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Find your bliss at Now and Zen

Find your bling at Country Girl Boutique

Find the beauty in Carroll County

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FEATURE • STORY L

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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editor Kathleen Schultz Page Design Breanne Hunter Published by

Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600

BIKERS’ PARADISE

Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Carroll County Living Magazine 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.

Hawg Dogs and the Iron Horse

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Contents 5

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Betty’s Bikers, construction workers, everyday Joes – Betty’s welcomes one and all

8 Now and Zen

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Local artist’s gallery an oasis of peace, love and inspiration

10 Country Girl Boutique Rustic-chic clothes, boots, jewelry, decor and more

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Iron Horse Biker bar anchors a block full of food, finds and fun

18 Little Sprouts New daycare all about growing little minds and bodies

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Daniel Nardini

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Chadwick author shares his life, love, and travels

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Through the lens Locals snap, share the beauty of Carroll County

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A QUIET BAR

BY JERMAINE PIGEE PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

W

hile Poopy’s Pub-N-Grub and the Iron Horse Social Club might be the town’s more boisterous biker bars, Betty’s is at the other end of the spectrum.

Betty’s, at 939 Chicago Ave., is a peaceful spot for bikers and others to grab a cold one.

“This is a quiet bar,” said owner Brian Brown, 49. “People can come in here and relax and enjoy themselves without young kids fighting and things like that.”

Continued on Page 7

Betty’s is a good spot to shoot the breeze, and some pool

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Continued from Page 5

They also can munch on pizza and chips.

Betty’s opened in August 2014. It had been Schroeder’s Bar until 2011, when Chuck Schroeder retired. “The building sat idle for a few years before I took it over,” Brown said.

As might be expected, things were fairly peaceful on a recent Wednesday afternoon. An old movie played on the TV over the bar, the pool table lights were off and the jukebox in the corner sat idle. No one was around to play the video gaming machines, or toss darts.

That’s is not always the case.

“I have a group of bikers that come in here,” Brown said. “They don’t want to go to the Iron Horse or Poopy’s, where it’s busy. They want to come here.”

Although Brown is looking to

attract more bikers, the main draw right now is pool, he said. Betty’s has three tables.

“People hold pool leagues in here during the week,” he said. “There is a pretty busy pool league. People need a place to play pool, and people can play pool in here.”

Although Betty’s is on a busy street, patrons might have a hard time finding it: “I need more advertising on the outside of the building, but that is hard to afford right now,” Brown said.

“I don’t even have Betty’s on the front sign.”

He hopes to increase the exterior profile, maybe by hanging a large motorcycle on the outside of the building, to be more inviting to his preferred clientele.

“I need to get bikers and other customers in here,” he said. “I see the bikers driving past here all the time.” s

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The art of inspiration

Bringing an urban art feel to small-town Mount Carroll

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BY SHELBY KUEPKER | SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

eather Houzenga’s main goal in life is “Helping others realize their worth and inspiring them.” She has been pursuing that mantra as long as she can remember.

Houzenga, 36, of Savanna and owner of the Imaginarium in Mount Carroll, opened her own art studio 6 years ago.

She and her little studio have made a large impact on the Mount Carroll community.

The Imaginarium, her home, consists of Now and Zen Gallery, Zenga’s, a room where she hosts art classes, and Houzenga’s personal art studio.

Now and Zen Gallery is where Houzenga displays and sells her works, as well as those of

other local artists. Houzenga says she’s “created a more urban environment than what this area is used to,” so coming into her shop is definitely a change of mood for locals.

Zenga’s is filled with random knickknacks and antiques that anyone could spend hours looking through. The vibe is “vintage, ’70s, and urban funk,” she said.

Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/Carroll County Living | Heather Houzenga surrounds herself with art, clothing designs and jewelry she’s designed herself at The Imaginarium in Mount Carroll. It consists of Now and Zen Gallery, Zenga’s, a room where she hosts art classes, and Houzenga’s personal art studio.

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Houzenga, passionate about sharing her love of art, also offers community classes and workshops for all ages.

For 9 years, she also has been teaching art to elementary students in Miles, Iowa, where she’s certified to teach English and art to K-12 students.

Houzenga also is active in organizing artists for events in Maquoketa, Iowa hiring musicians

for the farmers market in Mount Carroll, and hosting an open mic night every week at a coffee shop in Mount Carroll.

No matter what she’s doing, Houzenga is an art advocate, dedicated to spreading art and positivity.

“I believe in positivity and helping others believe in themselves. I believe that when you do good, good will come of it.

