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Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081 *****ECRWSSEDDM*****
M A G A Z I N E
Woodlawn boasts variety of dancing, quality of training
Mark’s Best rolls fresh, authentic into terrific tamales
P.O. Box 498
Postal Customer
Bakers never take a day off working at La Esperanza
Summer 2014
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Publisher Sam Fisher
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Advertising Director Jennifer Baratta Editor Larry Lough Magazine Editor Marla Seidell Page Design Robin Norburg Matt Lindstrom Melanie Brooking Published by
Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600
$07&3 t 4503:
Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Sterling-Rock Falls 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.
Chance To Dance Woodlawn Arts Academy offers classes for all ages , abilities
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features Only the best for Mark’s
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Tamales made from authentic ingredients, no preservatives
Taking care of inside jobs
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Brent’s Upholstery does interior repairs, replacements
Promoting new growth is big business Location gives Rock Falls advantage in development
Chance for everybody to dance Woodlawn Arts Academy offers classes for all ages, abilities
Hope opens family bakery in Rock Falls Grab a tray, tongs and help yourself to baked goods
Where the market meets the road Mobile meat business rolls into Sterling
Truly an oasis from the stress of everyday life
Just a friendly neighborhood bar
Spa ... ahhh offers massages, facials, manicures, pedicures
Third-generation neighborhood bar thrives in Rock Falls
Making the community a better place United Way co-chair volunteers to make a difference
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Things to do This summer, fall and winter events in Sterling and Rock Falls
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Come in for a warm...
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Sterling Pavilion, Ltd. SINCE 1974
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Only the best
Photos by Alex T. Paschal Sterling-Rock Falls Living Mark’s Best Tamales are gluten and lard free.
for Mark's
Tamales made from authentic ingredients, no preservatives
Available in beef, pork, chicken and a vegan/ vegetarian black bean, the tamales cost $12 a dozen. The frozen tamales come in a special Mark Earl was on a mission to make the best microwavable steam bag with instructions, and can also be steamed on a stove top. tamales he could. Phone and online orders are delivered at no Mission accomplished. charge in Sterling, Rock Falls and Dixon. For an Earl’s quest for the best began in 2008 when additional charge, tamales can be 2-day shipped he ate his first tamale. across the United States. “It was terrible,” he remembers, “and I knew Earl’s greatest following comes from deliverI could do better.” ies to area businesses and their employees. So, after 4 years of trial and error and, admit“We travel to local businesses and pass out tedly, “a lot of bad batches,” he launched Mark’s hot samples for folks to try,” he said. “If a busiBest Tamales in 2012 from The Kitchen Incuness wants to be added to our route, they can bator in Sterling’s northwest industrial park. give me a call and I will drop off samples. We Labor intensive and usually saved for holithen can set-up a monthly delivery schedule for days and special occasions, tamales are now employees.” available year round for residents to feast on. Notable about Mark’s Best Tamales is that they are free of preservatives, gluten, lard and Tamales can be traced to the ancient Aztec and Mayan celebrations. They begin with a sea- MSG. Not only did Earl want to make the soned corn husk, are spread with corn masa and best tamale, he wanted to maintain the moist, flavorful taste while using healthy ingredients. fillings, then wrapped and steamed. The husk is then removed to reveal a pocket of delicious- Two tamales contain just 32 grams of carbohydrates. ness. “There’s no ‘naughty’ in my tamales,” he “I was looking for a unique product that joked. wasn’t easily made at home,” Earl said. “Tamales Everything is made from scratch from provided me with a specialty niche, ideal for authentic ingredients. Earl makes his own masa providing year round.” from straight ground corn without preservaAnd, if tasting is believing, he delivers. Earl tives. Masa, Spanish for dough, is a key tamale serves samples of his tamales at the Twin Cities component that is spread on the corn husks Farmers Market in Sterling each Saturday and before fillings are added. sells the delicious, husk-wrapped delicacies to His spices and chilies come from New the rave reviews of patrons. Mexico and his corn husks from Laredo, Texas, “It’s a great feeling when someone tries one direct from the Rio Grande plains. He uses of our samples and a grin follows, ...” Earl said. nothing less than USDA choice meats. “I will never get tired of that.” His business model is simple – do one thing,
BY LUCINDA HALL SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
Mark Earl sells his tamales to local businesses and offers free delivery.
Mark Earl and Marcy offer beef, pork, chicken and vegan/vegetarian tamales.
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and do it right. After dabbling in making salsa and sauces and offering homemade sausage and bologna, he took a step back and now concentrates just on tamales. “Since we are a direct-to-customer business, this allows us keep the quality high and the price point low,” he explained. “We don’t have a storefront, so a lot of people don’t know about us. This year I would like to get out and see more businesses to possibly add to our route.” In a busy week, Earl can make up to 350 dozen tamales, and he hand spreads and fills every husk. “Last year that was 200,000 husks,” he reported. “I don’t think there is any time during the day where I am not working, thinking about or doing something that involves this business. It’s been a challenge, and I am committed to making it successful.” He is quick to share credit with his wife, Marcy and son, Ryan – the only other employees. “My wife is great, and without her this would not be possible,” he said. “She is dedicated to making this business successful. It takes a huge commitment to start a business, and she is supporting it any way she can.” s
Mark’s Best Tamales The Kitchen Incubator 1741 Industrial Drive, Sterling 815-441-7315 www.markstamales.com
Mark Earl and wife Marcy package freshly made tamales at the kitchen incubator in Sterling. What started off as a few trips to the farmers markets have blossomed into a full-time business for Mark.
