SVM-MAG_08242015

PRSRT STD Bulk Rate U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081 *****ECRWSSEDDM*****

P.O. Box 498

Postal Customer

Fall/ Winter 2015

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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

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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Baratta Editor Larry Lough Magazine Editor Rusty Schrader Page Design Robin Norburg Breanne Hunter Published by

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

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.

Project will help document Carroll County’s colorful side

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SEE US FOR ALL OF YOUR 25-100 HP SMALL UTILITY TRACTOR NEEDS. BE SURE TO ASK ABOUT THE MANY FRONTIER BRAND ATTACHMENTS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER WORKING ON YOUR FARMSTEAD... BIG OR SMALL.

26208 US HWY 52 LANARK, IL PH: 800-344-8023 c a r r o l l

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features Milledgeville fits them to a T

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The stage is set to promote success

Two bistros are better than one

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Business is really cookin’ for ‘the bald guy’

Quilts are barn to be wild

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Patchwork project brightens Carroll County

Artist captures a side of Lincoln

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A home away from home Families come to roost at country guest house near Savanna

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A Taste of the Old West Crooked Roof offers a menu of straight-shootin’ family fare

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Getting you where you want to be Carroll County Transit is going places

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Group raising money to tell the story of a war-weary soldier

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A business they love in the community they care about: The stage is set for success

BY CASSANDRA ZIMMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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arty and Bill Stage love their community and they love their business. And when they can bring the two together, they couldn’t be happier.

Owning Bill-Mart T’s, located at 319 W. Sixth St., is the perfect opportunity to help their community while doing something they love every day.

The business began 22 years ago as a gift shop offering a limited selection of screening options. However, over the years, the store has shifted to provide a wide array of promotional items to businesses, individuals and schools, including screening and embroidery services.

The upcoming school year is a busy time for the shop, which designs

shirts for the Milledgeville Missiles and Chadwick Streaks. The shop also creates and sells shirts for the Carroll County Fair, Shelly’s Dance Studio, local camps, and PE clothes. Customers regularly request items such as shirts, hats, jackets, and – with the school year approaching – duffel and book bags.

Whether it’s celebrating a birth or remembering a lost loved one, Bill-Mart T’s offers a way to do both. Marty can screen baby items, such as blankets, for customers who need a special gift for a new arrival. For families who want a special memory of those who have passed on, Bill Mart T’s can create memory pictures, in which photos are screened onto merchandise such as T-shirts or

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Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/Carroll County Living Marty (left) and Bill Stage, of Milledgeville, sit next to a few of the shirts, hats and sweat shirts that they have created for their home-based company, Bill-Mart T's, which specializes in putting custom logos on shirts, hats and any other fabric product their customers want.

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113 N. Broad Street Lanark, IL 61046

Open 7 Days A Week

815-493-2750

Find us on

Facebook www.lanarkfoodcenter.com

Full Service Auto Repair AUTOMOTIVE

201 E. Locust St. Lanark, IL 815-493-2029 John Daehler, Owner

There can be a lot of challenges involved with buying your own home.

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Contact one of our loan officers when you are ready to make that move and we promise you will receive the best service available.

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Your Locally Owned Hometown Bank since 1878 126 N. Broad Street Lanark, IL 61046

815-493-2631

Exchange State Bank www.lanarkbank.com

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The idea of a quilt is special in that each member can choose a photo for a square and the end project is a beautiful example of the loved one’s life.

With all of the products the shop offers, Marty is never standing around, twiddling her thumbs.

She works every day and “will continue to work until I cannot work anymore,” she said, with a chuckle.

It helps that the job is more fun than actual work, according to Marty.

Creating new designs are always an adventure, Marty says

“I am very excited to work on new shirts for the coming year. It is always fun to see how something new turns out. Sometimes it is a success, at other times, they need more work.”

Marty always gets practice flexing those creative muscles as often as she can. She tries to change out designs once a year. This helps the shop offer such a variety that she and customers don’t get bored.

The shop has also become a family affair through the years, Marty said. Her children and grandchildren have been present for some of

Lower Left: Bill-Mart T’s can embroider hats with custom logos, such as this hat for Milledgeville High School. Lower Right: Bill-Mart T’s made chairs for this year’s Carroll County Fair 4-H winners. 4-H was looking for a more useful alternative to the trophies that it normally gives out. Bottom: This embroidery machine is used

by Marty and Bill Stage to create customized shirts and other fabric products for the home-based company Bill-Mart T’s.

