SVM-MAG_02232015

PRSRT STD Bulk Rate U.S. Postage

Spring/Summer 2015

PAID

Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081

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Library friends help readers to get lost

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Pizza? Tacos?

Manny’s makes it from scratch

*****ECRWSSEDDM*****

P.O. Box 498

Postal Customer

Get your eyes on the eagles of the big river

MANNY’S PIZZA

815-273-4259 • 211 MAIN STREET, SAVANNA, ILLINOIS SINCE 1973

Fulton, IL 815-589-2520, Freeport, IL 815-232-7992, and Sterling, IL 815-535-0707

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Expanded lunch menu and nightly delivery service.

Broasted Chicken Dinner Every Wednesday Night and Monthly Pasta and Fish Nights (Call For Dates)

BANQUET FACILITIES Serves parties of 20-250 people Birthday’s, Anniversaries, Graduations, Showers, Weddings, Company Meetings & Parties We offer a pizza and taco buffet with options to add some of our specialty foods like our broasted chicken to an array of hot and cold appetizers as well as a variety from our catering menu from Prime Rib, hot and cold meats, choice of potatoes, salads, sides and desserts.

Has a private entrance, bar, stage and microphone and video use.

Enjoy our Video Gambling Machines

We have a back patio overlooking the Mississippi River, a wonderful bar atmosphere complete with TV’s all around, video gambling, design and decor comparable to an upscale city restaurant.

The main dining room has a great view of the Mississippi River and the kids enjoy watching the railroad trains pass by, with a private video game room for even our youngest customers to enjoy. Attached to this dining room is a walk out to our patio seating.

HOURS

BAR

Food

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

11am - 10pm 10am - 10pm 10am - 10pm 10am - 10pm 10am - 11pm 10am - 11pm 11am - 10pm

11am - 10pm 11am - 10pm 11am - 10pm 11am - 10pm 11am - 11pm 11am - 11pm 11am - 10pm

Winter Hours: December-March Close one hour early nightly

COVER • STORY

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N N Y ’ S : MFA , F y o l i r F m ami a

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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Baratta

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Pizza, tacos and more, made from scratch, served with love

Editor Larry Lough Magazine Editor Kathleen Schultz Page Design Robin Norburg Matt Lindstrom Published by

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

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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.

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features Ready to read a second time

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Locals are losing themselves in good books

Much more than melons

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There is a lot to offer today in Thomson, Illinois

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Local artist creates pieces of art in glass

Chadwick super troopers are do-gooders doing good

Director’s music all in the family

Check out these March to December festivities in the area

Mount Carroll man pays tribute to family with woodwind trio

Pizza, tacos and more, made from scratch, served with love

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Kids on a misson to help the town

Upcoming events on the calendar

By a family, for a family

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Fire in her belly for colorful work

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‘Eagles everywhere’ Plan trip to watch the majestic bald eagle

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Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft Carroll County Living Pat Ely is one of the Friends of the Library volunteers who helps with Twice-Sold Tales in Lanark, which sells gently used books, VHS tapes and puzzles.

The proceeds from the store help the Lanark library.

Lose Yourself Locals are losing themselves in good books

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BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

he books at Twice-Sold Tales might cost as little as 10 cents or as much as a few dollars, but their value is nearly immeasurable.

The used bookstore at 504 state Route 64 is run by the Friends of the Lanark Public Library, and its proceeds benefit the Lanark Public Library and its programs and collections.

“We’re trying to make up for what the library no longer is receiving in tax money,” said Denise Krysiak, a Friends group member.

Proceeds help pay for subscriptions to large-print books and electronic books (e-books), the Summer Reading Program, and author presentations and other special events.

Twice-Sold Tales has an impressive collection, and the books are in impeccable condition.

“We have been blessed by lots of donations from the community,” Krysiak said. “At first, people were just getting rid of their stuff, but now, people are bringing in really nice things.

“A lot of books still crackle when you open them, and many are recent publications. … People are astonished when they come in at the condition of our books.”