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TAKING CARE OF INSIDE JOBS Brent’s Upholstery does interior repairs, replacements BY KIMBERLY WATLEY SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
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hen Brent Eilers, 48, first started working on cars as a kid, he was hooked, and knew that was what he wanted to do for a career. Although he began with auto body, he dived in with both feet to the cleaner side of working on cars – interiors. He started his own business, Brent’s Upholstery, at 18 years old. With a strong support system at home and from his friends and their parents, he has grown it into a specialty shop unlike any other in the area. Grown at “a tortuous pace, slow and steady,” things haven’t changed much over the years, aside from getting a larger shop. “Time has flown by way too fast. Starting the business, that was easy,” he said beaming. “I love cars. Always loved working on them as a kid, and knew I wouldn’t be a college student. It’s just not how I am put together. This came more natural to me. Guess you could say I took the easy route.” The key to his business’s success could be that he takes every job very seriously. If that means going back to the drawing board more than once, that is what he does, and has done, sometimes more often than he cares to admit. However, he has a method to the madness, he insisted. “I treat every car as if it were mine to try to keep quality up to what I feel proud of,” he explained. “I want it to be good as possible. If I won’t accept it, I won’t send it out. “Like any business, you want to make more money, but it’s got to be done right or you’re not going to stay in business.” On an average day, his shop has a few classic hot rods, a couple of boats, and a handful of people stopping by for smaller jobs. “I’m backlogged more than people realize,” he said while standing between a 1940 Ford coupe sedan and a 1961 Cadillac, both in need
of new interiors. “We’re very fortunate to be as busy as we are. When I am slow, I am 2 months behind. And when I am busy, I am 5 months behind.” Oftentimes, he said, people are in a hurry. “I’ve had lots of work over the years, where they got impatient and had someone else do it, only to bring it back to me to fix their work.” He works on cars from all over Chicago, Peoria and Wisconsin. From repairs, switching out cloth for leather interior, to the complete original old coaches from the 1920s, he has overhauled just about everything – even airplane seats and restaurant booths. Outside of the shop, three boats await pickup. Charles and Brenda Smith, of Polo, ordered a custom canvas cover for their pontoon boat. Eilers previously rebuilt the seats for them. “He did a fantastic job reinforcing the seats,” she said. “I highly recommend his work.” “That’s why we’re back,” he said. “He does great work.” At Brent’s, Eilers also installs replacement radios, speakers, truck and car accessories, including chrome add-ons, navigation systems, DVD players in the overhead headrests, remote starters, truck bed liners, heated seats, audio systems, backup cameras, Bluetooth hands-free, and alarm systems. He’s had multiple favorite projects over the three decades he’s been in business, but at the top of the list is his own personal car, which he has had since he was 16: a 1977 Trans Am. “I bought it in high school, fixed it up, restored it ,and now I can’t get rid of it,” he said with a laugh. “It would be like losing an arm, or a family member. Every time you get in it, you flash back to being a kid again. “I kind of worked on it as a kid, and then all this happened. It was a turning point in my life.”s
Eilers shows Charles Smith of Polo the new canvas he added to his pontoon boat.
Get an estimate
Brent Eilers hands a leather backseat portion to employee Don Star. The two were rebuilding the interior of a 1968 Chevelle.
Brent’s Upholstery 405 Elm Ave., Sterling 815-625-3169 Hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Brent adds the first of many pieces to this 1968 Chevelle. The customer requested all new leather interior and a ragtop.
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Meet Our Staff At Heritage Woods! FRONT ROW: Denise Garcia (Director of Marketing), Sharon Taylor (Dietary Service Manager), Rebecca Hawkins (Receptionist), Brenda Legaspi (Business Office/Move-In Coordinator) BACK ROW: Ryan Schrader (Maintenance Director), Brittany Herwig (Administrator), Mia Weber (Resident Services Coordinator), Nikki Burkett (Director of Nursing), Mariann Hall (LPN)
Heritage Woods is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults and their families. Not just any supportive living community, but one that provides exceptional care, support and dignity to all of our residents. Affordable for all incomes, call Denise Garcia for more information.
