Starved Rock Country MAGAZINE_ Fall 2018

FALL 2018

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Pet an Alpaca

... and Other Farm Animals at These Petting Zoos

Cruise On Up Meet the Wendy’s Cruisers and Their Vintage Vehicles

Grab Your Broom and Pointy Hat

+PLUS

For This Witchy Ladies Night

Downtown Streator: An Art Gallery of Murals Turn Your Bicycle into a Time Machine on the I&M Canal

Additional copies at 801 E. U.S. Highway 6, Utica 61373

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Fall l Vol. 6 No. 3 September 2018 / 27,000 110 West Jefferson Street, Ottawa, Illinois 61350

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IN EACH ISSUE EDITOR’S NOTE

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MAPPED OUT: Find your way in Starved Rock Country

62

THINGS TO SEE & DO

64

POSTCARD

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34 FEATURES 34

50

Getting in Touch With the Farm Family Matters: Two Starved Rock Country petting zoos let kids (and adults who are kids at heart) get up close to alpacas, donkeys, and more

Every Witch Way A special ladies-only event celebrates the season in an especially witchy way

ON THE COVER In Deer Park Township a few miles south of Starved Rock State Park, an autumn sunset is reflected in the window of an old barn that has witnessed this scene many times over the years.

Photo by Tom Sistak Fall 2018 3

INSIDE 56

8 Have a B.A.S.H. in Starved Rock Country

Good Taste: We mean “have a good time,” but we also mean you should visit Burger And Sushi House

12 Classic Taste Check out a group of vintage vehicles in a restaurant parking lot — and don’t miss the local cruise nights

18 Backpedaling Through the I & M’s Past Must Try: This bicycle-based history tour has you pedaling forward but traveling back through history

22 Fall in Place at Redbud Creek Farm Must See: Autumn colors and products abound at this charming garden center

26 The Woman Who Settles Petals

Your search is over!

The Studio: Peyton Lamps arranges plants with an artist’s touch — and you can buy them to take home

33 The Bridge of Bureau County Offbeat: Photographers and tourists are attracted to the rural Red Covered Bridge

40 Spoonful ... Shelves Full ... Shop Full of Sugar Sweet Spot: Check out the array of sweets and treats at Keke’s Sweet Shop to satisfy any sweet tooth

46 Telling Stories With Trees Not using paper, though — these artists tell stories through wood carvings

56

The Quintessential Rural City Downtown: Streator is deemed a “Quiet Place on the Prairie,” but there’s plenty to see and do downtown 4 Fall 2018

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| EDI TOR’S NOTE | R

Starved Rock Country magazine is published quarterly or seasonally four times per year.

Shaw Media 110 W. Jefferson St. Ottawa, IL 61350 815-431-4019 Email photo or article submission queries to tsloup@shawmedia.com.

Copyright 2018. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner, without permission, is prohibited.

Fall 2018 Edition / 27,000 copies

PUBLISHER Kevin Elder EDITOR Tammie Sloup ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stephanie Jaquins PHOTO EDITOR Tom Sistak GRAPHICS AND DESIGN Julie Stroebel Barichello ADVERTISING DESIGN Kelly Lefler PRODUCTION Rhonda Dillon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brent Bader Annette Barr Dan Churney Stephanie Jaquins Mike Murphy Tammie Sloup Jerrilyn Zavada CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Katy Arnold Annette Barr Tom Sistak CONTRIBUTING ARTIST Charlie Ellerbrock

A great place to retire ... and open an alpaca farm?

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can’t help but giggle when I see the meme of the man with a pumpkin for a head in a business suit walking to work.

The phrase “Who’s ready for fall?” is usually splashed across the image.

I gleefully raise my hand.

The cool nights. The spectacular colors.

Halloween. I’m all in.

Speaking of colors, did you know Starved Rock Country is famous for its fall colors? In fact, there’s a weekend at Starved Rock State Park devoted to the phenomenon of our leaves changing color (Oct. 20-21).

You might say it happens everywhere in the Midwest. Trust us, it’s better in Starved Rock Country.

Not a hiker? Take a road trip to see the changing leaves. Or take a horse. Or a boat.

Lots of ways to see the color.

Are food and shopping more your thing?

The annual Burgoo Fest is Oct. 6-7 in downtown Utica. The festival is one of the biggest events in Starved Rock Country, and features an antique car show, craft and flea market vendors, and of course the kettle-cooked Burgoo stew, which is a unique blend of meats, spices and vegetables cooked outside all night long by volunteers.

Pro tip: Get there early if you want some stew; it sells out fast.

A new area event is the ladies-only Witches Night Out in Starved Rock Country. Staged at the lovely Pitstick Pavilion, the event’s ambience is sure to delight. Pitstick’s has few neighbors, and is surrounded by trees – perfect for the (good) witches who come to shop, dance, eat and support some great local nonprofits. And as the organizers told me, the witch costumes are by far the best decoration.

(Side note, I couldn’t get the song “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles out of my head while writing that article. You’re welcome.)

Beyond finding places to go and things to do in Starved Rock Country magazine, our writers love to tell the stories of the people who live and work here.

Chicago natives Mike and Anne

O’Sullivan were visiting Starved Rock about 12 years ago when on a whim, they stopped at a real estate office with hopes of finding a retirement home in the area.

Their next step, naturally, was to open an alpaca farm.

Wait, what?

For the past 10 years, the O’Sullivans have operated Hidden Paradise Alpacas north of Granville. Visitors can see alpacas up close as well as a small menagerie of other animals.

Both of the O’Sullivans grew up in Chicago, and had their careers at the Chicago Transit Authority. Mike’s field was rail car maintenance and Anne worked as a graphic artist.

“She’s best known for making every bus stop sign in Chicago,” Mike said. For years, Anne also devised the vinyl wrap and interior decorations for the CTA Holiday Train, an “L” car decorated for the Christmas season and manned by elves passing out candy canes.

“The Realtor asked what we wanted property for to help her find us the right place,” Mike said. “My wife mentioned alpacas, and at the time I didn’t really know what an alpaca was.”

(Turn to page 34 and you’ll get an up-close look at an alpaca. And beware of the cuteness overload).

Also in this edition we feature student Peyton Lamps, a budding horticulturist with a flair for creating planters for low-maintenance plants such as succulents, air plants, snake plants and dino plants. “(I get my containers) everywhere I can find them. I like unique containers. I like vintage containers, too, like lots of old coffee cans and candy cans and stuff like that but almost anywhere I find them I’ll snag ‘em if I like them,” Lamps said.

That’s just a taste of what’s in this edition of Starved Rock Country.

So take your time, flip through the magazine and get to know the people and places that make Starved Rock Country a great place to visit, work and live.

T

AMMIE SLOUP Editor Starved Rock Country Fall 2018 5

Chefs prepare sushi at B.A.S.H. — an acronym for Burger and Sushi House — in downtown Ottawa.

| Go od Taste |

Big City Meets

Smallat Town B.A.S.H. 8 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Sushi, gourmet burgers, appetizers and beers are among the highlights of the B.A.S.H. menu.

Story by Brent Bader, Photos by Tom Sistak

Burger and Sushi House

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owntown Ottawa’s Burger and Sushi House opened several years ago to meet a demand for sushi in Starved Rock Country.

The business has already had to expand into a former parking garage.

Cody and Chanel Renkosik are blending the dining experience and offerings expected in the big city and its suburbs with smaller town sensibilities at the Burger and Sushi House, 1012 N. La Salle St., Ottawa.

The expansive building, which used to house a parking garage in the 1920s, serves as the intersection of American and Japanese cuisine in Starved Rock Country.

Intimate lighting permeates the dining room and a large elongated bar with a cocktail focus in the center Starved Rock Country

LOCATION: 1012 N. La Salle St., Ottawa PHONE: 815-434-2274 ONLINE: fb.com/ BurgerAndSushiHouse.

HOURS: 4 to 10 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

Look for the gray building with the wooden sign at 1012 N. La Salle St. in downtown Ottawa. Outdoor seating is available. means any wait time will be well spent on a stool.

A faux ivy wall also resides near the sushi bar with a neon sign that reads “this is how we roll.”

“It’s an Instagrammable moment,” Renkosik said. “We love seeing photos shared from those people who have checked in to our location.”

The couple also plans to open the large garage doors

that will lead to the restaurant’s already-in-use outdoor patio, which has become popular among diners in downtown Ottawa.

The patio overlooks Ottawa’s Historic Washington Square park and music can be heard during weekend events.

And while the atmosphere is unique, it’s the food that brings most to B.A.S.H.

Prior to beginning preparation for the business, the pair realized how limited the area was to having a sushi dining experience. Their hope is that sushi lovers and even those who have never had sushi before walking in their doors can grow accustomed to it with their diverse menu of quality rolls that rival the larger competition to the north.