The Friends put out about 100 new titles each week, she added.

Twice-Sold Tales started as a 1-day used book sale during Rally ‘Round the Library, the kick-off for the fundraising drive for a new library, in April 2011. The Friends group set up shop in a vacant space in the Kipp Continued on page 7 Meyers law office in the center of town.

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“It was a great success,” Krysiak recalled. “We made several hundred dollars.”

The Friends group kept the sale open a few extra days to accommodate stragglers.

“As people are coming in, they’re asking what our hours are going to be and where we’re going to open,” Krysiak said.

The Friends group had so many books – both in storage from donations acquired over the years and from donations acquired during the Rally ‘Round the Library sale – that it simply kept the sale open indefinitely.

“He [Meyers] had no tenant, so he let us stay. He didn’t charge us rent or charge us for utilities,” Krysiak said. “It was perfect.”

But Twice-Sold Tales quickly outgrew the small space. And Meyers needed the space to bring another lawyer into the firm.

The Friends group closed the store Dec. 31, 2012. It reopened the store Feb. 1, 2013, in its current location in the consignment hall attached to The Special Touch flower shop, a space three times larger than the office space at the law firm.

Over the course of about 8 years, the Friends of the Lanark Public Library raised more than $50,000 for the new library and municipal building at 111 S. Broad St., which opened about a year and a half ago.

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“That’s really something for a town of 1,200 people,” Krysiak said.

The success of Twice-Sold Tales proves that the public library is a vital resource to the community.

The library, especially in a small town – and especially in Lanark, where it is in the same building as the city offices – is the first stop for many newcomers and visitors, said Janie Dollinger, its director.

“We kind of are the center for information,” she said.

The library not only houses books and other media, but also offers computers and Internet access, including an early learning station for its youngest patrons; is a reference point for local history and genealogy; and even is a depository for the local food pantry.

“The library is more than just a place for books,” Krysiak said. “It is astonishingly important.” s

The library is more than just a place for books.

DENISE KRYSIAK

“ Pop on in Twice-Sold Tales, a used book store and more, in the Special Touch’s Unique Mall, 504 state Route 64 in Lanark, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The store is run by the Friends of the Lanark Public Library, and its proceeds benefit the Lanark Public Library and its programs and collections.

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More Than Melons

There is a lot more to offer in Thomson, Illinois

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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t’s known as a town along the mighty Mississippi River; a farming community noted for its watermelons; and, most recently, the site of a soon-to-be-operational federal prison.

But Thomson, a quiet town of 500 people in southwestern Carroll County, to many is considered home.

Village President Vicky Trager has roots in Thomson, but she was not raised in the town; she spent her childhood as a military brat, living somewhere different every few years.

“To come back to Thomson was really special for me … because we never lived here,” she said. “Whenever we got to come here, I got to experience this life.

I could run barefoot through town, get an ice cream cone downtown, and then catch lightning bugs in the park.”

Trager’s husband was in the military and then worked for a company that moved them around the country. But they continued to bring their children to Thomson. And they even retired to the little village.

“It’s the only hometown I ever knew,” she said. “It really is like coming home.”

This year, Thomson celebrates its sesquicentennial, and the town will mark 150 years with special events every month, including a vintage prom, an old-fashioned town festival, a golf tournament, softball tournaments, and the big Sesquicentennial Festival in July.

Massbach Ridge Winery produced a signature watermelon wine made from melons grown by Bim and Debbie McGinnnis, and the town put together a 150th anniversary recipe book, as well as a commemorative book on the history of Thomson.

“We’re looking back, but also looking forward,” said Jan Bristol, one of the members of the Thomson Sesquicentennial Committee. “It’s a great place to

Photo Submitted The historic Thomson Depot, pictured here back in its glory days, is now a museum. In 1863, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad ran the first train from Savanna to Thomson.

Learn all about the village's history during Thomson Depot Days, an old-fashioned festival featuring exhibits, outhouse races, and more.

come home to. It’s not the same as it was, and it never will be the same as it was.