To arrange a visit contact Denise Garcia, Marketing Director 815-625-7045 marketing@hw-sterling-slf.com
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PROMOTING NEW GROWTH IS Location gives Rock Falls advantage in development
BY KIMBERLY WATLEY SPECIAL TO STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
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ock Falls Community Development Corporation is growing quickly and generating some buzz from the community as a whole. Revitalizing areas of that have fallen by the wayside is something everyone seems to be looking forward to, said Executive Director Randy Balk. Waiting, however, is tough on everyone. “You drive through and see a dilapidated area and wonder why no one is doing anything about it, when in fact, we are,” Balk said. “There is a lot of work people may not be aware of that has to take place before any demolition of groundbreaking can occur. Surveys, inspections and the like, to go through that process and to develop on a site really takes quite a bit of time. Takes forever, it seems.” Once an area has undergone all the necessary inspections, paperwork and approval processes, businesses can seriously consider that area. Having both a TIF (tax increment financing) District and Enterprise Zone gives RFCDC, a not-for-profit, the tools to offer incentives to people who are looking for a new place for their businesses. TIF monies for all development projects along the riverfront will be used for green space and additions to the bike path, and are expected to provide other amenities for public use. “I love economic development,” Balk said. “I help someone who is creating new jobs for the region and help with retention of existing jobs, and help if they are struggling. “The I-88 corridor, fortunately, is in eyeshot with three exits that come into our
BIG BUSINESS
community,” he said. Location with proper road access makes the area even more viable for development. Recently, Holiday Inn Express & Suites jumped onboard the riverfront development project. Groundbreaking for the 68-unit hotel, estimated at $6.1 million in construction costs alone, is expected to begin this summer. Balk, a former junior and high school coach in Fulton, likens development to sports. “This has rejuvenated the board of directors and everyone in the community,” he said. “It’s like a sports team; a win is enough to charge them up and get excited for the next one.” His office, run by himself and program coordinator Gayla Kolb, works closely with the board and city to ensure its plan is followed and brought to fruition. “It’s been very busy, which is good,” Balk said. “Goals for the year are to continue to establish contacts; to work with people who have inquired about Rock Falls; to do the best job possible for them; continue to grow relationships and establish new ones.” Balk also served as the city administrator in Fulton for 13 years. He is passionate about community, growth and business. “I can’t speak enough about the cooperation of the city,” he said. “Each incentive is different. They are very proactive on economic growth. I meet on regular basis with city administrator and mayor. The city worked very hard to demo buildings to say, ‘Here is a footprint and a great place for you to start your business.’” Rock Falls has two industrial parks that are described as shovel ready, and the RFCDC is working with companies that are currently looking at those areas.
Rock Falls Community Development Corporation Executive Director Randy Balk points out areas slated for redevelopment. His office is working with many companies to promote regrowth along the riverfront.
Rock Falls Community Development Corporation Executive Director Randy Balk points out areas along the riverfront his office is promoting.
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All photos by Kimberly Watley Downtown storefront offices of Rock Falls Community Development Corporation.
“Every city has to become the best it can be to improve the quality of life,” Balk said. “That is why communities always have to recognize it is a constant; if you aren’t growing, your communities ultimately die. You have to keep moving. “This is a journey every community is on. You don’t want to say this is the final chapter. You want to start writing a new one.” s
Stop by the office Rock Falls Community Development Corporation 309 First Ave. 815-626-8053
RFCDC Program Coordinator Gayla Kolb spends much of her day speaking with prospective business owners about the area and incentives it offers.
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Oasis from the Stress of Everyday Life Spa ... ahhh offers massages, facials, manicures, pedicures BY CASSANDRA ZIMMERMAN SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING The Spa ... ahhh, opened this past Oct. 1 to provide a wide range of luxury services that de-stress and beautify. The Spa ... ahhh is “committed to providing individualized attention in a peaceful setting,” explained owner Amy Clark, a licensed massage therapist. “This is truly an oasis from the stress of everyday life.” Amy and licensed cosmetologist Jenny Riffle provide a variety of services such as massage, facials, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. As “an oasis for the community,” according to Amy, the spa strives to offer luxury services at affordable prices. The spa offers a couple’s massage and facial for an hour, creating a relaxing experience for significant others or those just having a girls’ day out. Manicures and pedicures include a paraffin wax dip, which helps to exfoliate and infuse skin with tons of moisture, leaving hands and feet silky smooth. Many of the manicures and pedicures include the use of custom, all natural, salt and sugar scrubs made by Amy and Jenny. The spa is also providing several new services to the Rock Falls area. One such service is Lypossage body contouring treatments. These treatments break up adhesions below the skin that create the dimpled appearance of cellulite. It also tones muscles, lifts and firms sagging tissue, and, according to Amy, “We are the only spa in the area certified to do this.” Also new at the spa is a seaweed slimming and detoxify body treatment and It Works! products. Lightstim treatments can also be added to any facial treatments, which begin at $25. Lightstim treatments use an anti-aging light to repair skin at the cellular level to help decrease fine lines and wrinkles. Another treatment, ionic foot detox, which draws impurities out through the client’s feet, has been shown to ease joint pain and swelling, among other benefits. Dedicated to community well-being, Amy and Jenny regularly donate to community fundraising events, and Anytime Fitness members receive 10 percent off services when they present their key card at the spa. Not only is The Spa ... ahhh a new business in Rock Fall – and one of the first businesses in the new riverfront development – it also promotes growth and investment as a member of the Chamber of Commerce. “We are happy to have become a part of the Rock Falls community,” Amy said. “Customers say they immediately feel more relaxed once they see our salt water aquarium and tropical décor. Our purpose is to provide a peaceful setting to beatify and de-stress people’s lives.” s
Five-dollar deal The Spa ... ahhh 110 E. Second St., Rock Falls 815-626-7722 or Amy’s cell at 815-564-8097 Hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday Saturdays by appointment only. Appointments can be made to fit a client’s schedule. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riversideoasis. When calling to make an appointment, mention this article and receive $5 off any service.