“Society tells you that art is not quite the avenue you want to travel down, but it’s in my blood and in my heart, so I just keep going.” s

NOW AND ZEN GALLERY 208 W. Market St., Mount Carroll 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, or by appointment Call Heather Houzenga, 563-212-7155, or find it on Facebook to learn more.

Above: Some of the works in progress at Now and Zen gallery in Mount Carroll. Heather Houzenga displays and sells her works there, as well as those of other local artists. Right: Houzenga is especially excited about her upcycled line of clothing designs. Below: Artist Heather Houzenga works on a piece at her gallery in Mount Carroll. The gallery, vintage store, and alternative and holistic health store are open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and by appointment.

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GET YOUR COUNTRY ON

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tering t e L e l c hi s & Ve l a c e D Chairs, m u i d a t S

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815-589-3056 www.dmembroidery.com

BY SHELBY KUEPKER | SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/Carroll County Living

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ountry Girl Boutique has been a fun and funky provider of country bling since it opened in October 2012.

Owner Shelly Tautz, 47, of Mount Carroll, has years of retail experience, and her shop, commonly called CGB, combines her passion for fashion with her love of the country lifestyle.

She opened on the outskirts of Mount Carroll, but in May 2013, at the suggestion of one of her regulars, she upgraded to her location at 902 S. Jackson St., a spot along state Route 64 that she calls “phenomenal.”

She offers a wide range of country fashion: women’s and men’s clothing, boots, and accessories, along with hand-crafted country furniture and other western-style home decor.

“There’s a little bit of everything in this little store,” Tautz said.

Continued on Page 13

Despite the name, Country Girl Boutique also carries boots, jeans, shirts and cologne for men.

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Left: CGB sells a lot of unique jewelry, with new lines and products coming in often. Above: The store also carries fun soaps. ”We’re always looking for fun stuff here,” Tautz says. Below: Country Girl Boutique owner Shelly Tautz.

A FEW CGB FACEBOOK REVIEWS Awesome clothes, jewelry and other accessories, and all at great prices. I love the jeans and jewelry, and of course, best of all is the service! :) I always have fun, every time I stop in!

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Continued on Page 7

I love this store and it is the best place to shop.

The workers there are very helpful and nice! I really loved my boots I bought from there!!

– Sabrina Witt Never have I been to a locally owned boutique with such a large variety! Not to mention all the big name clothing brands priced the lowest I’ve ever seen! I’m going to recommend this store to everyone!

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Continued from page 11

Don’t let the fact that the shop is locally owned fool you; CGB carries big names such as Wrangler, Justin Boots, Miss ME, Cinch, Noble Outfitter, and more.

The inventory changes rapidly, “to keep it fun,” Tautz said.

One thing that will never change, though, is the homey, laid-back atmosphere. Tautz wants her customers to have a comfortable place to shop, and know they have a friend sitting behind the counter.

Tautz is also passionate about customer service – when she shops, she is annoyed by lackadaisical sales associates, and promises that in her store, shoppers will have “a fun shopping experience.”

When she’s not in the shop, Tautz usually can be found playing with her animals on her farm outside Mount Carroll. She has horses, potbellied pigs, dogs and a cat. If it was up to her, she’d even have goats and cattle, too. Dogs Luna and Daisy often can be found lounging around the shop as well. s

Top: Country Girl Boutique carries a line of clothing from Bottom:

COUNTRY GIRL BOUTIQUE

902 S. Jackson St./state Route 64, Mount Carroll | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday | Call 815-244-2242, or find CGB on Facebook for more information.

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Iron Horse & Hawg Dogs keep Savanna hoppin’

BY JERMAINE PIGEE | PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

BIKERS’ PARADISE 14

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fter a scenic ride along the Mississippi, you can grab a juicy dog and a drink or two, listen to some live music, check out the vintage bike museum, fall in love with the girl astride Rusty, the life-sized iron horse, get married, and even honeymoon – all in the same spot.

The sprawling Iron Hose Social Club, 314 Main St., and its brother bar Hawg Dogs, cater to an eclectic clientele. All are welcome, but the crowd is mainly bikers and those 30+, owner Jerry Gendreau said.

"This is a tourist draw. We are trying to bring more people to this town, predominately bikers. There are a lot of bikers in Illinois."

The Iron Horse main floor has a giant, fully stocked bar, and plenty of space for bands and concerts. In fact, on the walls are photos of the popular Iron Horse Bike and Music Festival.

"We've been doing music in here since 1971," said Gendreau, 66.

His second-floor chapel – yep, a chapel in a bar – has become a popular wedding venue.