But it’s the best small town it can be.”

Thomson is a town in the midst of a renaissance.

Almost 15 years ago, the state built the 1,600-cell maximum-security prison, but it couldn’t afford to run it. In 2012, the federal government bought the prison, and last January, the federal government approved funding to finally activate the prison.

The prison likely won’t be fully active for another 3 years. But the village already is seeing small, positive changes as a result of the long-awaited prison.

“We’re going to have a rough couple of years. It’s going to be bumpy,” Trager said.

Thomson is bracing itself for an influx of people and vehicles and the inevitable strain on its existing infrastructure.

“It’s going to be painful growing, but it’s OK,” Trager said. “It’s expected.”

The town is reaching out to the prison, which already has a warden and several dozen employees, and inviting that new group of people to join the fold, starting with the sesquicentennial celebration.

“We want to involve them,” Trager said. “As much as this is about Thomson’s past, it’s also about Thomson’s future – and the Bureau [of Prisons, which owns and operates the facility] is our future.

“We are excited to have them here. We are welcoming our new neighbors with open arms.”

Trager hopes the village can put the past 15 years of disappointment behind it.

“The morale here has been so low,” she said. “… We’ve been hanging on by our fingernails for so long. Somebody is throwing us a rope, and we just have to grab that rope.” s

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UPCOMIN G EVEN TS Check out these upcoming festivities in the area Photos Submitted by Tom Kocal Left: Visitors to Thomson's Fall Festival choose just the right watermelon.

Bottom: Thomson was known as the Watermelon Capital of the World.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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March 14 – A Tribute to Agriculture: Thomson honors the past, present, and future of agriculture with demonstrations, exhibits, and seminars, as well as a science fair, a photo contest, and a pumpkin-growing contest.

April 3 – Community Cantata: Thomson celebrates Easter with a community cantata. All voices are welcome.

May 23 – Thomson Alumni and 150th Anniversary Prom: Thomson honors its alumni with a prom-style event with music by Coupe de Ville; attendees are encouraged to dress in prom attire from their era. The public is welcome.

AUTOMOTIVE

June 19-20 – Thomson Depot Days: Thomson celebrates its history with an oldfashioned festival featuring exhibits, outhouse races, and more.

July 24-26, – Thomson Sesquicentennial Festival: The town celebrates 150 years with a parade, Melon Tossers tribute ballgame, softball tournament, car show, pageant, carnival, and fireworks.

August – Sandburr Classic golf tournament September – Labor Day tractor pull, softball tournament, and Harvest Days at Heirloom Market

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Oct. 31 – Halloween party November – A Tribute to Veterans Dec. 6 – Christmas Walk and a time capsule event For more information and updates about the sesquicentennial events, including specific dates, times, and locations, check out the Thomson Sesquicentennial on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomson150 or go to the village website, www. thomsonil.com.

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N N Y A MFamily, For Fa’mS:i

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Pizza, tacos and more, made from scratch, served with love

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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he folks at Manny’s Pizza have a hard time saying “no.”

If you ask for no onions, then they’ll probably just say, “No problem.”

Manuel “Manny” Castro Jr. and his wife, Sharon Woodhurst, opened the restaurant in 1973.

In high school, Castro worked at Ballas Pizza in Savanna. After they were married, he and Woodhurst worked at Hilda’s Pizza, also in Savanna.

“We were doing most of the work, so we thought … we might as well do this,” Castro said.

Castro and Woodhurst started their pizza place in the back of Canavan’s Pub in downtown Savanna.

“We kind of outgrew the place, though,” Castro said.

They moved their restaurant back to its former location at the old Hilda’s Pizza and bought the Irish Inn next door; Manny’s has occupied that space since 1981.

But the building was destroyed by fire in November 2010. The restaurant closed for 9 days, then moved down the street (to the old Happy Joe’s Pizza) to resume operations for about a year and a half. Manny’s reopened in a new, expanded building in March 2012.

Manny’s is famous for its pizza and tacos.