Fall 2018 9

Cody recommends the restaurant’s most popular item — the Two Rivers Roll, which is a reference to the Illinois and Fox rivers that connect at the heart of Ottawa and consists of shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, crab tempura and a variety of sauces.

Diners can sit at one of the restaurant’s dining tables or at the sushi bar in the back where a team of talented sushi chefs put together the restaurant’s signature rolls night after night.

An extension of the restaurant’s Japanese aesthetic can also be found in one of the restaurant’s larger rooms where diners eat together at large communal tables.

When they first opened, the Renkosiks knew there was a demand for sushi in Starved Rock Country but many were traveling to the suburbs for it.

“We saw where friends and family were driving 45 miles to get it, in almost every direction around us,” Renkosik said. “We saw the opportunity to bring this unique dining experience to our area and wanted

An abundance of outdoor seating is available for diners who want to take advantage of good weather and downtown Ottawa’s botanical sights.

“Some of our favorite tables of people that walk through our doors are groups who are all craving something different. Not everybody loves sushi or eats meat and we wanted to cater to them all,” Renkosik said. “It happens often and it’s perfect as we have a variety of quality options.”

The creamy macaroni and cheese menu has options including lobster, truffle and bacon while the burger menu consists of just about every conceivable topping.

Popular burgers include a mix of bacon and hash browns for the B.A.S.H. burger to pulled pork and BBQ with habanero jack cheese for the Foxy Roxy burger.

Diners can choose to sit at a table or at the sushi bar, where they can watch chefs And should a prepare the restaurant’s signature rolls. diner consider

10 Fall 2018

to do it right.”

The business gamble was a successful one as they not only celebrated a five-year anniversary this month, but also relocated to a much larger building in Ottawa’s downtown.

But the pair knows that not everyone is a sushi fanatic and they mixed in some American and local favorites such as gourmet burgers and macaroni and cheese.

themselves to be an accomplished gourmet burger creator, they can make their own.

“People love the build-yourown options and they can have a hand in creating their meal for the night, catered to what they are craving,” Renkosik said.

The restaurant has a variety of options both in dining experiences as well as food options, but Cody says the true secret ingredient is their talented staff, which has grown to over 80 employees at their new location, many of whom have been there since the first year.

He said each lends their own unique skills and perspectives to the business, which continues to grow and offer diners fresh experiences.

“Our success is attributed to our friends, family, and community who believed in us and our staff who over the years has become family,” Cody said. “They’re very much a part of everything we S R do.” C Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 11

Home to

Gearheads & Lookers

Ffloyd Clark, of Morris, and Richard Rhea, of Sandwich, chat during a weekly gathering of the Wendy’s Cruisers. The group of classic vehicle 12 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Morris a haven for old vehicles and events that showcase them Story by Mike Murphy, Photos by Katy Arnold

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enthusiasts meets each Monday at the fast-food restaurant in Morris.

Starved Rock Country

hen it comes to appreciating vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles, Pat Svetlecich said there are two kinds of people.

The Morris resident is a little biased, since she grew up on a farm and has been fixing vehicles much of her life.

“There are a few who just enjoy looking at them. Just lookers,” said Svetlecich, who owns and maintains a 1957 Oldsmobile Custom.

Lookers, mechanics and everyone in between help make Morris a hub for vintage vehicles. Car shows and cruises help define the Starved Rock Country community.

Morris is home to Cruise Night, which attracts thousands to downtown Liberty Street 6 to 9 p.m. the second Saturday of each month from June through October.

The Morris Lions Fall Classic Car Show annually brings people to town, and each Monday the Wendy’s Cruisers group gets together to display their vehicles at the Morris fast-food restaurant of the same name.

“When you start having car events, people kind of get the bug for them,” said Douglas Linn, Morris Lions Club past president Fall 2018 13

Contributed

and former chairman of Morris Lions Fall Classic Car Show.

For teens and young people in the 1950s and 1960s, few activities were more popular than “buzzing the gut” — cruising up and down Liberty Street. Those who remember cruising never let go of the idea.

Owning a cool car “stood for freedom, something my bicycle didn’t have,” said Floyd Clark, a Wendy’s Cruisers member and frequent Cruise Night visitor and participant. “People used to do their own maintenance. And the cars were needy. You needed to take care of them.”

With good weather, 5,000 to 6,000 people can show up at Cruise Night.

Proceeds from the Sept. 8 cruise will benefit Pink Heals, a volunteer cancer

The streets of Morris are filled with cars and spectators each year on Cruise Night.

Andy Hlebasko and Bernice Dent walk around a 1955 Packard Clipper at Wendy’s Cruisers. support organization. The Oct. 13 night will assist animal rescue group All Those Left Behind.

Cruise Night is an event anticipated by downtown Morris businesses, especially restaurants and taverns.

“We have to schedule extra people. It’s busier than usual,” said Paul Claire, coowner, Corleone’s Italian Restaurant, 110 Liberty St. “It’s always a good night.”

Cruise Night got its start in 2002 when a self-described “old gearhead” got together with his 1960s Morris High School car club pals to put something together and help the community.

Herb Wyeth approached members of the Gear Jammers club to put together a Liberty Street Cruise Night. Wyeth, Rance Welsh and others formed a committee, got permission from the city of Morris, and soon the event began

Andy Hlebasko, of Morris, checks out an engine at a Wendy’s Cruisers gathering in Morris.

14 Fall 2018

attracting participants and car fans.

“We shut down Liberty Street, from the courthouse to the railroad tracks, and one block east and west. It’s a family event. We try and keep it clean and people like to stroll around,” said Welsh, an original Gear Jammer.

“We fill up the downtown. At seven o’clock you can hardly walk down the street,” Wyeth said.

Cruise Night draws attention to downtown and keeps people coming back, said Julie Applegate, executive director, Morris Downtown Development Partnership.

A few retail businesses extend their hours for Cruise Night, but she believes visitors like what they see even if most of the stores are closed.

“This is one of the major events that brings people to downtown Morris. They see what we have and come back another time to shop,” Applegate said.

There’s no need to attract the attention of Wendy’s Cruisers, since most of them live in or close by Morris. Begun in 2006, group members bring their hot rods, trucks and motorcycles, meeting 5 to 9 p.m. every Monday at Wendy’s, 1926 Division St., Route 47 just south of Interstate 80.

“We get our old cars out and we feel like teenagers again. I’m 67 going on 17,” said Ken Willis, one of the group’s organizers.

The Wendy’s gatherings even attract live entertainment. Streator country singer Norm Porter brings a portable stage to the restaurant every first Monday and performs amid the rods and nicely decorated trucks.

“I used to run around here in the ‘50s.

Starved Rock Country

Upcoming car show a fall classic

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Wendy’s Cruisers founder Ken Willis (back left), of Morris, chats with Sharon Rhea, of Sandwich, while Terry and Pat Svetlecich sit in front of their 1956 Ford Sunlighter and 1956 Ford Victoria.

I know all the guys. They’re my friends,” said Porter, who has owned a 1978 Cadillac convertible, 1956 Ford Crown Victoria and 1978 Cadillac Eldorado.

“It’s mostly 50- to 80-year-olds.

Everyone’s welcome, but the older people are the ones who have the time,” Willis said.

But not completely. Visiting one night at Wendy’s was 27-year-old Bradley Larsen, whose father, Mark, shows vehicles at Wendy’s. Bradley owns motorcycles and said in time he will own old cars.

“My generation is still into wanting to go fast. We’re more into racing,” he said.

However, “I go to every cruise night. I love seeing everything.”

Pat Svetlecich comes to Wendy’s with her husband, Terry, another car buff. She Starved Rock Country

has worked on cars and tractors since childhood and always lends a hand on Terry’s vehicles.

“I don’t know. Not many women are into cars. I’ve been in them my whole life,” Pat said.

For the participants and Wendy’s as well as Cruise Night, vintage vehicles are a way of life. Mingling with other old gearheads is just another way to enjoy the old cars.

“It’s a labor of love,” said Clark.

“Either that or insanity,” Willis cracked.

Cruise Night and other gatherings attract dollars and people into Morris, yet also bring memories.

“Almost everyone can relate to an old car they used to love,” Wyeth said.

S R Even the lookers can appreciate that. C

orris Lions Club’s annual Fall Classic Car Show isn’t just about vehicles — it’s about helping others.

Proceeds from the 32nd annual edition of the show, slated for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13 and 14, benefit Lions projects and nonprofit groups working the car show.

One hundred percent of proceeds will go to charity.

“It’s very successful and still growing. It’s very well-organized and people like to help the community,” said Douglas Linn, past president of the Lions Club and former chairman of the vehicle show.

This year the event will return to its original home — Grundy County Fairgrounds, Route 47 north of Morris. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m Sunday.