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Mak
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BY JOHN KERMOTT SPECIAL TO STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
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hether she’s on the job or enlisting as a volunteer, Sterling native Chris Mitchell is going about her business to help the Sterling/Rock Falls community. As vice president of business services at Sauk Valley Bank in Sterling, s provides local businesses various ancillary products to help them run more efficiently. “We train employees to do direct deposit payroll through our system,” Mitchell said. “We offer remote deposit so they don’t have to come to the bank. [We offer] credit card machines, [because] businesses need to be able to accept debit and credit cards, so we set those up, install, and train. “We really take pride in the customer services and training that we do on site, as our gals go out and do that, and we really get to know our customers.” Her banking work for businesses is already a meaningful contribution to the development of the twin-city community, but Mitchell’s efforts extend beyond her occupation. She also uses her free time to connect with business leaders to match their benevolent resources to the needs of the people in Sterling and Rock Falls. One way she does that is through Rotary Club. (The club got its name from the way the original members would rotate their meetings among each other’s offices.) Rotary is made up of business professionals from varied and diverse backgrounds who meet together for camaraderie, but also to pool resources to meet local and worldwide need. As is often the case, though, one life connection will lead a person to another life connection which then opens up a wider opportunity. “I knew Russ Siefken through Rotary, and he asked me if I would help with United Way in the small business division,” Mitchell said.
MEET CHRIS MITCHELL Age: 53 Born: Sterling Family: Husband of 33 years, Mark; two daughters, Sydni Gleissner, and Maci Education: Through the banking industry Hobbies: Reading and walking Community involvement: United Way, Rotary Club, YWCA Endowment
Commu nity A Better Place United Way co-chair volunteers to make a difference
Siefken is executive director for the United Way of Whiteside County, which helps to raise funds for and organize human services programs. Mitchell’s volunteer efforts have helped to further many of those programs – first, by recruiting small businesses, bringing them alongside, and directing resources to meet the educational, financial, and health needs of the county. “I did the small business division for Russ for 3 years, and then, as he says, he promoted me to major firms,” Mitchell said with a laugh. Mitchell now uses her experience to connect larger businesses in the county with the projects that United Way has taken on. “These firms allow us to come in for employee meetings so we can let them know how they can be involved,” she said. “The Walmart Distribution Center, for instance, has been very helpful in letting me come in when they have their meetings. They might have to have six meetings, but they let me come in for each of them. “I’ve really enjoyed it. I get to meet so many good people who volunteer their time. I’d encourage everybody to do something with United Way!” Siefken calls her “a great leader” as co-chair of the campaign and as head of fundraising from major firms. “Her great strength is that she follows through,” he said. “When she says she’ll do something. she gets it done.” As a result of the efforts of Siefken and Mitchell, and the army of employees and volunteers at United Way, substantial improvements have been seen in the health of the community. The Feed Our Children project has provided thousands of lunches for children throughout the summers since 2002, and it won a Governors Hometown Award for excellence. And LIFE, or Literacy Is Fun for Everyone, has provided an age-appropriate book each month to every child born in Whiteside County, through age 5. Those and other success stories give evidence to the kinds of reforms, for the better, that can be achieved when the Chris Mitchells of the world choose to make a healthier community their business.
Volunteer! United Way of Whiteside County 502 First Ave., Sterling 815-625-7973 www.unitedwayofwhitesidecounty.org
Photos by Philip Marruffo Sterling-Rock Falls Living Chris Mitchell of Sauk Valley Bank volunteers with United Way.
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Woodlawn Arts Academy offers classes for all ages, abilities BY JEAN EGGEMEYER SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING Photo by Alex T. Paschal/Sterling-Rock Falls Living Woodlawn Arts Academy dancers rehearse a golfthemed number while preparing for the show.
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he dance program of Woodlawn Arts Academy lives up to the center’s motto, “Where the Arts are for Everyone,” by offering classes for all ages and levels of dancers, including adults who have never taken dance lessons. “We really take pride in the variety of classes and the quality of dance training we offer,” said Christy Zepezauer, executive director and one of the Academy’s dance instructors. The Academy’s dance program was started in the fall of 2008 and has experienced tremendous
growth since then. Now, more than 250 students attend. Classes are available for girls and boys 3 years old and older in four 8-week sessions during the school year and two 4-week sessions in the summer months. A variety of dance styles are taught, including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hiphop, modern/contemporary, and acro-dance (a combination of dance techniques and acrobatics). An all-boys class is also available. All classes are taught in the Academy’s three professionally equipped studios in Sterling. Dance camps in the summer are geared toward
strengthening dancers’ technical training and giving new students an opportunity to try out dance. The “Fairytale Ballet Camp” for little girls, which includes dance instruction, tea parties, games and fairytale storytelling, is especially popular, according to Zepezauer. For more experienced dancers, workshops with professional dancers are offered two times a year to help students improve their skills and broaden their dance experience. “We think it’s important for students to be exposed to other professionals in addition to the Woodlawn dance teachers,” Zepezauer explained. “The students really enjoy it, and they’re so inspired afterward. It’s really exciting for us, too.” The nine teachers for the Woodlawn dance program are well trained and enjoy sharing their passion with students. “Our staff members either have years of experience or a college degree in dance or a dancerelated field,” Zepezauer said. “We all participate in a week-long curriculum training session before we go into the school-year program so that we have a clear definition of lesson plans and what has to be taught throughout the year to ready students to move on to the next level.” “We have a diverse, fun group of teachers,” she added. Another opportunity offered to students who crave performance experience is the Dance Competition and Performance Team, which was started 3 years ago. “The team is an extension of our regular pro-
gram and is for kids who want to go above and beyond classroom work, want to perform and want to grow as dancers,” Zepezauer said. The team – for 6- through 18-year-olds, chosen through a try-out process – attended three dance competitions in the 2013-2014 year, competing against teams from other studios. The team also demonstrates dance at community events and in schools. “The students participated in a recent public school family fun night, where they taught the school kids some dance combinations and then performed for attendees,” Zepezauer said. “It was a great experience for our students to give others a dance experience they might not otherwise have had.” Adult dance classes are offered throughout the year as well, focusing on tap and jazz styles, although the instructors are happy to tailor adult classes to what students want. Students perform in a public recital each May at Sterling High School’s Centennial Auditorium. Another way Woodlawn makes the dance program accessible to as many students as possible is through its scholarship program. As an agency of the Whiteside County United Way, the Academy offers scholarships of up to 70 percent to families that qualify. Families are encouraged to reapply each year. Class fees are based on an hourly rate,, and payment plans are available. A used shoe exchange is also offered to help keep costs down. s
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Get your dance on... For current class schedules and information, see the Woodlawn Arts Academy website: www.woodlawnartsacademy.com
Photo Submitted
Photo by Alex T. Paschal/Sterling-Rock Falls Living A pair of Ballet/Tap 1 dancers stay in sync while rehearsing for their performances.