“

Dental Care for the Whole Family

We live in a great community and would never want to live anywhere else.

MARTY STAGE

her most memorable experiences at the shop. In 2013, when the Milledgeville Lady Missiles softball team made the run to state, Bill-Mart T’s was there. The family gathered together and worked tirelessly creating the team’s T-shirts to be delivered before the team left for the tournament. At 180 shirts in 24 hours, that was no easy task. The order, explains Marty, was larger than expected and she was grateful her family was there, otherwise she is not sure they would have made it in time.

Setting up shop in Milledgeville was never in question. Marty has lived in town her entire life and her husband, Bill, grew up in Fulton. Milledgeville is where they

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LANARK DENTAL CLINIC General Dentistry

raised their children and continue to enjoy life with their grandchildren after 39 years of marriage.

Marty explains: “We live in a great community and would never want to live anywhere else.

We always try to help people out, especially for community events, like benefits. We actively work to keep costs low so our customers and friends are able to continue to buy local.”

She continues, “We would like to encourage everyone to shop local. It keeps businesses in town and that is very meaningful to us.

When you shop local, you support not only your neighbors but the community as a whole.” s

Below: Shirts for the Chadwick School made by Bill-Mart T’s in Milledgeville

Dennis J. Walters, D.D.S 120 S. Broad St., Lanark, IL

815-493-2244

Carroll Service Company TM

Main Office 815- 493-2181 Building Center 815-493-2161 Farm Systems 800-852-0648 Milledgeville 815-225-7101

Energy Dept. 888-738-8444 Lanark West 815-493-2478 West Warehouse 815-493-2800

CARROLL COUNTY LOCKER • Custom Slaughter & Processing Retail Meats • Locally Raised Beef & Hogs

Bill-Mart T’s Address: 319 W. Sixth St. in Milledgeville.

Hours vary daily. Please call 815-225-7200 or 815-535-4049 to make inquires or for more information.

Online: A selection of products can be seen at www.billmartts.com

THE SPECIAL TOUCH

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Since 1992 504 W. IL Rt. 64 Lanark, IL 815-493-6366

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M-F 7:30am-Noon & 12:30-5pm Sat. 8am-Noon

Barb & Bob Hartman, Owners c a r r o l l

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Your Local Bank

Connected to your financial needs

Traction. Tread Life.

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815-225-7411

To open an account, talk to us in person today!

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A better way forward

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Savanna Chiropractic Center

202 Main Street. Savanna, IL 61074

815-273-4737

Dr. Randall Morthland

“Dedicated to Providing Quality Chiropractic Care”

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From fee-free checking and savings accounts to affordable borrowing solutions, we’re here to meet our community’s banking needs with a personal touch.

Free Online Banking Serving Carroll County area for over 70 years.

451 North Main Ave., Milledgeville 815-225-7171 • www.milledgevillebank.com

Division of BOGOTT Plumbing, Inc.

Pool / Spa Computerized Water Testing • Pool / Spa Chemicals • Supplies • Pool Openings • Equipment Repairs

1007 4th St. Fulton, IL (815-589-3000) May-Sept M-F 10-6 SAT 9-1

Highway 30 & Bishop Rd, Morrison, IL (815-772-7874) Year Round M-F 8-12 1-4:30

www.bpipoolsupply.com

Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Carroll County Living Owner Christopher Engaldo also has a cafe in Savanna.

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Business is really cookin’ for ‘the bald guy’

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Are Better Than One

BY CASSANDRA ZIMMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

hristopher Engaldo worked in food service for 10 years before he became a business owner.

The opportunity, according to Engaldo, just “fell into my lap.

I never really considered opening anything other than something related to food. I was trying to better myself, but I also wanted to do something that I love. I have always loved working with food.”

Two and a half years after opening Route 84 Coffee & Bistro in Savanna, he still loves working with food, and things have never been better. They’re so good, he recently opened a second bistro, this one in Mount Carroll.

BaldGuyz Coffee & Bistro, located at 320 Main St., expanded not only his bistro business but his offerings.

Each shop offers local favorites such as paninis, salads, wraps, quesadillas, Italian beef, coleslaw, bacon mac and Chicago-style hot dogs.