"I don't marry people," Gendreau said with a laugh. "We probably have between one and two weddings a month in here over the summer."

Want to crash for the night? Consider Gendreau's Two Wheel Inn, 17 rooms including a bunkhouse for multiple guests, above the bar.

Hungry? A couple of doors down is Hawg Dogs, a restaurant also owned by Gendreau.

The decor is antique motorcycles and signs, and while the social club takes its winter break – the club is closed December through April – the live music scene moves to Hawg Dogs, with bands every Sunday.

One of its most popular menu items is the walking pork chop – a large, juicy, tasty piece of meat you hold by the bone or by the stick. It's perfect for the biker who wants to eat on the go – no utensils necessary.

Above: Iron Horse Social Club in downtown Savanna in just one of several businesses and buildings owned by Jerry Gendreau. Left: In the summer, the Iron Horse Social Club is jammed with bikers and tourists looking for some fun.

Below: Wanna get hitched? There’s a chapel above the Iron Horse. On page 14: Between the Iron Horse and Hawg Dogs is Frank Fritz’s antique store located inside the old Savanna opera house. Fritz is well known from the TV show “American Pickers.”

Continued on Page 17

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Continued from Page 15

"Jerry decided we should do a pork chop on a stick," said Vickie Gendreau, 62, Jerry's wife and co-owner of the businesses. "We also developed this really, really good rub that you put on it. The pork chop on a stick is what everyone comes to get."

Also popular are the Reuben sandwiches, the 12-bean soup, and the wide selection of hamburgers and wraps.

"We had an eatery at the Iron Horse," Jerry said. "We became more of a restaurant when we moved totally up here 7 years ago."

"We also attract construction workers in this bar," Gendreau said. "Once they get out of work, we get them in here, and they will eat. Out-of-towners come here because we are a home away from home."

Sandwiched between the social club and Hawg Dogs is Frank Fritz Finds, the shop of "American Pickers" co-star Frank Fritz, a tourist attraction in itself.

It's been in business more than 30 years – which is about when the two men became friends – and it's chock full of antique motorcycles, clocks, old signs, automobiliana and other old and odd artifacts. s

Above: So much good stuff to try at Hawg Dogs, but the specialty is the walking pork chop, a thick cut chop with the bone-in that acts like a handle.

“That’s why it’s called the walking pork chop, no silverware needed,” Gendreau said.

Left: Owner Jerry Gendreau.

Below: Antique motorcycles are seen around nearly every corner of the Iron Horse.

IRON HORSE SOCIAL CLUB 314 Main St., Savanna 10 a.m. to midnight May 1 until November Call 815-273-2661, go to ironhorsesocialclub.com or find it on Facebook for more information.

Frank Fritz Finds, 324 Main St., is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, and the show “American Pickers” airs frequently on History Channel.

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LITTLE SPROUTS SPRINGS UP IN LANARK

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Photos by ALEX T. PASCHAL/Carroll County Living | Preschoolers help each other out during a game of number BINGO.

very working parent worries about daycare. Will their child be safe, happy, intellectually engaged?

What will they do with their child if their babysitter gets sick or has an emergency?

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Owners Jodi York, Stacey Lamoreux, and Cari Simons opened shop about 6 months ago in the north end of the former Eastland Elementary School in Lanark.

York is a spunky, high-energy, detail-oriented director, Lamoreux is a preschool teacher, and Simons is an experienced daycare provider. All are moms. They have applied their respective skills, experience and creativity to setting up a loving, nurturing, reliable and safe daycare.

“Little Sprouts Daycare and Preschool will provide a relaxed and loving atmosphere where children of all ages can learn and grow,” York said.

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Full-service daycare caters to kid’s social and intellectual needs

BY LONNIE C. MILLER | SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

Safety is a big concern. Parents are given their own individual codes to enter the building and instructed to keep them private, and the daycare is on “lock-down” during operating hours.

A message board just inside the door keeps communications central, and readily accessible to those using the facility. Each classroom has the name of every child posted on one side of the door if present, and on another side if absent, which gives teachers, aides, cooks and administrator a quick head-count for various activities, for breakfast, morning snack, lunch and evening snack, and for record-keeping.

Children play happily with others in their age group, and each of the five age groups (6 weeks to 14 months, 15 to 23 months, 2-year-olds, preschoolers, and school-aged up to 11 years), has its own room.

Little Sprouts Daycare owner Jodi York reads to a toddler in one of the classrooms.

Continued on Page 21

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LITTLE SPROUTS LITTLE SPROUTS DAYCARE 200 S. School St., Suite B, Lanark 6 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday Continued from Page 19

Infants and toddlers are cared for by attentive staff members. They receive lots of hugs, snuggles and smiles.