Saturday activities will include a swap meet, where vendors can sell parts, accessories, memorabilia and toy cars and a corral, in which vehicles will be sold. A swap meet, car corral and vehicle show will take place Sunday.

Linn said the event averages about 1,000 cars at the show, 200 mostly classic vehicles at the corral and 600 swap spaces. Swap meet preregistration will last through Saturday, Sept. 29. To learn more, call Jeff Hansford at 815-252-2490.

This year, a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass will be raffled off. Tickets are $5 each, three for $10 and seven for $20, and are sold at local car shows. The event’s flier is available online at morrislionsclub.com/2018car-show, and at automotive stores.

Same-day registration will be for the car show, with pre-registration available by calling Paula Newsom S R at 815-931-0226. C Fall 2018 15

One of the state’s largest collections of vintage vehicles will hit Starved Rock Country on Labor Day weekend.

It’s part of the city of Streator’s sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) celebration.

Activities will start Friday, Aug. 31, when Len and Lois will perform easy listening tunes at Heritage Park — the corner of Main and Monroe streets — as part of Streator’s “Jammin’ at the Clock” summer concert series.

The Stars and Stripes Club will sponsor a sock hop, 7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 31 at Streator Incubator, formerly the National Guard Armory, 401 Bridge St. Music, snacks, beverages and a costume contest and more will be featured. Admission will be free, but donations accepted.

The annual Streator car show and cruise night, sponsored by the Dream Machines Car Club, will take place Saturday, Sept. 1.

Held at City Park, the car show will begin with registration ($15 per vehicle) 9 a.m. to noon, followed by the show, noon to 3 p.m. More than 70 vehicle classes will be judged, with awards

presented at the show’s conclusion.

Roamer Cruise Night — named for the automobile manufactured 100 years ago in Streator — will occupy downtown streets 5 to 10 p.m. Registration will be 3 to 7 p.m. on the south side of City Park. Registration for both the show and the cruise will be $25 and include an escort and VIP parking for the cruise night.

A restored 1963 Chevy Nova or $5,000 cash will be raffled off for a $10 donation, with drawing at conclusion of cruise night. Winners need not be present, and participants must be age 18 and older and will be responsible for all applicable taxes, license and title.

For additional information, call 815992-3723 or 815-822-7883.

Beginning noon Sunday, Streator’s annual Labor Day Parade will step off from City Park. The event, sponsored by the Streator Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will include floats, music and representation from state and local businesses and organizations.

Closing ceremonies for the sesquicentennial will start 1:30 p.m. Sunday at City Park. A short program will include closing S R of the 2018 time capsule. C

Starved Rock Country

Cruise night, car show part of Streator celebration

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Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 17

18 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

| Mus t Try |

History With a Twist

Experience Aussem’s version of a bike tour Story and Photos by Annette Barr

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he sound of tire tread crunching on small pieces of gravel mixes with the promise of an approaching afternoon rainfall. One by one the four bicycles make their way onto the Illinois & Michigan Canal, stopping just north of where Canal Avenue and Canal Street intersect in Ottawa.

Tom Aussem, of Awesome Ottawa Bike Tour, treats bicyclists to history tidbits along the route, as well as his own, often frank observations.

“One thing about these tours is there is no malarkey. I tell it like it is,” Aussem said while standing on the tow path where mules once pulled canal boats.

The other three bicyclists seemed to enjoy Aussem’s candor during one of several stops on the Awesome Ottawa Bike Tour. Aussem started the Ottawabased business this spring after tabling the idea for six years, and has been sharing fun facts and local history with mostly tourists as well as some native Ottawans during a seven-mile bicycle tour.

“It brings your family together. I was born and raised here and I’m learning Starved Rock Country

Tom Aussem leads the Awesome Ottawa Bike Tour, mixing education with recreation as he shares bits of history along the route.

things I didn’t know,” said Laura Thiry, who was enjoying a recent tour with two of her four children.

The tour includes locations made famous by Abraham Lincoln, as well as lesser-known points of interest such as a portion of the recently excavated lock along the lateral canal.

Fall 2018 19

“I liked the lock, and I never knew it existed,” said Tess Thiry, 15. “The way he explained it was very easy to picture.

He brought history to life.”

A longtime local history enthusiast, Aussem remembers being intrigued when he was an 8-year-old by photographs of Charles Lindbergh’s mail plane crash in Wedron. At the time Aussem was just beginning to learn to fly.

“I was just born with it. I’ve always loved Ottawa,” Aussem said of his passion for local history and his drive as a child to dig deeper at the Reddick Library.

“I’m not a historian. I just love my town.”

Most often Aussem said he concludes his tours with a challenge to tourists, encouraging them to explore their own hometowns, as every place has its own colorful past.

Tom Aussem pauses to share historical details about the Illinois & Michigan Canal along a portion of the recently excavated canal bed.

“I want (the tour) to build pride for our people. We should be proud of this town. And there are so many reasons why,” he said.

To find out more information or to sign up for a tour, visit awesomeottawabike.com. Walking tours are available as well.

Walking tours or tours with your own bicycle are $20. A tour with an O-Town Cruiser is $25. The fleet of five Electra Cruisers, each a different color, represents one of the five colS R ors found in the City of Ottawa flag, excluding white. C

Call today to schedule a FREE tour!

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Fall 2018 21

| Must See |

Redbud Creek Farm and Garden Center co-owner Larry Christian rakes mulch near the front of the grounds.

Garden of Delights Redbud Creek Farm proffers plants and peace Story by Dan Churney, Photos by Katy Arnold

N

estled. Nuzzled.

Tucked away.

All three terms describe the location of Redbud Creek Farm Garden Center, five miles south of Sandwich in the gently rolling northeast corner of Starved Rock Country.

Turning off North 4351st Road, one travels down a winding, wooded lane, with the woods growing denser and darker as one goes deeper. The trees are soon joined by wetlands. The area is a designated National Wildlife Federation Habitat, helped by the Fox River and Redbud Creek which course nearby.

Just as the canopy of oaks

and maples is thickest, the sky opens up and the garden center appears in a clearing.

“This is where inspiration is always in bloom,” said coowner Nancy Christian. “We sell a good, unique variety of plants, trees and shrubs, but our setting also makes our place.”

Christian, who studied biology and botany in college, and her husband, Larry Christian, run the three-acre farm, with help from Nancy’s brother, Ed Pfaff. The garden center has been operating almost 20 years on land that was once used to cultivate tomatoes for Campbell Soup.

One of the unique flowers

t Unique planters and yard art adorn the grounds of Redbud Creek Farm and Garden Center. The planters are sometimes available with all the pieces for customers to create their own or to use Redbud’s ideas as inspiration.

22 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

REDBUD CREEK FARM is at 2930 N. 4351st Road, five miles south of Sandwich, near Millington. The farm also has a booth at Vintage 71 Shops, along Route 71, just west of its intersection with Route 47 near Yorkville.

The farm can be reached at 815-496-9400 and redbudcreekfarm.com.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days per week.

Starved Rock Country

Other curious items include a moss-covered chair, which is comfy, but will leave a green stain on the seat of your pants. Another item is a cake pan flower container, with the blossoms resembling a Betty Crocker creation.

Christian noted she and her staff expend a lot of creativity arranging mixed containers.

Besides the array of flora, a gift shop offers many locally produced items. In autumn, Redbud Creek Farm transforms with the foliage, boasting its signature plant, pumpkin on a stick. The plant is an eye-grabbing ornamental eggplant, with what appear to be miniature pumpkins hanging from its stems.

For Christmas, the farm changes again with wreaths and holly.

Garden clubs from

Contributed

available is the popcorn plant, a tropical species with yellow blooms, which smells like popcorn. Another is the prairie dock, which sports towering stalks with daisylike flowers and large leaves at the base.

“It’s an attention getter,” Christian observed.

Redbud Creek Farm is a unique garden center with a gift shop (shown at top) brimming with yard decor. In the fall, the farm reflects the season with pumpkins, gourds, mums and more.

Fall 2018 23

24 Fall 2018

Contributed

Hinsdale, Geneva, LaGrange, St. Charles and Ottawa, among others, have visited Redbud Creek Farm for catered lunches and gardening presentations by Christian.

Other groups gather on the grounds, such as Monarch butterflies and, at other times, bridal parties.

A number of weddings take place every year amidst a leaf-shrouded area, where shade-loving perennials are nurtured. An arbor made of twigs and branches serves as a pastoral backdrop for the ceremonies.

With its pond, waterfall and wildlife, nineteenth century naturalist writer Henry David Thoreau would have been at home at Redbud Creek — a notion not lost on Christian.

“There’s a sense of serenity here,” Christian said.