Engaldo prides himself on the homemade style the shops are known for.

According to Engaldo: “About 90 percent of the food items we serve are homemade. We really focus on keeping our foods healthier, and avoiding fried products.”

But just because the focus is mainly on health foods, that doesn’t mean he’s afraid to mix things up a bit, to keep things fresh and interesting.

Each month, Engaldo tests new two food items on his menu. If they do well, they stay. If they don’t, then they go.

“I just love making different combinations, many times from food items we already have in the kitchen,” he said.

Each shop also carries specialty drinks including the Snickers Latte, Italian sodas and specialty coffees. The Savanna location has 150 to 200 different combinations of drinks. The Mount Carroll location has 50 to 75 different drink combinations. Customers can also enjoy perks with their club cards, which allow the carrier to earn deals such as buying 10 sandwiches and getting one free, or deals on coffee or other drinks. Each location will also start having daily lunch specials, which will change each day. The lunch special is a steal at $6.

The Mount Carroll location has also allowed him to venture into catering, an endeavor that has proved popular in the area. Engaldo explains: “We have catered seven or eight events since opening the Mount

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Mount Carroll store. With the amount of space available, we can cater in-house or on location, something we were not able to do at the Savanna location due to the size of the space.

We focus on unique food, but we can cater to anyone’s budget.” For the most part, catering is limited to a generous 100-mile radius, but if the event is large enough, he will travel outside of that radius.

Engalado plans to continue to grow and change the business. In the coming months Route 84 Coffee & Bistro will see a name change, becoming BaldGuyz Coffee & Bistro to match its Mount Carroll counterpart. To celebrate, the Mount Carroll shop will host a Far Left: Along with fresh made sandwiches and pastries, BaldGuyz carries some healthy snack foods.

Upper Left: Besides freshly made pastries, BaldGuyz serves ice cream. Lower Left: Plenty of seating is inside the cafe and at some outdoor tables.

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We Keep Your Family Smiling

The Art of Floral Design Handcrafted Bouquets & Arrangements Unique Gifts & Home Decor

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Family Dentistry since 1984 • One visit Cerec crowns • Digital x-rays • Financing available (Care Credit) • Evening hours available

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Please call for an appointment 101 5th Avenue S. Clinton 563-242-3356 Like Us At The Dressing Room at Deja Vu

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Flower Fan-A-See Mon - Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am-Noon 904 S. Clay St. Mt. Carroll, IL 815-244-1123 www.flowerfanasee.com

grand opening and the Savanna shop will celebrate a re-grand opening in the coming months.

The name BaldGuyz comes from a nickname earned earlier in his career while working at McDonald’s. Engaldo remembers, “All of our regulars would come in asking, ‘Where is the bald guy?’ and the nickname kind of stuck.” Keeping the nickname allows Engaldo to continue enjoying what he loves while remembering the experiences that led him to where he is today. s

Upper Right: A local artist’s work adorns one of the walls in the cafe. Lower Right: Handmade rocking horses decorate the historic building. Far Right: Gifts of art and jewelry can be found at Bald Guyz in Mount Carroll.

BALDGUYZ COFFEE & BISTRO Online: www.baldguyzbistro.com SAVANNA

Address: 734 Viaduct Road Phone: 815-273-4528 Savanna hours: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Monday thru Friday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sundays

Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Route-84-Coffe eBistro/165911360225108?fref=ts

Ewers Garage, Inc. Serving the area Since 1921

The Leader in Auto Repair

MOUNT CARROLL

Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday thru Saturday; closed Sunday Address: 320 Main St. Phone: 815-244-0055 Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Bald-Guyz-Coff eeBistro/595971503867416?fref=ts

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Your New

Kitchen

Left to Right: Dr. Aja Murphy & Karri Hess, Physician Assistant

Contact Jocelyn Lilly, Kitchen Designer, For A Free Estimate

MILLEDGEVILLE DO-IT-BEST HOME CENTER

106 E. Market Street, Mt. Carroll, IL

www.cghmc.com

Free Estimates, Free Measuring, Free Delivery.

(815) 244-3678

Bring the Beauty of StarMark into Your Home.

Railroad and Cochran Sts. Milledgeville, IL 800.788.7677 toll free

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Project will help document Carroll County’s colorful side LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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here’s an old saying: “If you want a job done, ask the busiest person you know and they’ll get it done.”