Toddlers are engaged in large- and small-motor-skills development, and socialization activities. The 2-yearolds have a large-motor-skills room, where they can run, and climb and learn to play with others.

The staff ratio for this age group is three children to one caregiver, and class size is limited to 15 or 16 children depending on age.

Preschoolers ages 3 to 4 are engaged in kindergarten-readiness activities: They are learning reading readiness, listening skills, colors and shapes, and so on. They also get plenty of physical development opportunities and outdoor time.

Naptime is offered every day, and each child has a cot or crib.

Class size is 10 to 16, with one teacher and one aide.

School-aged children have their own gathering place with study tools available, homework help, snacks and age-appropriate activities.

The staff cares deeply for the children, and foster an atmosphere of mutual respect. s

The daily fees are for a 1-to-4-hour session, or for 5 hours or more: • Infants (6-weeks to 2 years), $16 and $26 • Toddlers (15-23 months) $15 and $25 • 2-5 years (not in school) $15 and $25 • School-age children during the school year, a flat $10 • School-age children on days public school is not in session, $15 and $25 Cash, checks and money orders are accepted, as is 4C’s funding. It’s closed on the six major holidays.

Little Sprouts has about 70 students, with slots open for 13 more, and could be available for parents who work second and third shifts if enough families sign up.

Call 815-493-8316, go to littlesproutslanark.com or find Little Sprouts LLC on Facebook for more information. Application forms are available on the website.

Little Sprouts Daycare owner Cari Simons plays with a few of her two-year-old students.

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This place and these people are amazing!

My husband and I are constantly saying how lucky and amazed we are to have Little Sprouts and have them so close.

CAROLYN RENE Posted on the Sprouts Facebook page

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A life, and a love

BY ANGEL SIERRA | SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

Author’s adventures in East Asia, Mexico, give him a unique historical perspective

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hadwick resident Daniel Nardini has turned his globe-trotting history into a trilogy of sorts, telling true tales of love, life, upheaval and triumph from his days in East Asia and Mexico.

'South Korea: Our Story' Nardini, born near a farm in Bloomington in 1960, realized that he had a passion to learn about other languages and cultures at the tender age of 15. China, Taiwan, the Koreas, and its peninsulas cast a spell on young Daniel.

“For a good part of my life, I wanted to learn

something about Chinese culture and history,” Nardini said. “It was always a dream of mine.”

The Beloit College graduate landed a job as an English teacher in Taiwan in 1990 after reading an ad about the opportunity in a newspaper.

The rural country boy didn’t want to stay in the city, and found a more familiar setting on a farm in the countryside of Taichung, the third-largest city in Taiwan.

“When you’re in the city, it was crowded. It was kind of hard on me,” he said. He paid the equivalent of $150 a month for rent, and rode a bicycle 8 miles to work most days.

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He worked on the island about 4 years, then returned to Illinois for about a year and a half.

Job security eluded him, though, so he took a teaching gig at a private school in the South Korean capital of Seoul, in 1996.

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“Having lived among Taiwanese, it wasn’t a major hurdle going to South Korea,” he said.

“South Korea: Our Story,” chronicles his year in Seoul, and life after leaving. “This [book] is a dedication to my wife,” he said. Jade is a native of Seoul, and for 5 years, from 1997 to 2002, they traded letters and emails to stay in touch.

This was before texting and video chatting were commonplace, and it took 7 to 10 days for a letter to reach Jade.

The married in Seoul in May 2002, but it would take 2 more years for the U.S. government to grant his bride permanent U.S. residency.

“She’s a wonderful, kind, sweet, very gentle lady. And very intelligent,” Nardini said.

“She was a nurse before she came to this country. Unfortunately, people at my wife’s hospital knew that she had married an American and gave her a bad time. It felt wonderful to finally get her to this country,” he said.

In addition to telling their love story, he hopes the book “gives some cultural and historical background on the Republic of Korea.”

“A lot of things were happening during this time period that made it hard for the both of us,” he said, referring to a sharp change in the political climate at home because of the terrorist attacks of 2001.

Around the same time, changes came to South Korea. A left-wing president was elected who wasn’t pleased with America. That same year, people rallied in the streets of the capital protesting the impending American invasion of Iraq.

“We saw what came next, the anti-American riots,” he said. “It was a bad turning point.”

Frustration, and at times grief, bleeds through the pages of Nardini’s book as he discusses the never-ending piles of rejected immigration paperwork and red tape. “Slow as molasses,” he described the process, as they struggled to fight strict U.S. immigration laws.