“People call the farm a healS R ing place.” C

p Shoppers can find many original garden decor items at Redbud Creek farm, such as succulents and air plants (above left), garden rocks decorated as owls (above middle) and handpainted window panes (above right.) t Redbud Creek Farm can be booked for special occasions and is a popular option for weddings.

Starved Rock Country

t Sisters Connie Sanchez, of Aurora, and Amy Stone, of Montgomery, check out the “kitchen” at Redbud Creek Farm and Garden Center.

Redbud co-owner Nancy Christian arranges a blushing bride hydrangea. q

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| The S tudio |

Peyton Lamps Has a Golden Touch With These

Precious Petals

Story by Stephanie Jaquins, Photos by Tom Sistak

S

ome day Peyton Lamps’ parents will get their garage back.

For now, though, it’s filled with snake plants, succulents, air plants, and marimo balls.

Marimo balls, you say? The little balls of algae get a lot of questions from shoppers, but they’re also one of Lamps’, of Petals By Peyton, biggest sellers.

“People in Japan keep them as pets and give them names. It’s considered a token of love and affection,” Lamps said.

“I have a cart right outside my booth that has all of these jars (with marimo balls) on it, so it kind of catches people and once I tell them what it is they’re

26 Fall 2018

like, ‘That’s so cool.’ ” “They’re really neat and extremely low maintenance — like impossible to kill,” she said, adding they can live up to 200 years.

Lamps grew an affinity for horticulture when she began watering plants at Farmhouse Designs Landscaping & Greenhouse in Mendota when she was 14.

“My passion really grew at the greenhouse. Seeing everything grow and planting everything in the spring, sewing seeds, just really kind of sparked my interest a little bit more.”

She worked there for six years and moved into floral last summer. She attends Kishwaukee College majoring Starved Roc Starved Rock Country

t Peyton Lamps operates Petals By Peyton.

The horticulture and floral design student sells products featuring snake plants, succulents, air plants and marimo balls.

in horticulture and floral design and works in the floral department at Peru’s HyVee. When she’s not working, she spends a lot of time researching trends and new items. You can find her custom plants for sale around Starved Rock Country.

She started selling a few years ago with a couple succulent planters on a local Facebook garage sale page. They sold well, so she spent the next winter gathering containers and materials to sell more the next summer.

“I started selling my stuff last year at the canal market (in Utica) and it just took off from there.”

You won’t find creations like Lamps’ at any big box store.

“I love unique plants. I love things that are different and weird — and low maintenance. I always go for low maintenance.”

Succulents, air plants, snake plants and marimo balls all require little care.

She also has dino plants, which do not need soil to survive and can live for decades without water — the ultimate in unique and low maintenance.

Perhaps just as unique as a dino plant or a marimo ball are the planters Lamps uses.

She has everything from a galvanized bucket to a mid-century modern plant stand, or a blue owl to a hot pink dinosaur. “(I get my containers) everywhere I can find them. I like unique containers.

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 27

I like vintage containers, too, like lots of old coffee cans and candy cans and stuff like that but almost anywhere I find them I’ll snag ‘em if I like them,” Lamps said.

And if you have some you’d like her to fill, she does custom orders, too. She had a n La Salle County chicken feeder in her Historical Society Canal workshop she had just Market, 208 Clark St., filled with succulents Utica, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays, May through for a customer.

September; 5 to 9 p.m.

Most of Lamps’ Friday, Sept. 7; 10 a.m. to products are in stores, 4 p.m., Saturdays, Sept. 1 but she enjoys her and Sept. 15. booth at the La Salle n Laurilea’s Unique Junk County Historical Boutique, 112 W. Main Society Canal Market St., Ottawa where she gets to meet her customers. n Threee Little Birds, 802 First St., La Salle “It’s right in downtown Utica, so you’re meeting all these hikers from Starved Rock and you’re just constantly getting to know new people and it’s really awesome.”

And while she has a booth and products in other stores, she hopes one day to have a storefront of her S R own in Starved Rock Country. C

Where can I find Petals By Peyton?

The Best Value Under The Sun

120 North Lewis Avenue • Oglesby

daysinnstarvedrock.com

Pet Friendly

5 Miles from Starved Rock State Park!

• FREE Daybreak® Breakfast • FREE Wifi • 100% Smoke Free • MIcro/Fridge in all rooms • Fitness Room

Newly Remodeled

815.883.9600

Live

Entertainment Sundays

Hours: Restaurant Closed Mon, Tues & Wed Thur 4 PM - 8 PM Fri & Sat 11:30 AM - 9 PM Sunday 11:30 AM -6 PM

249 East Route 71 Cedar Point, IL 61316

Open 7 Days A Week 11AM to 4PM Call for reservations

815-446-4017

Open Year Round!

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www.TheGunsmokeGrill.com Open Year Round!

www.CCRStables.com

Map out your trip around Starved Rock Country

Route 34

Illustrations by Charlie Ellerbrock

Earlville

North 39th Road

Interstate 180

Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway Spring Valley

Depue Lake

Turner Lake

Oglesby

Starved Rock State Park Matthiessen State Park

Route 251

Interstate 39

Ve r

m

ilio

n

Ri

ve r

Route 18

Streator

d Roa nty Cou 0 East 170

East 15th Road

Henry

Take a ride over the Red Covered Bridge (See page 33)

30 Fall 2018

Grand Ridge

26

County Road 750 East

Lake Senachwine

ighway

County Road 500 North

Dee Bennett Road

Hulse Lake

Illinois River

ock ad uffalo Rark B eP t a t S

ig Ro

Utica

La Salle Peru

County Highway 89

Route 29

H County

Goose Lake

Ottawa

Route 6 Koen

Route 71

County Road 1300 North

Route 23

Ladd

Route 23

Spring Lake

North 33rd Road

Route 178

Princeton

East 8th Road

Interstate 39

Interstate 80

dro We

Cherry

Route 251

Route 52

56

Ro

North 42n

Triumph

ay hw H ig

County Highway 26

ty un Co

ad t y Ro Coun East 1950

4 e3 ut

East 12th Road

Mendota

Route 92

Route 23

Route 34

Route 17

Boggio’s Orchard in Granville (boggiosorchard andproduce.com)

Fall Colors Weekend at Starved Rock State Park (See page 62)

Scarecrow Festival in downtown Ottawa (See page 62)

Starved Rock Country

Sandwich

ive r

Somonauk

Fox R

R

oad

r ive xR Fo Road

No

nd Road

st R

251

4 rth

Reddick Mansion

1

7 te ou

Newark Road

North 41st Road Newark

Fall Events Saturday & Sunday,

Sheridan Route 52

Sept 15 & 16, 1-3pm

Royal Princess Party Friday & Saturday, October 12 & 13, 7pm & 9pm

Ghosts of Ottawa Past Friday, November 16, 5-8pm

Sparkling Night at the Mansion

Interstate 80 Route 6

Illin

i Sta te P a

&M

Morris

l

ana an C

g ichi

er s Riv

i

Illino

Interstate 47

ois

Illin

Marseilles Seneca

rk

La Salle County Nuclear Station Cooling Lake

County Highway 6

Mansion Tours: Fri thru Mon from 11-3:00pm Closed Tues, Wed, Thurs

100 West Lafayette St., Ottawa, IL 61350 815-433-6100

reddickmansion.org

Great Dining On the Riverfront

East 27th Road

County Highway 5

Route 18 East 24th Road

5

Route 17 Int ers tat e5

on

County Highway 25

Norway

County Highway 15

Ro

ut e7

1

Serena

One of the most expensive and ornate private homes in the Midwest when completed in 1858, the Mansion was built by businessman, politician, and philanthropist William Reddick. Home to the Reddick family for nearly 30 years, the mansion anchors Washington Square, site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate.

A bicycle tour of history along the Illinois & Michigan Canal (See page 18)

Starved Rock Country

Classic car clubs and cruise nights (See page 12)

Come by Car, Bike or Boat!

Saturday Prime Rib Wednesday Wings (.50) Thurday Tacos

Live Entertainment Happy Hour 3-6 Open 11AM - 10PM 7 Days A Week Fall 2018 31

32 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

| Offbe at |

Calm your beasts before crossing this bridge

A

sign on the Red Covered Bridge in Princeton is clear about the rules.

“Five dollars fine for driving more than twelve horses, mules or cattle at one time or for leading any beast faster than a walk on or across this bridge.”

It’s likely been a while since police have handed out a ticket for violating that rule.

Constructed in 1863 at a cost of $3,148.57, the Red Covered Bridge remains a charming historic artifact after outsurviving most of the state’s covered bridges.

(It’s also the only one open to motor traffic) The bridge is also the most photographed bridge in Illinois, which is featured on the city’s tourism literature and website (princeton-il.com).

We dare you to find a bad time of year to snap a photo of the Red Covered Bridge.