Carroll County Motel and Hotel Tax Board and Farm Bureau members did just that to get their Barn Quilt Trail project done.

They asked a world-famous doll maker, Connie Zink, who’s also the owner of Robert’s Roost Country Guest House in Carroll County, just one of three businesses she runs. Now, in her spare time – what there is of it – she’s helping to document the county’s quilts. The project’s goal is to locate, document, and map the barn quilts, and in the process, give the county another tool

Not Your Everyday Boutique! Come Take A Peek. So Worth The Drive!

Shelly Tautz, Owner

Men’s & Women’s Western & More Store!

CLOTHING

Call for Store Hours 815-244-2CGB (2242)

Clothing for Men

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Rt. 64 Mt. Carroll, IL

cgb

Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/Carroll County Living A quilt adorns the front of a barn at 10804 Grange Road in rural Lanark.

to promote itself.

Despite the name, barn quilts aren’t really quilts at all, at least not the kind you cover up with. In fact, you’d have a hard time wrapping yourself up in a barn quilt. They’re made of wood or metal, and are most often one large square, thought sometimes – like their cloth cousins – they can be made up of colorful pieces that are assembled into a larger quilt. They can be freestanding, but are usually hung on a barn or other outbuilding. They can simply be something pleasant to look at, or they can represent something special to the family.

An avid photographer and amateur historian, Connie took the project on after another organizer had to back out due to time constraints. And while Connie keeps plenty busy with the project, she can’t do it all alone. She needs the public’s help to complete the massive project. She’s already taken more than 200 photos and traveled all over the county to gather information about barn quilts in the area. But, she knows more are out there.

We W with ork Insu ALL Com rance pani es!

Insist on the quality of

Below: A quilt hangs on the front of a grain elevator on the farm of Steve and Jane Smith. The quilt is done in a traditional style but the color scheme has been chosen to fit the family's liking.The barn quilt represents the family's farming heritage, their Fighting Illini spirit and Jane's love for quilting. This quilt was designed by Barb Leuders from Thomson.

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DOTY’S COLLISION CENTER, INC. Family owned and operated. Serving Carroll County for 23 years!

Serving with over a century of combined experience!

QUALITY AUTO BODY REPAIRS Foreign & Domestic

24-HOUR TOWING

• Expert Frame Straightening • FREE Computer Estimates • Factory Baked Finish • Car Wash Detailing • Custom Computer Color Matching • Custom Painting

710 South East St. Mount Carroll, IL

815-244-3689

To learn more about our skilled nursing care and physical, occupational and speech therapy communities, call (815) 244-7715.

All faiths or beliefs are welcome.

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A quilt brightens the side of Jim and Lisa Ashby's barn at 7876 Hickory Grove Road in rural Savanna.

She’s asking people to go to visitcarrollcountyil.com/barn-quilt-trail, or the project’s Facebook page (search for “Barn Quilts of Carroll County Illinois”) to help.

Got a quilt that’s not on the list? Let her know. And if you’re already on the list, she asks simply that you verify the information.

Don’t have a quilt at all, but would like information on how to be a part of trail? Let her know. Or if you’d rather put the pieces together yourself, you can research barn quilts online. Some businesses sell them pre-made, there are instructions online for making your own, or the project’s Facebook page offers a list of people in Carroll County who make them.

Got a quilt that’s on the list, but that you’d rather have it off the list?

That’s OK, too. Just let her know.

She can be reached at 815-565-0024 or Robertsroostcountryguesthouse@gmail.com When submitting information about the quilt, there are several pieces of information organizers are looking for – the list of which can be found at the trail’s web page. Connie also wants folks to submit pictures of barn quilts. They’re encouraged to take photos and submit them, but she can

This quilt is on the front of Michal and Nancy Adolph's barn at 12287 Airport Road in rural Savanna.

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come and take pictures, too, if they’re unable to get a good, clear photo.

Barn quilts of any size are welcomed. “Some groups require that a barn quilt be a minimum size of 4-feet by 8-feet to make their lists, but our group wants all quilts of all sizes and on any building.” As if to illustrate her point, she points out the small 2-foot by 2-foot quilt painted on her garden shed.