“The pizza is probably most popular,” manager Wendy Sipe said. “But the tacos are up there, too. Most

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people get pizza and tacos, honestly.”

The most common pizza orders are sausage, mushroom, and onion or sausage and pepperoni, although the restaurant offers several specialty pizzas, such as the bacon cheeseburger pizza; the chicken, bacon, and ranch pizza; or the BBQ pizza, with chicken, bacon, and barbecue sauce. The thin crust is popular, too.

And the most common filling for tacos, tostadas, and enchiladas is beef, although the restaurant offers chicken as well.

Everything on the menu is made from scratch, Sipe said. The kitchen makes pizza dough daily; they grind their own sausage, shred their own cheese, cut their own bacon, slice their own onions, and even make their own sauces, she said.

The pizza recipes are from Castro and Woodhurst, perfected over the years, while the taco meat and hot sauce are from Castro’s mother, whose parents were from Mexico.

Manny’s is, at its heart, a family business: It’s run by a family, for families, Sipe said.

“We treat people like family,” she said.

The restaurant regularly supports school and community sports teams and events.

“I feel like we have to give back,” Castro said. “We’re not here to just take from our customers, but to give

back in whatever ways we can.”

“We don’t know the word ‘no’,” Sipe added. “And people know that we don’t. People know that we give a lot.”

The Manny’s in Savanna is the original. But the Castro family is behind the Manny’s restaurants in Fulton (three of their daughters and their families run it) and Sterling (another of their daughters and her family run it), and Freeport (Woodhurst’s brother runs it). The family also is behind the restaurant in Stockton, where their son also runs a Manny’s on the Go taco truck.

The Savanna restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and has a larger menu that includes salads, soups, and sandwiches, as well as pasta, broasted chicken, and fried fish.

Manny’s also has a banquet room with a private bar for birthday parties, wedding receptions, and class reunions that seats 250 people.

Barbecue covers chicken wings at Manny's.

The restaurant also offers a catering menu, although the pizza and tacos remain popular for large groups.

“More than half of our parties will order the pizza and taco buffet,” Sipe said.

The restaurant also has frozen pizzas available for fundraisers and in local grocery stores, including all Sullivan’s Foods locations.

Manny’s offers delivery after 4 p.m. to homes and businesses within about a 7-mile radius. But the restaurant makes plenty of exceptions.

It’s best to call and check.

They don’t often say “no,” remember? s

Try it for yourself...

Manny’s Pizza

211 Main St., Savanna 815-273-4259 www.mannyspizza.com

Manny's manager Wendy Sipe is seen at the order counter.

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CREATE Local Artist Creates Colorful Pieces of Art

Photos by Philip Marruffo Special to Carroll County Living Charlotte Behrens of Charlotte Arvelle Glass, creates art pieces from glass at her studio in Mount Carroll.

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

C

har Behrens works well under fire.

She is the artist behind Charlotte Arvelle Glass, a working hot glass studio, where she fuses glass at more than 1400 degrees to create colorful, unique sculptures and other pieces.

Her work is a reflection of herself. It’s colorful, modern, and even edgy. It evokes happiness and zest.

“I use a lot of color, lots of shapes,” she said. “My work is just really happy. … I’m a bright person. I’m optimistic. That’s who I am. I prefer to see and convey joy.”

Behrens, 59, was an ambulance driver until two accidents damaged her knees. She picked up a few pieces of stained glass and a book from a local craft store and tinkered around during her recovery.

Behrens is a completely self-taught glass artist. She worked for many years at a glass studio in Chicago; she and her former husband did stained glass windows and then fused glass work.

“We tried it. It worked. No one else was doing it at the time,” she said. “It worked so well that we were able to [teach others].”

Behrens makes mostly sculptures – tabletop-sized display pieces – but also smaller things, such as ornaments and jewelry. Her heart, she said, is in the sculptures.