The bridge, which measures 93 feet, spans Big Bureau Creek and was a hallmark of the legendary Galena Trail, which connected the lead-mining region of Northern Illinois to Peoria. In those days, covered bridges were viewed more for function than form.

Today, you won’t find your path being blocked by “beasts” crossing the bridge. But you may spot a photographer or two.

Starved Rock Country

A BRIDGE THROUGH TIME. Offbeat features the unusual or just plain odd things you’ll find in Starved Rock Country.

We seek them out and tell you the story behind them. This is the background of the Red Covered Bridge, located one mile north of Princeton (Exit 56 off Interstate 80).

Why were bridges covered?

Bridges of old were covered to make them last longer.

Because early bridges were made of wood they were vulnerable to weather. Rain-soaked planks also were slippery and dangerous. Plus a roof made the entire structure stronger.

They were also built to resemble barns to put farm animals more at ease while crossing streams and rivers.

Covers also provided shelter to travelers caught in storms and were used by locals for a romantic rendezvous as they were sometimes referred to as “Kissing Bridges.”

Those that remain are now historic landmarks and a nostalgic link to our past.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Covered Bridges, pacoveredbridges.com, a website dedicated to the preservation and restoration of all covered bridges still standing.

Fall 2018 33

| Fa m i ly M atters |

Hidden Paradise

Alpacas Exotic South American animals a match for relocated owners Story by Charles Stanley, Photos by Tom Sistak

I

34 Fall 2018

f it seems unexpected to find alpacas — which are native to South America — in rural Illinois, how about their owners Mike and Anne O’Sullivan — who are native to Chicago?

Now at the 10-year mark, Hidden Paradise Alpacas north of Granville has become a stopping place for visitors from throughout the U.S. and as far away as China and Russia. Visitors not only get to see alpacas, which are renown for clothing made from their soft and warm fleece, but a small menagerie of other animals.

The business was started by the O’Sullivans almost on a whim when they decided to relocate from Chicagoland to Starved Rock Country.

“Twelve years ago we were at Starved Rock for a weekend and on the way home we stopped at a real estate office and asked the Realtor to start looking for a retirement home for us,” Mike said. “We had looked elsewhere, but we decided we just want to settle here.”

Both of the O’Sullivans had grown up in Chicago, Mike on the northwest side and Anne on the southwest side near Midway Airport.

Both had their careers at the Chicago Transit Authority. Mike’s field was rail car maintenance and Anne worked as a graphic artist.

“She’s best known for making every bus stop sign in Chicago,” Mike said. For years, Anne also devised the vinyl wrap and interior decorations for the CTA Holiday Train, an “L” car decorated for the Christmas season and manned by elves passing out candy canes.

“The Realtor asked what we wanted property for to help her find us the right place,” Mike said. “My wife mentioned alpacas, and at the time I didn’t really know what an alpaca was.”

Within three months the O’Sullivans were owners of the 10 acres that would become Hidden Paradise. At the time the only structures were an A-frame house and a garage.

First it was a weekend retreat. Mike retired first and then when Anne retired it became their full-time home and new business.

“Anne’s the president and I’m the farm manager,” Mike explained with a laugh.

Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 35

36 Fall 2018

Charles Stanley

Their first of a number of new buildings was a barn to house the initial five alpacas.

“Then we ended up getting two donkeys, then it was chickens, then it was ducks and then it was guineas…” Mike said, his voice trailing off.

Today there also are rabbits, goats, cats, a peacock and a desert tortoise.

At one time the number of animals hovered at 80, but since has been reduced to make the operation more manageable.

The farm has been a success, despite the O’Sullivans seat-of-thepants business approach.

“Everything we did was just off the cuff,” Mike said. “It was based on whatever we read or brought up on the internet to help us.

“Luckily, we have nice neighbors who lend a hand and help us out,” he said. “But most of it was a coin flip. We’d try it and see what worked and see what didn’t.”

The heart of the farm is its exotic alpacas. Each spring Mike and a buddy shear them and clip their toenails. They also get a visit from the veterinarians from the Bureau Valley Veterinary Service in Princeton. The vets are called out as needed, but Mike has delivered a couple of baby alpacas himself.

Visitors are fascinated by the alpacas, who seem more favorable to being approached by children than adults, Mike said.

The small herd is watched over by their “guard dog” Sarge the llama, another South American native.

“Alpacas are defenseless, so Sarge is here to protect them in case a predator gets in,” Mike said.

Coyotes, for instance, will get little mercy from llamas, he said.

p Anne and Mike O’Sullivan own and operate Hidden Paradise Alpacas, an alpaca farm open to guests who want to get up close and visit an array of animals.

Mike O’Sullivan strolls among the alpacas at Hidden Paradise. u

Starved Rock Country

t A young visitor befriends a pair of donkeys at Hidden Paradise Alpacas.

HOW TO FIND HIDDEN PARADISE ALPACAS: Take Illinois Route 71 to Granville. Across from Boggio’s Orchard take Division Street north three miles through town and to the farm.

Guide signs are posted at every critical road junction. For additional information call 815-830-5290 or visit chicagoalpacas.com.

Hidden Paradise is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and other times by appointment.

It is closed February through May.

The Illinois River Area Chamber of Commerce Invites You to the Communities of Marseilles and Seneca

Middle East Conflicts Memorial Wall, Marseilles The Seneca Area History Museum, Seneca Illini State Park, Marseilles The LST Memorial, Seneca The I&M Canal Hiking and Biking Path, Marseilles & Seneca See more at www.iracc.org, call us at (815) 795-2323, or, stop by the Caboose at 135 Wasington St., Marseilles, IL 61341

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Stop by the Outlet Center for great savings!

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815.667.7700 Fall 2018 37

“Llama’s will pounce on them,” Mike said. “They’ll actually pick them up in their teeth and shake them.”

Both alpacas and llamas have a reputation for spitting.

“It’s true,” Mike said. “Alpacas and llamas all spit. But mine don’t spit at people — they spit at each other, and it’s normally over food.”

Visitors include both families and groups. The farm is a popular stop on a regular motor coach tour from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Besides having Mike and Anne as guides, Socks the cat also serves as the “resident greeter and diplomat” welcoming visitors and at times climbing up on their shoulders.

There is no charge to visit or for tours. Visitors can buy items at its small but well-supplied gift shop.

The stock includes alpaca socks, scarves, gloves, mittens and yarn. There also are other gift items as well as goat milk soap and lotion made by a neighbor who raises goats. Payment is by cash or check.

An ‘up-close’ petting zoo For a city kid looking to have an enjoyable close encounter with farm animals, Pauly’s Petting Zoo at Cedar Creek Ranch fills the bill.

“This is an up-close and personal experience,” said Paul Williams, one of

38 Fall 2018

Despite the name, there are more animals to meet than only alpacas at Hidden Paradise Alpacas. Miniature horses are among the animal friends families can meet. the owners.

“It’s a little different than some petting zoos where the animals are caged and fed from outside,” he said. “Here they get in with the animals and feed them.”

A spacious fenced-in area features kid-size animals. They include miniature cows, miniature goats, miniature donkeys, lambs, turkeys and chickens.

Typically, kids are excited, Williams

said. “They want to get in there.”

Some are more cautious.

“At first they might be a little nervous,” he said. “But once they realize the animals aren’t going to hurt them they have a ball.”

Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they want.

Pauly’s Petting Zoo is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The entry fee of $5 per person

Starved Rock Country

A pair of young visitors have the chance to give a treat to one of the sheep at Cedar Creek Ranch’s petting zoo.

Pauly’s Petting Zoo at Cedar Creek Ranch allows children to roam among the livestock.

includes a small bucket of animal feed.

Additional buckets of feed are $3 for one or $5 for two. There is a 3.99 percent surcharge on credit card charges.

Cedar Creek Ranch is located on Illinois Route 71 just east of Cedar Point.

On arrival, park in the parking lot and walk back to the petting zoo.

For additional information call 815-4813337 or visit ccrstables.com, which also highlights Cedar Creek Ranch’s other S R attractions. C

As featured on WGN-TV

Lock 16 Cafe & Gift Shop

Healthy fresh breakfast, lunch & desserts.

Afternoon teas. Housemade scones, soups and salads. Locally roasted Mon-Sat 7-5:30 coffee and gourmet teas Unique gifts & decor Sun. 8-4:30

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 39

| S w eet Sp ot |

Get Your

Candy Fix at KeKe’s

Story by Jerrilyn Zavada, Photos by Tom Sistak

F

or most of their lives, Kelley and Herman Tomano have been in the food concession and craft popcorn business, packing up and traveling to festivals, fairs and craft shows to sell their product.

But the two have also had a lifelong dream of landing somewhere permanently and opening a shop devoted to all things confectionary.