According to the trail project’s web page, what’s come to be known as The American Quilt Trail Movement is credited to Donna Sue Groves, an Ohio woman who wanted to honor her mother, who was a noted quilter, with a painted quilt square on the family’s barn in Manchester, Ohio. Groves would eventually go on to contribute to a book, “Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement,” written by Suzi Parron, and a national quilt trail movement has unfurled across America.

While there’s no book in Carroll County’s future right now, organizers do plan to have a printed map and a brochure, in addition to the website and Facebook page.

Carroll County is very fortunate to have many “Barn Quilts” already

This quilt is on the front of a barn at 10804 Grange Road in rural Lanark.

in existence throughout its countryside, and the people behind the patchwork project of the county’s artistic side hope to highlight all of them. So far, it looks like they’re already off to a good start, assembling, piece by piece, a colorful and creative side of Carroll County.

Contact Connie Zink at 815-565-0024, or email: Robertsroostcountryguesthouse@gmail.com to submit or get more information. s

Barn Quilt Workshop...

The Carroll County Motel and Hotel Board and The Farm Bureau Board will sponsor a presentation and barn quilt painting class on Tuesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 22, 2016. Suzi Parron, author of “Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement,” will be at the Farm Building Auditorium on that Tuesday at 7 p.m. In order for the class to be held, it will need 15 committed participants.

People can sign up in advance and will paint a 2-foot by 2-foot square.

Check It Out Online: Suzi Parron’s website on barn quilts: http://barnquiltinfo.com/

The quilt on the front of Michal and Nancy Adolph's barn at 12287 Airport Road in rural Savanna.

This quilt is on the front of Michal and Nancy Adolph's barn at 12287 Airport Road in rural Savanna.

This quilt brightens the front of a barn at 10804 Grange Road in rural Lanark.

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GARAGE DOOR Specialists

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ARTIST CAPTURES

Photos by Alex T. Paschal Carroll County Living This Raymond Castro sculpture is based on the march Lincoln made to bury fellow soldiers who fell during the Blackhawk War.

Another Side

OF

Lincoln

Group raising money to tell the story of a war-weary soldier KAYLA HEIMERMAN SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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amon “Jay” Castro is a self-proclaimed river rat and a combat veteran.

He grew up in Savanna, an old river town nestled along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. He soaked up the local histories of the early frontier, river boats, and steam locomotives; Native Americans, Mark Twain, and Abraham Lincoln. He built forts in the grasslands, tracked animals, and fished in the river.

“It was a good place to grow up, a good time to grow up,” Castro says.

“Everybody was poor, but nobody really knew it.”

Castro went on to art school in Chicago (what now is known as the Illinois Institute of Art), but soon enlisted in the Navy, where he trained as a “frogman,” or a combat diver and swimmer. He completed three tours in Vietnam as a frogman, and as a front gunner and sniper for the riverine patrol boats. He transferred to the Navy SEAL team after the war. Castro attended college on the G.I. Bill and earned degrees from the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, and Northern

Colorado University.

He was an art teacher and wrestling coach at Freeport High School, and he remained in the Navy Reserve, where he was a deep-sea diver, dolphin trainer and performer in the Chicago Air and Water Show.

He retired a warrant officer with the Navy SEALs in 1998 and retired from teaching in 2007.

Today, Castro, 68, is a full-time artist. He’s married to Georgiann, a painter and potter and a retired nurse. They have two grown sons and three grandchildren.

He drew on his humble childhood and his combat experience to craft his latest work: a 7-foot sculpture of young Capt. Abraham Lincoln upon his arrival at Kellogg’s Grove, where he stepped onto the blood-soaked battlefield and surveyed the slain soldiers, killed during the final Illinois battle of the Black Hawk War in June 1832.

The statue, formally titled “Captain Abraham Lincoln-Black Hawk War, Burial Detail,” is set to be placed at the Black Hawk War memorial near Kent, about 15 miles west of Freeport in Stephenson County.

Most portrayals of Lincoln show him as a lawyer, statesman, or president, Castro says. This depiction shows Lincoln as a soldier, “a 22-year-old captain, who marched his men through arduous terrain … and witnessed such casualties,” Castro says.