She starts with large sheets of glass and cuts them into smaller pieces, which she then fuses with other pieces. She specializes in taking powdered glass and putting it on top of clear glass to create unique colors, patterns, and even stenciled shapes. She fires, or fuses, her pieces together in a kiln at about 1420 to 1440 degrees; her kiln can accommodate pieces up to 20-by-30 inches.

“Because of my skills, my techniques, and my larger kiln, I can do things that hobbyists cannot,” she said. “I can do it [smaller pieces, such as jewelry], but I figure why compete with everybody else?

Behrens sells most of her artwork at the annual American Made Show, which is put on by the Buyers Market of American Craft and brings together artists and retailers from the United States and Canada. Retailers see her work at the show and order pieces to carry in their galleries and shops. Her work, as a result, is available all over the country.

“That’s where we go to get our orders for the year,” she said.

Behrens, for the second time, is a finalist for a Niche Award, which celebrates excellence and innovation in fine arts and crafts and also is sponsored by the Buyers Market of American Craft. Her snowflake ornament, “Silver Fumed Snowflake,” is included in the holiday category.

Continued on page 17

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“It’s like being nominated for a Tony or an Emmy in my line of work,” she said. “They get thousands of entries. It’s a big thing to be a finalist, even if you don’t win; the retailers and gallery owners like to see that on my resume and look for it at the show.”

Behrens also won a contest to create the fifth anniversary logo for American Craft Week 2014. The annual celebration spotlights handmade crafts in the United States.

Perhaps her most notable accomplishment, Behrens has two pieces on display in the Smithsonian. She was commissioned twice during the Clinton administration to create Christmas ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree in the White House. One is an angel and one is a snowflake.

Behrens has been working with glass for more than half of her life. She has no plans to slow down.

“My mentor, she was really cool. … I remember one time, she was in her 90s at the time, and I said to her, ‘Fran, don’t you ever get tired of the glass?’ And I remember, she looked at me, and she said, ‘Char, there’s still too much to do.’

“Every day, when I wake up, and I think, ‘I’ll just hang out today,’ then I hear her voice in my head: ‘There’s still too much to do.’

“It’s a wonderful curse to have her in my head. It’s a driving force. I’m here. I have a lot to do.” s

Charlotte Behrens shows a small glass tray she has packed for a trade show.

Behrens does a lot her business through trade shows and gift catalogs.

“

They get thousands of entries. It’s a big thing to be a finalist, even if you don’t win; the retailers and gallery owners like to see that on my resume and look for it at the show.

CHAR BEHRENS

Charlotte Behrens of Charlotte Arvelle Glass uses kilns to fire her art pieces from glass at her studio at 118 W. Market St. in Mount Carroll.

“

Charlotte Arvelle Glass 118 W. Market St., Mount Carroll 815-244-3554 http://charlottearvelle.com

Spirit animals are on display at Charlotte Arvelle Glass in Mount Carroll.

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Railroad and Cochran Sts. Milledgeville, IL 800.788.7677 toll free

KIDS ON A

To get involved If you’d like to help out the Chadwick Super Troopers, the group has an account at Triumph Community Bank, 123 Main St., in Chadwick.

If you have possible community service projects for the group, or if you want more information about the group, call the police department at 815-684-5264.

MISSION

Chadwick Super Troopers are do-gooders doing good Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft Carrol County Living

Chadwick Police Chief Ryan Lambert is putting together a community group for at-risk youths to help them be more active in the community.

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

I

t’s a bird!

It’s a plane!

It’s the Chadwick Super Troopers!

This small group of junior high and high school boys is making a big impression on their community.

Police Chief Ryan Lambert started the group in late May to give the youth some direction.

“I was seeing the same kids hanging out at the park,” he told Sauk Valley Media in July. “They weren’t doing anything bad or criminal in nature, but they seemed bored and without direction.”

Lambert got the boys involved in community service. Over the summer, the boys painted the crosswalks, parking lines, and handicapped-access lines on Main Street, pulled weeds, and cleaned up the park. In the fall, they helped an elderly man with yardwork and an exterior paint job.

