hammer said of her coach. “I really apAt the state meet in Charleston, Hammer first competed preciate Schneiderman. He’s done so much for me. He’s givin the 100 and finished third in 14.95 after running a slightly en me a lot of confidence and he’s taught me to be humble better time in the preliminaries. She was disappointed after at the same time. I run my best when I feel motivated, and getting off to a poor start and missing the time she had hoped he’s helped me believe that I have to fight for it.” to run. The setback, however, helped clear some of the presTrack is not Hammer’s only athletic pursuit. She has sure heading into the 300. two more — and both in the same season. She Once the disappointment of the earlier race runs cross country for the Hawks in the fall and had passed, she was able to concentrate on her also has joined the Byron High School girls remaining opportunity. Hammer ran a 44.09 in swimming co-op, splitting her sports comthe 300 prelims to top the field, then returned Go to athletic.net/ mitments from August to November among for the finals and won the state championship team/16586/track-and-fieldthe two. outdoor/2026 to view the Oregon by finishing 1.25 seconds better. Her champiEven after winning a state champiHawks’ girls track and field onship time was 0.90 better than runner-up onship, however, her attention is already team’s 2026 season results, Brianna Harms of Low Point-Washburn. shifting toward what comes next. Hammer including those of Jillian Her individual races carried the greatest hopes to continue competing in college and Hammer. pressure, although she also found an important eventually run at the Division I level. Before balance through Oregon’s relay teams. Hammer ran then, she has her junior and senior high school on the state qualifying 400- and 800-meter relays, running seasons ahead of her and intends to keep raising the stanin the third leg, and said competing alongside teammates dards she sets for herself. gave her a chance to relax and have fun around the high“I’m just going to train my hardest and work hard to stakes hurdle races. Her success also helped Oregon finish tied exceed the things that I have done this year to get better for fourth place in the Class 1A team standings with Winnebatimes,” Hammer said. “I want to keep going up. I don’t want go, with both teams scoring 29 points. this to be my peak.” n Hammer credits Oregon head coach Nick Schneiderman and Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at his staff with helping her develop confidence and perspective. 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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alls rumble down polished lanes, pins crash and cheers rise above the steady hum of conversation. Bowlers string together strikes, celebrate improvement, and trade good-natured barbs between frames. For countless friends and families, it’s been a joyful noise for 70 years, and the lane’s latest owners like what they hear too. Al and Sandy Nordman have seen a lot of happy faces in their quarter-century of owning Town and Country Lanes in Mount Morris, keeping the tradition of competition and camaraderie intertwined. There’s a pride and joy in bowling that brings

people together — turning a frustrating frame into a spare, chasing after that elusive 300, or watching an average gradually climb after countless nights of practice. For many bowlers, the competition is part of the appeal, a chance to keep improving at a game that can take years to master. “It’s a place where you can go with your entire family,” Al said. “Having a place where people can have fun, we try to keep it modern and up-to-date. We’ve put a lot into this place over the years.” The Nordmans bought the 12-lane alley in July 2000 after it had gone bankrupt. Repairs were needed before it could reopen that October because “literally everything was

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shot,” Al said. “We’ve replaced the pinsetters, the lanes, and everything in the alley,” Al said. “When we bought it, the lanes ware wood with this horrible guardian on top that was peeling off. We got through the first season on that.” Modern synthetic lanes were installed in 2001 to replace the original wood, and the automatic scoring system also was revamped. Al handles maintenance and the business side at the alley, while Sandy is often the familiar face behind the counters and snack bar. Since 2004, they also have owned Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon, which has bowling, laser tag, an arcade and bar.

Before becoming bowling alley owners, Al worked as an executive in the library technology business — but even then, he bowled three nights a week. When he found himself at a professional crossroads, he and Sandy decided it was time to turn the page, and when they did, they started their next chapter at a bowling alley. “The company got sold, and we were looking at what else we could do,” Al said, so when the chance to take over Town and Country came up, it was the right opportunity at the right time. “Sandy always wanted to be a professional bowler when she was young, and she really liked the idea of getting into the bowling business. At that point, she was a better bowler than I was.” BOWLING cont’d to page 34

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BOWLING cont’d from page 33 Owning the business was also a chance to return to a place Sandy had known since childhood. A Mount Morris native, she bowled at Town and Country when she was young and spent time there while other members of her family enjoyed their own activities. “My sister and grandmother would bowl, and my parents would play pool in the pool hall,” Sandy said. “Back then there were five pool tables. When they got done bowling, we sat on the high chairs and watched them play pool.” She still bowls in a Wednesday adult league, with a high game of 268. “Someday a 300 would be nice, but I’m not holding my breath,” Sandy said. Sandy has worked on the machines, tended bar and handled countless other responsibilities over the years. That has made her a recognizable face around town. “When you’re out in the public, especially with little kids, they know you as ‘The Bowling Alley Lady,’” Sandy said. “They might not know everybody’s name, but they recognize the faces, and I’m glad to see them when they’re here or outside the building.” The alley’s history, though, began with a different kind of balls and strikes. BOWLING cont’d to page 35

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