And so, on Oct. 23, 2017, the couple opened KeKe’s Sweet Shop at 216 W. Main St. in Ottawa, the business named after Kelley’s childhood nickname.

With shelves stacked from bottom to top, the shop offers 60 flavors of popcorn, hand-scooped ice cream, homemade candy and fudge, novelty and nostalgia specialties, sno cones, Banana Splits, rootbeer floats, bottled pop, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, snacks and a whole lot more.

The couple also offers special-sized popcorn orders and candy, cookie, cupcake and popcorn buffets for birthday parties, wedding showers and other special occasions.

“Right now the giant turtles are a big deal,” Kelley said.

“Everyone wants a giant turtle...”

Items range from 15 cents to $4, but Kelley and Herman say it is not unusual for those with an especially sweet tooth to come in and “sell the house” so to speak, when it comes to getting their candy fix.

“It’s crazy; we’ll have people come in with $40, $50 of candy,” Herman said. “One girl

40 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Jessica Kelly pours chocolate nuggets atop a chocolate ice cream cone at KeKe’s Sweet Shop in downtown Ottawa.

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 41

bought $98 of candy and the next week bought $70 worth of candy.”

Located on one of Ottawa’s busier downtown streets, the shop is attractive to children, teens and the young at heart.

“It’s really a 216 W. Main St., lot more adults Ottawa than kids to be 815-516-3277 honest, Hours (may vary although we get by season): a lot of kids,” n 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Kelley said. “We Monday to Thursday have our regulars and at 3:20 n 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., p.m. the kids are Friday to Saturday going to be here n Noon to 6 p.m., from school. It’s Sunday been great. We have great customers and everyone has been real supportive.”

“We have faithful people who come in and we know who they are and what they’ll get,” Herman continued. “We have one gentleman when we have the buy-three-get-one-free sale on popcorn come in and get his four rolls of cinna-

KeKe’s Sweet Shop

mon popcorn. He comes in and gets it and comes straight to the counter.”

The shop is not far from the heart of Starved Rock Country – Starved Rock State Park, Buffalo Rock State Park, and Matthiessen State Park. Kelley said tourists who are in the area often stop in to check out what the shop offers and leave

with a tasty treat of their own.

“People, I think, stay right around here in Ottawa and come in and say they’re hiking at Starved Rock and will get ice cream and candy,” she said.

“People keep telling me it reminds them of the penny stores when they were S R kids.” C

Big Barn Shop, Great Gifts for Gardeners/Nature lovers Fairy House Fall Plants, Pumpkins, Decor & Lots More

Sheridan

2930 N. 4351st Rd. 815-496-9400 Located in the country along the Fox River, 5 miles south of Sandwich, 5 miles NE of Sheridan.

(Google Maps can get you here —or call—or message us)

Fall Festival & Garden Walk September 22, 9-4 42 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 43

2018 Favorite Womens Boutique!

Bromley & Brown BOUTIQUE

308 E. MAIN, STREATOR

www.danchrisnursery.com

815-672-8135

Wild Hearts Boutique Apparel & Accessories for the Wild Heart With A Gypsy Soul & Cowgirl Spirit!!

212 E. Main St. Suite 1 • Streator, IL 815-674-7558

Wood carver Jim Wall, of Granville, displays his entry for this year’s Valley Carvers Expo.

46 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Tales Behind the Wood Carvers expo provides experience Story by Derek Barichello, Photos by Katy Arnold

W

oodcarvers are storytellers.

And just as the wood they work with has its many layers, so do their stories.

These are sure to be told 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the 30th annual Valley Carvers Expo at Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center. Admission is free.

Sales and exhibits will be on display from talented carvers throughout the Midwest. Three judges will award prizes to top entries.

There is a wide variety of items on display or for sale, ranging from totems and Santa Clauses, to jewelry, fishing lures, birds, shot glasses and more.

A regular popular highlight, Bud Hainzinger, of Morris, will give free chainsaw sculpture demonstrations outside of the Lodge.

Being there provides a unique experience, not duplicated by ordering or viewing online.

“All you have to do is ask a woodcarver and they’ll tell you stories,” said Jim Wall, a woodworker for nearly three decades. “Everyone wants to talk about their work, because there’s so much time

Valley Carvers Expo WHERE: Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center, 2668 E. 875th Road, Oglesby WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30 CALL 815-433-5933 for more information.

Starved Rock Country

put into it.”

Wall estimates he spends anywhere from 25 to 70 hours on his pieces that typically start as a block of wood. He recently placed third in a professional competition in Maquoketa, Iowa, for his abstract piece “Beyond the Reflection.”

Wall carves wooden ducks, but he is most inspired by making abstract art out of wood.

His prized piece’s story started from his couch.

“The idea for ‘Beyond the Reflection’ came to me this spring when I saw the sunlight coming through the windows and off the TV and onto the wall,” Wall said. “I scribbled it out and recreated it.

It all started from seeing a pattern.”

Wall said what makes abstract pieces so interesting to him is how one person may see a certain imagery in the work, and another viewer something completely different.

He showed an example of one of his works, where at first glance, it appears to be a flame. Another, deeper look shows more.

“It’s a baby in the womb,” Wall said of his intention.

People may also serve as the inspiration behind a work.

In 2016, Aubrie McCague, Wall’s daughter, created a support ribbon. Aubrie’s mom was diagnosed with leukemia around eight years ago, but since has recovered. Aubrie’s sister had since been diagnosed with breast cancer.

While the ribbon is made out of cherry wood, which gives the sculpture an orange hue similar to the support ribbon color associated with leukemia, Aubrie

Shown above is the progression of wood carving, from block of wood to work-inprogress to final stages of carving.

Wood carver Jim Wall, of Granville, shows how seeming imperfections in the wood can inspire and influence its design, here helping achieve a mother and child.

Fall 2018 47

Wood carver Jim Wall displays many finished products on the dining room table of his Granville home. said the lack of a specific color was intentional. That way it will mean something different to everyone, she said.

Wall and McCague are members of the Valley Carvers, a club that has been around for 32 years and has regular monthly meetings in Ottawa.

The camaraderie of the local organization also brings a warm feeling to Sunday’s event.

“It’s a good hobby to share,” McCague said.

A raffle table will be set up, in which proceeds will go to fund the Valley Carvers, which has been in existence for 32 years. The club has donated to St. Jude Hospital and Make-a-Wish programs.

The club also is looking for more memS R bers. Call 815-993-2163 if interested. C 48 Fall 2018

An unfinished duck shows the wood grain and how wood carver Jim Wall works with it.

Starved Rock Country

A market of makers, gifts and gatherings for you and your home.

More than a cafe

Proudly serving good vibes, Homemade paninins,

317 E. Main St. Streator, IL

soups, salads, sweets and beverage adventures!

Hours: 10-5 Tues - Fri 10-3 Saturday

Tue-Fri 7-5 Sat 8-3

815-822-9152

Dine in - Carry out

One Marketplace.... four unique shopping experiences • Embroidery • Screen Printing • Bling • Full Color Laser Printing Suite 4 Tues-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-4

Open 10-5 Wed-Fri. Sat 10-3

317 Main Street • Streator IL

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 49

Get Ready For Some

Wicked Fun Story by Tammie Sloup, Photos Contributed

F

or one night, ladies will be encouraged to show off their witchy

side.

Don’t worry, we’re talking attire, not attitude.

Starved Rock Country’s first Witches Night Out is planned for Saturday, Oct. 13, at Pitstick Pavilion in Ottawa, where the banquet hall will be filled with artisan and vendor booths, live entertainment and most importantly, women donning witch costumes. (witchywear is required) “Our community event will be full of enchanting and mystical friendship, entertainment, food, shopping, bewitching brews, dancing and most of all, fun, fun fun!” said co-organizer Laurie Ragan. “So gather your girlfriends, use your imagination to become a witch fashionista (or at least wear a creative hat) and have a great ladies night out!”

Ragan and co-organizer Mary Kay Teausant brought the event to Starved Rock Country after manning an artist booth at a similar event in Naperville.

“I was an artist at the Naperville one, and my eyes kept darting all over the place looking at costumes; they were so amazing and so unique,” Ragan said. “I said, 50 Fall 2018

Clockwise from top left: Chicago Steve, Michael Skopes and Mary Beth Gelbuda Maziarz.

‘We have to bring this to our area.’ We had such a good time.”

“Just seeing all these women walking around in all

these fabulous outfits and hats, it’s just an eerie feeling (in a good way),” Teausant said.

For months, the Ottawa

women have been lining up artisans, vendors, entertainment, a professional photographer and a psychic reader for the event, which they hope becomes an annual affair. Guests can expect to find hand-painted stem wear, essential oils, gourd birdhouses, homemade honey, handmade themed dolls, jewelry, candles, soaps and much more.

Tickets are limited to the ladies-only event, which also will feature a cash bar, live music and dancing.