“I tried to picture him on that march, the apprehension, the worry,”

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Come visit the Peaceful ul side id of Illi Illinois. i LLocated next to Spring Lake Wildlife Refuge and The Great River Bike Path. Relax and stay in one of our Log Cabins or camp on one of our tailored seasonal RV lots. All our RV spaces offer cement patios, picnic tables and fire pits. Best of all we offer the most affordable rates in the area. New in 2015, Seven Eagles will be offering low maintenance turn-key Resort Homes For Sale. Stop in and view one of our New Model Homes today. All roads are paved for easy motorcycle access.

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Castro says. “I tried to picture him getting to that site – the compassion, the anger.

“War adds the perspective of battle and death to a soldier’s character,” he adds. “No doubt, this experience would reflect in his decisions when he became president.”

A nonprofit group, the Capt. Abraham Lincoln Sculpture Committee, is raising the $80,000 needed to create the sculpture, bronze it, and place it at the memorial site. “I just feel this is a project worth pursuing,” says Bettye Corbin, project manager for the group. “It’s something that I feel is important to the community because this is a part of Abraham Lincoln’s life that very few people … are aware of.”

The group will host a fundraising dinner Sept. 24, in Freeport, featuring a keynote address from Navy Admiral Barry Bruner. The group also is planning a day for people to watch Castro work on the sculpture sometime in February, also in Freeport. Castro and the group also are selling 15-inch replica statues for $2,500.

Castro is also a multimedia artist. He painted three murals in Freeport in the 1990s, all of which now are gone. He also painted a mural at the old Manny’s in Savanna, and did two murals for the new restaurant. He makes jewelry, too, including necklace-sized silver and bronze diving fins, which are modeled after the original frogman fin, 50 percent of the profits from which are returned to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

(The fins are made for SEALs and their families. A second line of mission fins is named after SEAL team missions and are made for the public).

He recently presented, on behalf of the class of 1965, two murals to the Savanna Museum and Cultural Center.

Painter, sculptor, jeweler. Castro is a man who uses many canvases to express himself, and if the money for the Lincoln statue is raised, Castro, like the president he will immortalize in art, will leave a legacy that will last long after he’s gone. s

Continued from Page 17

Along with sculptures, Castro also makes jewelry. These diving fins, which are modeled after the original frogman fin, are made for SEALs and their families. A second line of mission fins is named after SEAL team missions and are made for the public. 50 percent of the profits from which are returned to the Navy SEAL Foundation.

This paddle was awarded to Castro after he retired from the Navy SEALS.

Show Your Support...

A fundraising dinner for the Capt. Abraham Lincoln sculpture is planned for 6 p.m. Sept. 24, at Stewart Centre West, at Pearl City Road and Kiwanis Drive in Freeport.

Navy Admiral Barry Bruner will give a keynote address, and local Lincoln impersonator George Buss will make an appearance.

Tickets are $50.

The group also has an account set up at the State Bank of Freeport, and donations may be mailed to the Capt. Lincoln Sculpture at P.O. Box 778, Freeport, IL 61032, or in care of Bettye Corbin at 2201 Hillside Court, Freeport, IL 61032.

For more information about the sculpture project, go to captainlincoln.com To inquire about donations, call Bettye Corbin at 815 -275 -1379.

The monument is located on Kellogg's Grove, a spot overlooking the farmlands farm landsof of Stephenson County. The grove is where much of the Black Hawk War fighting took place.

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These two paintings will be used as a fundraiser for Savanna's cultural center.

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Look for an escape to Roberts’ Roost

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Spring 2016

A Home Away From Home

Families come to roost at country guest house near Savanna

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SHELBY KUEPKER SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

t’s not everyone who can make a business out of inviting house guests over to stay.

But Connie (Roberts) Zink can.

She’s doing it at Roberts’ Roost Country Guest House, on a slice of land – or “a slice of Heaven,” as the her website calls it – that’s home to a lot of family history.

The rural Carroll County land that Roberts’ Roost Country Guest House sits on has been in Zink’s family for five generations. The one-third acre piece of land was once a part of the 160-acre farm owned and operated by Connie’s great-great-grandparents, dating back to 1860.

The 900-square-foot house built in 1974 is now a temporary home to families from all over the country after being transformed into a country guest house retreat.

Since Roberts’ Roost officially opened in March 2015, it has housed guests searching for all different types of serenity: hiking, bicycling, bird watching, or even an escape from city life.

The house features two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, Continued on Page 23

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Photos by Alex T. Paschal/Carroll County Living The kitchen window looks out to the back garden.

This is one of two bedrooms.