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CARROLL COUNTY FAIR AUGUST 5TH -9T H,2014
Summer is here...
28374 Milledgeville Road - Milledgeville, IL - 815-225-7444
TRACY LAWRENCE
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GRAND STAND ENTERTAINMENT Tuesday, August 5th 7:00pm Illini State Truck Pull & Tri County Pullers (mini rods) Wednesday, August 6th 6:30pm Badger State Tractor Pull Thursday, August 7th 4:30pm Ag Olympics, 7:30pm Funky Munky Wrestling Friday, August 8th 7:00pm Rout 38, 8:00pm Tracy Lawrence in Concert Saturday, August 9th 7:00pm Demolition Derby Fairground admission required for all grandstand shows ($6.00 per person)
www.carrollcountyfair.info
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Grab a tray, tongs & help yourself to baked goods BY MARICELA LOPEZ SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
bakery
All Photos by Philip Marruffo
a Esperanza may be an appealing name for a bakery, but it also has a deeper meaning for owner Javier Pacheco. Javier Pacheco of La Esperanza La Esperanza means “hope” in Spanish, and for Pacheco, it is the hope that his bakery in Rock Falls creates Mexican family-run bakery, which moved to Rock Falls from Rochelle, will do well at its new style cookies & baked goods. location and will continue to grow. Business in Rochelle wasn’t flourishing the way he’d hoped, and local residents who commute to the Hub City persuaded him to check out locations in the Twin Cities. It took about 5 years, but in December, Pacheco finally started looking in the Sauk Valley for a place to settle. He opened on April 26 at 110 W. Second St., the former home of Cimino’s Restaurant, then Good Times Pizza. His daughter, Janet, 21, helps him on weekdays. Born and raised in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, Pacheco stays true to the traditional Mexican recipes that have been passed down to him since he started learning to bake at age 8. He commutes every day from Rochelle, to make the sweet breads and pastries that fill the shop with fresh aromas every day. Among them is a traditional Mexican sweet bread, conchas, round with a strawberry, chocolate or vanilla sugar shell on top, and empanadas, a bread pocket stuffed with pumpkin, sweet potato or pineapple. Piedras, Spanish for rocks, is a hard, glazed, flaky pastry that melts in your mouth. If breads and pastries aren’t for you, the Pachecos have other hidden pleasures in the back, such as their personal favorites, plain cheesecake and très leches cake. La Esperanza’s cheesecake has a smoother texture and a lighter sweetness than refrigerated cheesecake. And the tres leches cake, which is made with three types of milk, is simply delicious. Try the conchas... Unlike at other bakeries, no one will ask you what you want so they can pack it up, which can be slightly confusing to those unfamiliar La Esperanza with the Mexican convention. When you walk in to La Esperanza, the 110 W. Second St., Rock Falls Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day first thing you should do is grab a tray and a pair of tongs, head over to Phone: 815-535-0909 the cases, and start piling on the breads. Another Mexican bakery tradition: no high prices. The breads are 69 cents, or 99 cents for the sweeter pastries. s
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City Of Rock Falls Electric Utilities Power Outages Happen For A Number Of Reasons
Weather – Winds, heavy snow and thick ice on tree limbs can bring trees into contact with our wires and cause an outage. Lightning can also strike our equipment or trees near it. Nature – Animals occasionally contact parts of our system in a way that causes an outage. Large birds, squirrels and raccoons are frequent culprits. Motor Vehicle Accidents – When a motor vehicle hits a pole and damages or breaks it, power outages sometimes result.
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Cranes and Excavation Machinery – sometimes cause outages. Equipment Failures - in any part of our system: overhead, underground, substations, transmission lines, etc. Vandalism – Our equipment is sometimes damaged by gunshot or objects thrown at it. Routine, Planned Maintenance – On occasion, and with notice to our customers, we intentionally de-energize an area to perform necessary maintenance where safety to the worker prohibits working on “live� lines. After A Storm: Stay away from fallen or low-hanging wires or anything they contact, % and be especially cautious near metal fences. % Don’t attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines. Contact 815/622-1145 during normal business hours or 815/622-1140 after hours.