"South Korea: Our Story" is a tale of heartache and atonement, and of his quest to reunite with his wife.

'The Day China Cried: A Witness to the June 4th Massacre' In our country, our history, good and bad, is safely stored in books, archived on the Internet, delivered to schoolchildren in songs and rhymes.

But who would remember an event if a government chose to erase its existence, and punished discussion about it?

To some, the brave image of a man blocking a tank column comes to mind when the 1989

massacre at Tiananmen Square in Bejiing is discussed.

But in China, Internet searches for “Fourth,” “Tiananmen” and “Tank Man” come up empty, as if it never happened.

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That’s the goal of China's government, said Nardini, who was in the country almost a month before a spontaneous democratic movement exploded in more than 50 cities.

Nardini’s memoir, “The Day China Cried: A Witness to the June 4th Massacre,” recalls his experience from May 7, 1989, to the brutal end that June 4, as he explores and documents daily life in an effort to fill in some of the blanks caused by the government censorship.

In Shanghai, for example, the downtown overflowed with activists, traffic was at a standstill as buses and cars were frozen in place, and students packed into a Communist Party municipal building to occupy it, he said.

Martial law was imposed after authorities caught wind of the outcry, and Shanghai, then a populous city center of 13 million, completely shut down. There’s never been anything like it in China, before or since, Nardini said.

Then 29, he witnessed mostly peaceful demonstrations, but eventually got close to the dissent in Beijing, where he had been staying in an apartment about 4 miles from Tiananmen Square.

“Nardini had the misfortune to arrive in Beijing on June 3, the night when tanks and troops smashed into Tiananmen Square to recapture it from student demonstrators,” reads a story published June 13, 1989, in the Washington Post.

He was “the last American tourist” out of Beijing after the uprising was put down, according to Daniel Southerland, the newspaper’s Beijing bureau chief who had met Nardini in China.

Gunshots rang out early in the morning on June 4, Nardini recalled, and guttural screams soon followed, as civilians fled gunfire and government troops.

“There were soldiers lined up all the way to the square,” said Nardini, who tried to get to the center, but turned back after fear overwhelmed him. “It’s censorship at the highest and most insidious level,” he added.

“In China, you can’t read this book. It’s impossible.”

'My Taiwan, Seoul, and Guadalajara (Mexico) Memoirs' The 56-year-old's latest book is a combined journal of his memoirs from his travels to Taiwan and South Korea in the 1990s, and from work as a reporter in Mexico.

Shining through "My Taiwan, Seoul, and Guadalajara (Mexico) Memoirs," are the perspectives of a curious traveler and writer, teacher and husband, and the personal account of a guest at the table of foreign hospitality.

It took more than a year to write, and Nardini hopes it makes readers think.

"We seem to be ignoring Taiwan, and demonizing Mexico," he said.

The book includes published and unpublished material from his trips.

Daniel Nardini’s books are available in digital form or hard copies at xlibris.com, amazon.com, or bn.com.

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BY LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING Photo by Henry Matthiessen lll | Mississippi Palisades State Park

BEAUTY FROM ALL ANGLES Amatuer photographers capture, share the glory of Carroll County

Photo by Rick Brant | Snowy owl

Photo by Stephen Thayer | Mississippi Palisades State Park

Photo by Debbie Cram | Thomson Causeway

onnie Zink knows firsthand just how beautiful Carroll County can be, and she’s looking for a few good photographers to help her introduce that beauty to the rest of the nation.

The Savanna woman, an avid amateur photographer herself, spends hours every day poring over photos submitted to the Carroll County Tourism Board and posting them to Images of Carroll County on its website and Facebook page.

Her office is in her home, but her workplace includes any and all sites of interest within the county. When she hears about a barn quilt or an especially pretty spot in the road, she asks for submitted photos or goes to get the shot herself.

She appreciates the folks who are willing to share their skills with Images of Carroll County.

“I put the site together as people send in submissions.

They don’t have to be professionals, but many of our submissions come from amateurs who are really very talented photographers and have invested in good equipment,” Zink said.

“The only rules are that you must send only images of Carroll County. You don’t have to live in Carroll County, but the photo must be of attractions or beautiful scenery or wildlife in Carroll County.”

It’s one of the most beautiful photo albums you’ll ever lay eyes on, and well worth a visit.

Submissions can be sent to www.

Visitcarrollcountyil. com or to the Carroll County Illinois Tourism Facebook page.

Include your name and contact info.

You also can contact Zink with any questions through those sites. s

Photo by Ken Groezinger | Red fox

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