Around the holidays, they assembled food baskets for needy families in both Chadwick and Thomson, wrapped gifts for needy children in Thomson, and partnered with the Lions Club to deliver holiday fruit baskets to senior citizens in the community.

“Some people were in tears [because] they were so appreciative,” Lambert said. “That’s what it’s all about – the boys being able to see the impact that doing something good can have.”

The group meets regularly, sometimes at the police station, but mostly at school over lunch.

“It’s not just about going over what our next project is going to be,” Lambert told Sauk Valley Media in July. “… We go over life, education stuff, too ... about making wise decisions.”

The group has just six members, who range in age from 12 to 16. Almost all of the boys in the group have had run-ins with law enforcement, such as vandalism, and one has been on probation; none of the infractions was serious, Lambert said.

Since the group started, juvenile-related calls have been down, Lambert said, and the pride among the boys in both themselves and in their community has grown, he added.

“This first year has really been a work in progress,” Lambert said.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I came up with the idea. “… I’ve noticed the bond within the group has grown, gotten stronger. They all work well with each other. They all have the willingness to help and to give back.”

Lambert hopes the boys get something out of their experience.

“I’m hoping they can take away some structure and some direction,” he said. “I’m hoping they’ll learn to make good decisions … and to understand that it’s important to give back to your community and help out people who need it.”

The boys already seem to get it.

“Helping people feels good,” said Christian Shores, 12.

And their friends certainly are curious.

“They think it’s weird because this is something that has never been done before,” said Keaton Casares, 15.

The group has neon yellow T-shirts with its logo – the letters CS-T with feathered wings flanking them and a thunderbolt shooting through the whole lot – and they are the talk of the hallways at school.

“They’re always like, ‘Hey, how do I get one of those shirts?’”

Lambert said.

Lambert has received high praise from the community.

“People stop me around town and compliment me and the boys on a job well done,” he said. “We’re making a positive impact.”

Lambert hopes the group grows as word spreads about Super Troopers. He even has considered a similar group for girls.

“If I had a female officer [on staff], I would love to be able to incorporate the girls in the community and start a group for them,” he said. s

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All in the Family

BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

Mount Carroll man pays tribute to family with woodwind trio

M

ark Bressler has been writing music for almost 30 years, but the local musician finally wrote a piece that made it out of his head and out of his notebook and onto the concert stage last year.

Bressler wrote a piece called “Family Three for Woodwind Trio” over 10 weeks early last year. The piece is a companion piece, that is, it is complementary to another piece for a woodwind trio.

The Clinton Symphony Orchestra performed the two pieces, Walter Piston’s “Three Pieces for Woodwind Trio” followed by Bressler’s “Family Three,” at its annual chamber Nov. 9.

“I never really tried to compose outside of what I’m comfortable with – brass quintet, marching band, jazz band – so I worked on process rather than trying to make it sound like a pop tune,” Bressler said. “It was much more high-brow. And it turned out really, really well.”

Bressler, 46, of Mount Carroll is the head of music department at Sauk Valley Community College, where he also directs the concert band. He also is the director of the Dixon Municipal Band.

Bressler plays the tuba, but, like many musicians, also plays other instruments.

“I’m a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none sort of musician,” he said. “I dabble in everything. I’m not interested in being put in a little box… I find that kind of labeling to be a handicap. I feel that we’re all capable of doing so much more than one thing, and I get tired of being labeled as ‘just a musician.’

“So for me, it’s always been what I can do that is a challenge.”

Bressler fell in love with the Piston piece after he heard his wife, as part of a trio, play it for a recital. His wife then urged him to write something complementary to it.

Bressler spent 10 weeks early last year composing “Family Three.”

“I find I work better when I have a subject,” he said. “I wrote what I know. I wrote about my family. I wanted to memorialize these family members, who had a profound influence on me.”

Each of the three movements of the trio corresponds to a family member: his uncle, Walter; his paternal grandmother, Mildred; and his maternal grandmother, Dorothy. The title, “Family Three,” then, is a play on the phrase “family tree.”