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Mobile meat business arrives in Sterling BY JOHN KERMOTT SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
Photos by Kimberly Watley/ Sterling-Rock Falls Living Mary White, of Sterling, takes a few moments from her lunch break to order prime cuts from Sean Considine, who runs a mobile meat market, that is parked at Northland Mall Shopping Center every Thursday.
“The NFL is humbling.” That is not a comment you would expect to come out of the mouth of a member of a Super Bowl winning team. But Sean Considine isn’t the stereotypical pro football player. Considine, who born in Dixon, was a first-team all-state standout his junior and senior years at Byron High School, and the stat sheet for his play at the University of Iowa is loaded with game-changing plays and honors, including Academic all-Big Ten, Coaches Appreciation Award-defense, and Hustle Team Award-defense, as a safety for the Hawkeyes in the early 2000s. He then played 8 years in the NFL, finishing his career on February 3, 2013, with a win in the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. Considine points to certain internal qualities that he considers instrumental in his achievements as an athlete: humility, always giving your best effort, remember where you came from, have faith. “You’re never as good as you think you are, and you’re never as bad,” he said. “That was always my motto. Especially when I got to the NFL, ’cause you can have some really tough days, and you spend a lot of time watching
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Kelly Considine helps take orders from a quickly growing late Thursday morning crowd at Headon & Considine’s Market.
Amy Shaw, who has worked for Headon’s Meats in Creston for three years, said the new mobile service, run by Sean Considine, has improved business significantly for the small family owned and operated butcher shop.
yourself on film in front of your teammates and things never look as bad as you’re watching them back, but it works the same way, too, when you think you had a heck of a ball game, and you go and watch film the next day and you start realizing you might not have been playing as good as you thought.” Considine is now using the lessons he’s learned on the football field in the pursuit of his next goal – the development of a successful business, Headon and Considine’s Meat Market. “I’ve always been that guy that’s trying to think about the next business idea,” he said, standing in his state-of-the-art refrigerated mobile market trailer. “Not necessarily inventions, but business concepts. I was reading an article about these farmers markets, and local vending; how big it was becoming, and I got to wondering why nobody was doing fresh meat, like this. He happened to be good friends with Lance Headon and his daughter, Aubrey, in their meat market in Creston. “So I was thinking, man, if those guys were taking their little niche, with their quality, out to some bigger markets, I thought it could be a real good business concept,” Considine explained. “The meat markets have died off, so we’re building a niche. We come into a town one day a week, and there’s enough people who are looking for a little more quality than what you get at the local grocery store.” Ross Sword, owner of Central Heating and Cooling in Sterling, is a customer of the mobile meat market. “I got steaks last week, and I’m getting prime rib
this week,” he said on a recent Thursday, the day the market comes to Sterling. “They were some of the tenderest steaks I’ve ever had. They were delicious. I’ve been to the Headon store in Creston, and we heard about the mobile market, so we were just waiting for them to come to Sterling.” Considine prepared and handed Sword his order. “My son’s having his bachelor party,” the satisfied customer said, “so I get to cook the prime rib! I think they’ll do well here. We don’t have a quality meat market.” Considine said the future looks bright for his new enterprise. “Well, right now, we’re in a growth stage, and we’re trying to figure out how to run it most efficiently,” he said. “So we’re looking for other venues, like sporting events and farmers markets. But we’re just focused, right now, on one mobile market.” s Headon & Considine’s Market carries prime cuts of beef from burgers and steaks to bacon-wrapped filets.
Pleased to meat you... Headon’s Fine Meats 103 S. Main St., Creston 815-384-3620 www.headons.com
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Heat-Co Mechanical, INC. 1705 Westwood Drive, Sterling
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Many generations of children have played on this antique firetruck at Centennial Park.
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Phyllis, Ryan, DeWayne and Dustin Cardwell take a seat on the other side of the bar for a change. The family owns and operates the small, popular neighborhood bar with their namesake.
A FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD BAR BY KIMBERLY WATLEY SPECIAL TO STERLING ROCK FALLS LIVING
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Third-generation neighborhood bar thrives
ardwell’s W&D Tap owner DeWayne Cardwell says his place is a “beer and shot” kind of tavern. “It’s not a huge bar, not very fancy, not a club, but people seem to like it.” The Cardwell family has been in business for 33 years. “I started the bar business when I was 21,” Cardwell said. “My dad [the late Herbert Cardwell] bought a bar, Herb’s Tap. I don’t know how serious he was, but at the time, he said, ‘I spent enough across the bar to pay for one.’ so he just went ahead and bought one. “He traveled a lot for work. One day he said, ‘I’ll be back in 2 weeks, good luck.’ And that was it. ... Here we are three generations later.” Since then, the Cardwell family has owned three bars, the current for 18 years. “In all, this is our fifth location since 1981,” he said. “It’s a good fit here for us.” Lifelong Rock Falls resident Crissy Wade, a patron for 11 years, said she most enjoys the close-to-home and low-key environment.