“Bewitching prizes” will be awarded during the best hat and costume contest.

The entertainment lineup features Starved Rock Country natives who have found national and international success: MARY BETH GELBUDA MAZIARZ: A singer/songwriter from Ottawa who has released seven albums independently and her work has appeared on several national soundtracks. Her music has been featured on over 50 TV shows and films. She now lives in Park City, Utah. For more information, visit marybethmusic.com.

MICHAEL SKOPES AND “CHICAGO STEVE” BARKLEY: Both are from Morris and have TV and film credits.

Skopes has been a solo guiStarved Rock Country

Witchy attire is required at Witches Night Out. Shown here are organizers Laurie Ragan and Mary Kay Teausant.

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 51

• 4-Season Building • Seats up to 350 • Covered Patio • Bride’s & Groom’s Rooms • Outdoor Wedding Ceremony Site events@hornbakergardens.com

Destination Garden Center Open April 10 through October 10

m Garden Center m Arboretum m Botanical Gardens

Artisan Market September 15th SATURDAY

Princeton, Illinois • 815-659-3282 • www.hornbakergardens.com 52 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Witches Night Out co-organizer Laurie Ragan incorporates a witchy theme into some of her artwork as well, such as this painting.

tar and vocalist off and on since 1978, and also has appeared in several films and television shows, including “Days of Our Lives” and “General Hospital,” as well as Universal Studios live shows, stunts, hosting and announcing. Barkley is a comedian, actor, voice-over artist and comedic TV and radio commercial writer. Barkley has appeared on A&E’s “Good Time Cafe,” and several times on the “Showtime Comedy Club Network,” among other TV appearances. He’s also opened for or toured with musical artists including Ray Charles, Chicago, Neil Young, Smokey Robinson and more.

While October’s weather can be finicky, Pitstick Pavilion will provide a temperature-controlled, indoor environment. Its location, in a rural area just north of Ottawa, also is the perfect (and some may say spooky) setting, surrounded by trees and very few neighbors.

Proceeds will benefit NCI

Artworks and OmniArts and local nonprofit organizations.

So tune up your brooms, dress up your hats and get ready for S R the witching hour(s). C

Witches Night Out WHEN: 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 WHERE: Pitstick Pavilion, west side of Route 23, just north of Ottawa TICKETS: $40 per person, includes feast of appetizers (get them in advance as tickets are limited) INFO: To order tickets or for more information, go online to nciartworks.com/ upcoming-eventstickets. html; contact Laurie at 815-325-4320, or Mary Kay at 815-252-4746, or email witchesnightout2@gmail. com. Visit the Facebook page, Witches Night Out in Starved Rock Country.

“Food Worth Traveling For” The Finest in Steaks, Seafood and Pasta

Modern, Casual Comfort Craft Beer & Wine Selection Full Service Lounge Outdoor Dining Book Your Thanksgiving & Holiday Parties with us!

Open 7 Days A Week | 4:30PM - Close Private Rooms Available for 10-100 For Any Occasion

Est. 1997

815-433-2400 | 1321 LaSalle Street | Ottawa I-80 to Exit 90• Rt. 23 South 2 Miles www.woodyssteakhouse1.com Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 53

Award Winning Games, Toys & Books

712 LaSalle St. • Ottawa 815-433-4233 • rpstoys.com

815.433.7323 See Us At Our New Location This Fall!

719 LaSalle St • Ottawa www.prairiefoxbooks.com 54 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

Visit or Reserve our Wellness/Education Center for Workshops & Retreats

Dry Hydrotherapy, Full Spectrum Infared Sauna, Migun Thermassage Bed, Ionic Foot Detox & Yoga (815) 343-2751 • 310 1/2 W. Main Street, Ottawa, IL WWW.SALTTREEYOGA.COM

• Wall Accents • Curtains And Linens • Braided Rugs • Shower Curtains • Candles • Florals • Wreaths & More Hours: Tues - Fri 11:00 - 5:00 Sat. 10:00 - 5:00

728 COLUMBUS ST. - OTTAWA 815-617-9595

Thymeless Ottawa

Largest Selection of Gourmet & Imported Cheeses

1219 Fulton St., Ottawa

815-433-0478

Starved Rock Country

Mon-Sat 8:00am to 7:00pm • Serving Lunch & Supper

Fall 2018 55

| D o w nto w n |

t The Vintage Mural Wall at Heritage Park in downtown Streator covers the full expanse of a building’s wall and depicts days of Streator gone by. At night, the windows of the mural are illuminated and show silhouettes of people and objects.

Streator:

A Not-So-Quiet A

few blocks of walking in downtown Streator is all it will take to be swept up in the city’s rich

history.

Residents and shop owners are eager to share stories, but they can also be found emblazoned on the city’s walls in the form of murals depicting famous Streator natives and events.

And that’s not including the Vintage Mural Wall in Streator’s Heritage Park, which is designed to look like a downtown block in Streator from the 1920s.

Lighted panels rest behind the murals, which, when illuminated, give the storefronts the appearance of being active at night.

Streator’s downtown, which mainly 56 Fall 2018

Place

Story by Brent Bader, Photos by Tom Sistak

stretches four blocks from North Bloomington Street to North Wasson Street and south of City Park, has been a slowly-growing hidden gem in Starved Rock Country.

The area saw some recent attention with the arrival of the Walldogs, which is a traveling group of artists from across the globe. Two hundred of them descended into Streator this summer and painted a total of 17 murals depicting the city’s history.

One of the city’s more prominent figures includes astronomer Clyde W.

Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto. His face and a small description are present on the side of K’s Secret Garden and Fine Field Pottery, 215 E. Main St. Kay Fulkerson has a number of cityspecific keepsakes and mementos available in her store, including T-shirts that read “Pluto is still a planet in Streator, IL.” The wounds of ripping the city’s historic connection to a former planet are still fresh as Pluto was declared a dwarf planet.

Fulkerson also has a number of candles available that associate scents with popular Streator buildings both of the past and present.

Candles are meant to invoke images Starved Rock Country

p Streator City Park, one of the crown jewels of the city’s green spaces, is a four-square-block urban preserve featuring memorials, an amphitheater, splash park, fountain, playground and picnic shelters.

Downtown Streator features more than a dozen murals that tell the story of the city’s history. q of spots such as the city’s Majestic Theater, which is now vacant as well as the delicious pastries currently available at Steve’s Bakery.

In the back room, Gavin Finefield can be found hard at work producing pottery pieces that are on sale at K’s Secret Garden as well as at various markets in Illinois.

Finefield has been throwing pottery since 2012 and set up shop in the back of K’s in 2016.

Since then he’s expanded his operation to include teaching lessons for couples and groups.

“It’s been a really good place not only for making art but for teaching,” Finefield said.

Starved Rock Country

Fall 2018 57

“The ‘quiet place on the prairie’ is getting a little busier.”

— Gavin Finefield, Streator artist and businessman

Streator resident David Hart relaxes at Main Street

Gavin Finefield creates and sells handmade ceramics at K’s Secret Garden and Fine Field Pottery, 215 E. Main St., Streator.

58 Fall 2018

“People are always welcome to come back and see what I’m doing,” he added.

Just to the east of K’s is Veranda, where the old becomes new again.

Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra vinyl albums allure those looking for a taste of the past and occasionally a box marked “free” is meant to entice and create new vinyl lovers.

Owner Steve Holmberg said he’s been set up at 221 E. Main St. for nearly a decade and has seen an interest in vinyl from a younger crowd more recently.

Also on the shelves are vintage movie posters as well as a variety of artwork and vintage advertisements.

But Streator’s downtown isn’t solely focused on memories and mementos.

Newer businesses have popped up too, such as the recently popular coffee shop More on Main inside the Main Street Market, 317 E. Main St. David Hart, of Streator, recently sat outside at a table in front of the business enjoying a magazine and a cool breeze.

A waitress came out and delivered a sandwich and soup. Hart said it’s quickly become a local favorite.

“I love the atmosphere here and the outdoor seating,” Hart said. “I’m an outside person and I don’t like being cooped up in air conditioning all the time.”

A chalkboard resides near the checkout where customers can buy an item for another patron. Sometimes customStarved Rock Country

Market’s sidewalk table with a magazine.

Inside Main Street Market is a coffee shop and cafe, as well as shopping opportunities.

Not far from downtown is the Hopalong Cassidy canoe launch along the Vermilion River. ers leave a $10 credit for “a police officer” or “veteran” and can also be more specific and name friends.

The business is bustling around the lunch hour and has also become a favorite stop for Mariela Coss and Dan Craig, of Ottawa.

Coss is a Streator native and their second visit included bites of a turkey and bacon panini.

“I was blown away,” Coss said. “I told Starved Rock Country

my friends, ‘How did I not know about this place?’”