“I wrote [into the music] the characteristics of how they lived their lives, how I remember them, how they made me feel,” he said. “I tried to transfer those images or those emotions into sound.

“It’s a challenge.”

Bressler remembers his uncle, Walter, as a meticulous man. He worked for General Electric in Morrison for many years; his life, like his work, was structured. He was slow and deliberate.

“The bassoon was the perfect instrument for that,” Bressler said. “[The movement] begins like a slow stroll, then turns into a melody.”

Bressler recalls his grandmother, Mildred, as a talented, self-taught musician. She played the organ by ear and loved to arrange and rearrange music.

“I tried to take the three instruments and make them sound as much like an organ as possible,” Bressler said.

Bressler remembers his grandmother, Dorothy, as a hardworking woman, who “could do five jobs at once and do them all perfectly.” “[The movement] has this rhythmic interplay that doesn’t quite make sense to the ear,” Bressler said. “And it ends the way she lived her life—fast and furioso.”

Shortly after Bressler completed the piece, three students played it as part of his master’s degree coursework at Western Illinois University; they played “Walter” in February of last year and “Mildred” and “Dorothy” in April of last year.

“I got the recording, and I played it for my wife … and she said, ‘Now we need to do it,’” he said.

Finally, on Nov. 9, the Clinton Symphony Orchestra performed the companion pieces for its annual chamber concert. Crystal Duffee played the flute; Emily Bressler played the clarinet; and Cheryl Neumann played the bassoon on both pieces.

“It was a little odd to go to a concert and not play,” Bressler said. “I’ve been to so many concerts and played hundreds of composers, but I’ve never been to a concert and been the composer, who is hearing his piece played and has no control over how it is played.

“It was a really unique experience.”

Bressler intends to get the piece published.

Piston’s “Three Pieces for Woodwind Trio,” by the way, was his first published score. s Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Carroll County Living Mark Bressler directs rehearsal of the SVCC band as they prepare for an upcoming concert.

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BY KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

I

t’s not only the arctic air and sparkling snow that flies this way in January and February.

It’s also the majestic bald eagle that swoops south from Canada, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

The iconic birds roost along the Mississippi River, near areas of open water, typically on the Iowa side, where they are protected from the frigid west and northwest winds. They congregate near the locks and dams along the river, where the water remains open, even as nearby bodies of water freeze over.

The Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge offer free van tours to view the eagles in nature.

“We go wherever there are eagles,” said Pam Steinhaus, visitor services manager for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

“We might go south, we might end up going north, over to the Iowa side, to Sabula [an island in the river] … or on our side, to Lost Mound, the old Savanna Army Depot [about 7 miles north of Savanna]. We might even head over to Pleasant Creek near Bellevue on the Iowa side.

“Eagles are so unpredictable. We never know where they are going to be.”

The tours offer a unique look at the stunning birds, but it depends on the stop.

“If we’re down at a lock, it’s no big deal; the eagles are everywhere … but if we’re at Sabula, it’s important to remain hidden, because as soon as we’re out, the eagles are gone,” Steinhaus said.

Birders are encouraged to bring their binoculars and cameras.

Those who participate in the afternoon bird-watching excursions not only will see eagles, but also other wintering birds and water fowl. They also will learn quite a bit.

“I think for the younger generation, they’ve always seen eagles, especially if they live around here, near the river, where we have eagles every year,” Steinhaus said.

“But I think for the older generations, they haven’t seen them. … In the 1970s, we had one nesting pair in the whole refuge – that’s 261 river miles – and we were down to 471 pairs in the lower 48 states. Recently, eagles have made a huge comeback, and in the mid-2000s, they were finally taken off the endangered species list.

“It’s the eagle that people just embrace.” s

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Photo by Stan Bousson /U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

If you go...

The Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge offer free bald eagle viewing van tours Saturdays through March 7.

Tours depart at 2 p.m. from Ingersoll Wetlands Learning

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Space is limited to 14 people and reservations are required; email stewardsumrr@gmail. com or call 815-273-2732.

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