“It’s a friendly atmosphere, and everyone is here to visit and have fun,” she said. “You can come here after work, see your friends. You don’t see the fights other places have. DeWayne wouldn’t have that, well, I should say Phyllis wouldn’t, either!” Co-owner Phyllis Cardwell, DeWayne’s wife of 30 years, steers the ship since he works fulltime as a machinist, and has for 22 years. She also credits the regular customers for their success. “I am good to them, and they are very good to me,” she said. “If I have trouble, like if I can’t lift a keg to change it, before I can snap my fingers, someone runs over and helps. Of course, they joke around, give me a hard time, and I give it right back.” DeWayne called their place a “friendly neighborhood bar.” “I don’t want to be cliché, but it is kind of like Cheers,” he said. “If they don’t know you when you walk in, they will soon.” The family-owned bar is also run by their sons, Dustin, 27, and Ryan, 26, who enjoy a little sibling rivalry behind the bar, one ordering
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the other to serve him a drink. Cutting up with customers is their favorite part of their business. The customers, many of whom have been with them for all 33 years, are what provide that “Cheers Bar� atmosphere everyone enjoys, DeWayne said. Although Cardwell’s W&D Tap is not a banquet hall, regulars who celebrate a monumental point of life sometimes have their parties at Cardwell’s. “We’ll move tables and things make room for about 150, for weddings, graduations, birthday parties, whatever they want it for,� DeWayne said. The bar features four gaming machines, four 25cent pool tables, and a dart board. The tables accommodate various pool leagues. There is also a dart league that plays every Monday night. The video gambling machines have brought in many new customers as well. “One of the things my dad told me, ‘If you want to be successful, you have to run a place where a lady can come in, sit by herself, wait for her husband to get off of work, to meet her without anybody bothering her.’ I think that’s what we’ve done. And over the years, we have made a lot of good friends that we might not have made if we were not in this business.� s
Cardwell’s features four gaming machines, four pool tables and one dart board. The video gambling machines have brought in many new customers.
Place for friends to meet
Bartender Dustin Cardwell mixes up a rum and Coke for one of his regulars. Hand-painted ceiling tiles adorned with various sports teams have been there as long as the Cardwells can remember.
Cardwell’s W&D Tap 219 First Ave., Rock Falls 815- 626-5761
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July 8 Twin City Cruizers’ Cruise Night; Culver’s, 1901 Harley-Davidson Drive, Rock Falls; 5 p.m.; www.twincitycruizers.com
UPCOMIN G EVEN TS
July 9, 16, 23 and 30 Sterling Municipal Band concert; Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; concessions available; 7:30 p.m.; sterlingmunicipalband.com July 10 Sterling’s Movies at Grandon: “Frozen,� Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; concessions available; dusk; www.sterlingmainstreet.org or 815-626-8610
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July 24 Sterling’s Movies at Grandon: “The Muppet Movie,� Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; concessions available; dusk; www.sterlingmainstreet.org or 815-626-8610 July 25 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815626-8610 July 26 Sterling Main Street Music Fest, Central Park/Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; four bands, arts and crafts show and food; admission is $5 for adults and children 13 and older; gates open at 1 p.m.; www.sterlingmainstreet.org, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Aug. 1 Hot Dog Day, downtown Sterling; merchants offer 25-cent hot dogs and sodas over the lunch hour; www.sterlingmainstreet.org or 815-626-8610 Aug. 2 Music in Motion 5K; Westwood Fitness & Sports Center, Sterling; www.musicinmotion5K.org or Barb Lauff, 815-441-4388 or lauffline@camcast.net; register in person at Westwood Fitness & Sports Center or Duis Recreation Center; registration is $20 in advance or $25 on race day and includes a T-shirt; all proceeds go toward Sterling orchestra program; 8 a.m. Aug. 2 Touch-a-Truck and Corn Boil Family Day; Second Street and Avenue A, Rock Falls; vehicles from area agencies and businesses on display, plus Selmi’s sweet corn and other food; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; “Optimist Club of Rock Falls IL� on Facebook or John Watts, 815-631-3012 Aug. 5 National Night Out; several parks in Sterling; entertainment, children’s activities and food; Sterling Police Department, 815-632-6600 Aug. 5 National Night Out; Rock Falls; 815-622-1140 Aug. 6 and 13 Sterling Municipal Band concert; Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; concessions available; 7:30 p.m.; sterlingmunicipalband.com Aug. 7 Sterling’s Movies at Grandon: “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,� Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; concessions available; dusk; www. sterlingmainstreet.org or 815-626-8610 Aug. 8-9 Lincoln Buy-Way; miles and miles of rummage sales along Lincoln Highway; www.drivelincolnhighway.com
Photo by Michael Krabbenhoeft/Sterling-Rock Falls Living Smoke filled the air during the 1812 Overture last summer at the Sterling Municipal Band's Independence Day Extravaganza concert at Grandon Civic Center in Sterling. The concert featured a variety of patriotic tunes and cannons fired by the Chicago Mercantile Battery.