Those walking in for a quick coffee may also end up walking out with a T-shirt or knick-knack.

The Main Street Market location also has side shops inside such as the Three Wishes home and gift store as well as Sew Personal 4 U clothing store, which has a variety of local sports teams apparel.

The downtown shopping experience

Larry Thomas sits inside his barber and cigar shop at 214 E. Main St., Streator. has also grown to support a number of clothing businesses, including Wild Hearts Boutique and Bromley & Brown.

Finefield said the growth has been noticeable as more and more traffic from Starved Rock State Park begins to discover what downtown Streator has to offer.

“The ‘quiet place on the prairie’ is getting a little busier,” Finefield said with a laugh while referencing the city’s tagline.

S R “So that’s really good.” C Fall 2018 59

754 First Street • Downtown LaSalle, 61301 • (815) 545-6656 HOURS: THURS-FRI 12-6 • SAT 10-6 • SUNDAY 12-4

6,500 square foot wonderland of vintage, white, rusty, shabby, industrial and mid-century finds Let the treasure hunt begin.

Rusty, old, recycled, weathered, refurnished, shabby, vintage, antique, chippy, trendy, or just plain cool!

Quality, unique antiques at an affordable price.

Clarks Run Antiques Monday thru Saturday 10 to 5. Sunday 11 to 4

215 N. Division St. • Utica • 815.667.7190 ClarksRunAntiques.com

• Salvaged doors, windows, trim, beams, barn wood • Stockist for four lines of milk, clay, lime, & chalk-based paint including Pure & Original

309 N. Liberty St., Morris

Mark Your Calendars!

Friday, Oct. 19th

First AnnuaL

GHOULS NIGHT OUT! Friend Jane Kerr

is r o o D The pen, O n In! o Come

Fun Fa Acces shion, G sories for Alilfts & Ages!

Stop in and check out all of our lines that give back to society.

Puppy Love, Simply Southern, Beyond the Beanie, Love Your Melon, Little Words Project and Chaveaz for Charity 815-942-5093

FALL COLORS WEEKEND, Oct. 20-21, Starved Rock State Park

Things To See & Do

Plan your trip in Starved Rock Country

AUGUST 31-Sept. 3 TRI-COUNTY FAIR, Mendota, agricultural and home exhibits, carnival, food, demolition derby, truck and tractor pulls, 815-5397974, tricountyfair.net.

SEPTEMBER 1 ROAMER CRUISE NIGHT AND CAR SHOW, downtown Streator, over 600 restored and antique cars, 888-485-9895, streator.org.

2 BIRDS OF PREY, Saving Our American Raptors will be on hand with live birds of prey, Starved Rock Visitor Center, 815-667-4906.

5-9 SANDWICH FAIR, live entertainment, home and agricultural exhibits, harness 62 Fall 2018

racing, truck and tractor pulls, demolition derby, 815-786-2159, sandwichfair.com.

7-9 OMNI PRIZE FOR THE ARTS, juried art festival showcasing visual arts, theater, film and music, downtown Ottawa, omniarts.org.

7 BBQ AND BLUES, rib cookoff and music festival, downtown La Salle, lasallebusiness.org.

8 JAZZ’N THE STREET, wine and beer tasting and music festival, downtown La Salle, lasallebusiness.org.

8 MARSEILLES RENAISSANCE FAIRE, acts, woodcarving, demonstrations, crafters and more, 555 Commercial St., Marseilles, enjoylasallecounty.com.

7-9 HOMESTEAD FESTIVAL, Princeton, car show, food, live entertainment, 5K run, parade, flea market, homesteadfestival.com.

9-15 “ON GOLDEN POND” Community Players of Streator, 815-672-3584, englelane.org.

15 ARTISAN MARKET, Hornbaker Gardens, Princeton, art market, wine tasting, bakery, live music, local produce, 815-659-3282, hornbakergardens.com.

15 PRAIRIE DAY, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Morris, Indian artifacts, wagon rides, food, children’s activities, 815942-2899, gooselakeprairie.org.

15 AUTUMN MIGRATORY BIRD

HIKE, Starved Rock Visitor Center, 815-667-4906.

15-16 VINTAGE ILLINOIS WINE FESTIVAL, Matthiessen State Park, Utica, vintageillinois.com.

16 SUNSET DRUM CIRCLE, interactive sunset drum circle featuring African Percussion and Native American flutes, Starved Rock State Park, starvedrocklodge.com.

26-30 GRUNDY COUNTY CORN FESTIVAL, Morris, live entertainment, home and agricultural exhibits, parade, craft show and flea market, water fights, carnival, 815-942-2676, cornfestival.org.

29 SCARECROW FESTIVAL, face painting, bouncy houses, Starved Rock Country

vendor booths, family activities, downtown Ottawa, 815-4342737, pickusottawail.com.

29-30 STARVED ROCK MEGAHIKE, hike the trails at Starved Rock State Park, Utica, reservations required. 815-220-7386, starvedrocklodge.com.

30 VALLEY CARVERS WOODCARVING EXPO, over 100 exhibits, chainsaw woodcarving, raffles, Starved Rock State Park, Utica, 815-634-3086, starvedrocklodge.com.

OCTOBER 7 29TH PUMPKIN PIE RIDE, bicycling, Ottawa YMCA, sponsored by Starved Rock Cycling Association, starvedrockcycling.com.

20 HARVEST FEST, Oglesby, live entertainment, Halloween parade, family activities, 815-8839722, oglesby.il.us.

7-13 “THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW,” Community Players of Streator musical, 815-672-3584, englelane. org.

27 CREATURES OF THE NIGHT, Save Our American Raptors “SOAR,” will be on hand with several species of owls native to Illinois, Starved Rock Visitor Center, enjoylasallecounty.com.

BURGOO FESTIVAL, downtown Utica, antique car show, craft and flea market vendors, servings of kettlecooked Burgoo stew, 815-6674861, lasallecountymuseum.org.

“CHRISTMAS IN THE VALLEY,” vendor shows, special sales, holiday family activities, Spring Valley, 815-664-2753, springvalley.il.us.

12-13 “GHOSTS OF OTTAWA’S PAST,” Reddick Mansion, Ottawa, ghost stories, walking tour of haunted spots, 815-433-6100, reddickmansion.org.

13-14 SHADOWS OF THE BLUE AND GRAY, City County Park, Princeton, battle re-enactments, work by artisan crafters, period songs, storytelling, food, 815878-1861, shadowsbluegray.com.

20-21 FALL COLORS WEEKEND, Starved Rock State Park, Utica, guided hikes and tours, 815-6674726, starvedrocklodge.com/ events.

Starved Rock Country

Mornings 5:30am – 9am

VETERANS DAY PARADE, parade and more, downtown Utica, utica-il.gov.

10

LINCOLN DAY ON THE I&M CANAL, Mary Todd Lincoln will retrace an hour of the family’s trip from Washington, D.C., home to Springfield, Lock 16 Café & Visitor Center, La Salle, 815-2201848, iandmcanal.org.

Shap

”

NOVEMBER 4

6-7

6

“

Streaming at 953jackfm.net

ONGOING HISTORIC TROLLEY TOURS of Starved Rock State Park and surrounding area, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica. 800-868-7625, ext.

386, starvedrocklodge.com.

WATERFALL AND CANYON TOURS, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica. 800-868-7625, ext. 386, starvedrocklodge.com.

MULE-PULLED CANAL BOAT RIDES, Lock 16 Visitor Center, 754 First St., La Salle, 815-220-1848, lasallecanalboat.org.

“THE AMAZING RACE,” Starved Rock style, select dates beginning in May, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica, 800-868-7625, ext. 386, starvedrocklodge.com.

MORRIS CRUISE NIGHT, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 8 and Oct. 13, on Liberty Street in downtown Morris.

DINNER AND EVENING CRUISE on Belle of the Rock, June to September, 815-220-7386, starvedrocklodge.com.

LAND AND WATER CRUISES, June to September. See Starved Rock from the water on an authentic paddlewheel boat, 815220-7386, starvedrocklodge.com.

celebrating

25

Years!

Fall Famil y Fun! • Ornamental Pumpkins grown at our farm • Large assortment of gourds • Indian Corn • Beautiful Mums

FREE ACTIVITIES for the kids

Weekdays 9am-6pm. Weekends 9am-5pm.

1/2 mike South of I-80 on Plank Rd. exit 73 (across from airport entrance)

Fall 2018 63

O tt a

Postcard

wa, Illi Sept.

2018

is

64 Fall 2018

Starved Rock Country

no

You never know what you might see during the autumn season in the Starved Rock Country area. Though it might appear this dinosaur has run wild through the city of Ottawa, it was only a costumed trick-or-treater in a Halloween parade.

Photo by Tom Sistak

Starved Rock Country