Aug. 10 Twin City Cruizers’ Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show; Centennial Park, Rock Falls; music by 3D Sound; 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; www.twincitycruizers.com or 815-625-1839 Aug. 12 Twin City Cruizers’ Cruise Night; Culver’s, 1901 HarleyDavidson Drive, Rock Falls; 5 p.m.; www.twincitycruizers. com Aug. 16 Team Underwires Proud to Wear Pink! motorcycle ride; Workman Harley-Davidson, 1903 First Ave., Rock Falls; proceeds benefit breast cancer programs; register from 10 a.m. to noon; cost is $20 for riders 16 and older, $5 for children; www.teamunderwires.com or 815-441-4458 Aug. 22 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Aug. 23 Outdoor Adventure Fest; Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA, 2505 YMCA Way, Sterling; free family activities including a fishing derby in the swimming pool, rock climbing and archery; free hot dog lunch provided; http://srf.saukvalleyymcas.org or 815-535-9622 Aug. 23 Shop Small Saturday; merchants in Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls; merchants offer promotions throughout the day and specials for shoppers who wear a Sauk Valley Shop Small button; www.saukvalleyshopsmall.com, Facebook or saukvalleyshopsmall@gmail.com
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Aug. 29 Sterling Storytelling and Art Festival; Woodlawn Arts Academy, 3807 Woodlawn Road, Sterling; storytelling by Al Batt of Heartland, Minn., and Susan O’Halloran of the Chicago area and juried art show; admission is a $7 donation; art show 6-8 p.m., stories at 8 p.m.; http://sterlingfestival.org or 815-625-1370
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Sept. 6 Taste of Fiesta; Central Park/Grandon Civic Center, downtown Sterling; Mexican musicians and dancers, folk art, children’s activities and giveaways, and food; children’s activities noon-3 p.m., food and entertainment noon-6 p.m.; “Fiesta Days in Sterling-Rock Falls� on Facebook or Irene Lewis-Wimbley at 815-625-0013, ext. 119 Sept. 9 Twin City Cruizers’ Cruise Night; Culver’s, 1901 Harley-Davidson Drive, Rock Falls; 5 p.m.; www.twincitycruizers.com 107 Main St., Forreston, IL 815.938.3681 Toll Free: 877.938.3681 Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Sat 9am-2pm or by appointment
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Sept. 13 Bridge the Community 5K/10K Run; Rock Falls; http://bridgethecommunity.webs.com, Facebook or Gayla Kolb, 815-626-8053 or coordinator@rockfallsdevelopment.org; 9 a.m., kids fun run across the First Avenue bridge at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 13 Fiesta Day parade; Sterling and Rock Falls; parade from Sterling to Rock Falls, closing ceremony at bandshell in Veterans Memorial Park, Rock Falls, art display at Lincoln Learning Center, 611 E. Third St., Sterling; Irene Lewis-Wimbley at 815-625-0013, ext. 119 Sept. 15 The Rock River Valley Barbershop Chorus’ annual Youth in Harmony Festival concert; Centennial Auditorium, 1608 Fourth Ave., Sterling; admission is $5; 6:30 p.m.; Facebook or 815-973-3956 Sept. 26 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Oct. 11 Harvest Moon Festival; downtown Sterling; children’s activities, hay rack rides, arts and crafts, and more; www.sterlingmainstreet.org, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Oct. 24 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Oct. 26 Twin City Cruizers’ Toy Run Cruize; Culver’s, 1901 Harley-Davidson Drive, Rock Falls; music by 3D Sound, bake sale and auction; entry is a new, unwrapped toy to benefit Toys for Tots; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; www.twincitycruizers.com Nov. 18-23 Festival of Trees; Woodlawn Arts Academy, 3807 Woodlawn Road, Sterling; event benefits Hospice of the Rock River Valley; holiday trees and decor on display, country store, and entertainment; 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; www.hospicerockriver.org or 815-288-3673 Nov. 20-23 Hometown Holidays; downtown Rock Falls; Christmas walk, craft show, parade, live reindeer, children’s party, and more; www.rockfallschamber.com or 815-625-4500 Nov. 22 Twin Cities Holiday Parade; parade starts in Sterling, ends in Rock Falls; www.rockfallschamber.com, www.saukvalleyareachamber.com or www.sterlingmainstreet.org Nov. 28 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815-626-8610 Dec. 3-7 Seasonal Sights and Sounds; downtown Sterling; music, Christmas Walk, visits with Santa, children’s activities, and more; www.saukvalleyareachamber.com, Facebook or 815-625-2400 Dec. 5-7 Dillon Home Christmas Walk; Dillon Home Museum, 1005 E. Third St., Sterling; tours of the home, which is decorated for the holidays, “Christmases Past� open house by the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society Museum in the carriage house; admission is $2.50 for adults, $1.50 for seniors and $5 for a family; tours on the hour 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, walk-through tours 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday; 815-622-6202 Dec. 26 Fourth Fridays, Sterling; businesses host artists and musicians and offer activities and promotions; www.sterlingmainstreet.org/fourth-fridays, Facebook or 815-626-8610
Photo by Michael Krabbenhoeft/Sterling-Rock Falls Living Traditional dancers Dancers performed dances during the Fiesta Day Parade.
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Senior friendly� private bathrooms with easy access showers 4-hour protective care by an attentive stage of licensed and certified nursing personnel utritious home cooked meals per day, plus snacks ousekeeping and laundry service eauty Salon V and phone hookups available emory care based planned activities and special events overed porch, private enclosed courtyard, and common sitting areas for peaceful retreats and family gatherings onth to month rent - no leases or hidden commitments espite and short term care available at a daily rate
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