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Continued from Page 21

dining room, complete kitchen, and everything one needs for their getaway vacation. It comfortably sleeps five, but Zink, 62, of Savanna said “we once had a family of seven” in the small, cozy country home.

Another amenity the country guest house offers is arriving with a fridge stocked with the fixings for a full country breakfast. Guests are provided with sausage, bacon, farm-fresh eggs, hash browns, toast and jellies, butter, milk, homemade muffins and chocolate chip cookies.

With a croquet set, board games, and firepit at the house, there is plenty to be entertained by at Roberts’ Roost, not to mention being surrounded by wildlife of all kinds.

Connie emphasizes the variety of people who have stayed at Roberts’ Roost each for their own reason. Some come to stay there while visiting Galena, some go bicycling near the Mississippi River, visit the Palisade State Park, or just see a show at the TimberLake Playhouse.

Visitors have come from Wisconsin, Michigan, and even as far as North Dakota and Florida. But most of the guests, Connie said, “come from Chicago and other large cities” looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life to the serenity and relaxation of rural Savanna.

The beauty of Roberts’ Roost is that it may seem as if it is in the middle of nowhere, but the house is only 3 miles from Savanna and 5 miles from Mount Carroll. It sits on a dead-end road with no traffic, but it’s still close enough to town that guests can have a Casey’s pizza delivered.

With the amenity of central air and heating, Roberts’ Roost is available to rent year-round; one family even visited last winter to go hiking in the snow.

While the house is giving other families their own special memories for now, it still holds plenty of memories for Connie, and she plans to eventually move back there later in her life as she is “very emotionally attached to the little piece of land it sits on.” The land has been in the Roberts family for 155 years, since Connie’s great-great-grandparents moved to Savanna from Pennsylvania to begin their family farm.

The house itself was built by Connie’s uncle in 1974, so it is a moderately new house sitting on land where the roots of the family tree run deep.

Until then, though, guests are invited to enjoy her home, sweet, home.

It’s well worth the trip, she says.

“The sunsets are gorgeous, the views are great, and it sits on one of the highest hills in Savanna.” s

Come Roost With Us...

Roberts’ Roost Country Guest House Address: 12143 Roberts Road, Savanna Phone: 815-656-1542 E-mail: robertsroostcountryguesthouse@gmail.com Website: http://robertsroostcountryguesthouse.com/

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All Photos By Philip Marruffo/Carroll County Living Nino Novakovic and Jill Luning are owners of the Crooked Roof in Lanark.

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Crooked Roof offers a menu of straight-shootin’ family fare LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

f you’re tired of the same old ordinary fare at area restaurants, you’ll welcome what you experience at the Crooked Roof Restaurant and Bar in Lanark.

Its atmosphere is just a little out of the ordinary, and its food extraordinarily well prepared.

Nino Novakovic and Jill Luning put their heads, hands and hearts together to create an unusual, quirky little restaurant in Lanark. The Crooked Roof is located at 109 E. Carroll St. Rescued from destruction – crooked roof and all – the building was gutted, repaired and remodeled. Now, it’s reminiscent of the interior of an Old West building, but with some

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Try It For Yourself... newfangled upgrades, like hand-made, acoustical burlap pillows on the walls and under the tables, a corner stage area, stained concrete floors, an outdoor beer and barbecue corral and corrugated metal dividers in the restrooms. Nino’s hospitality and Jill’s artistry, as well as their combined commitment to doing things right, are evident throughout the entire building and grounds.

The menu follows up on that “just a little quirky” theme, and also hints of the owners’ dedication to providing locally sourced, made-from-scratch, high-quality food.

The Crooked Roof offers menu items such as: Southern chicken wrap (BBQ sauce, chicken with a drawl), buffaloed chicken wrap (ranch, buffalo or confused chicken) and fried jumbo shrimp (a zesty oxymoron). They have a good selection of burgers, hand-pattied from locally grown and processed beef, with names such as Heaven (blue cheese and bacon), Giardiniera burger, Allen Burger (mushroom and Swiss), and Wasssssup (wasabi sauce and pepper jack cheese).

Steaks include a huge T-Bone, a big ribeye, or a grilled pork chop steak, all locally sourced and offered with lots of choices for trimmings. The munchies include fried green beans, corn nuggets, onion rings, fried jalapeno slices, and Bosco sticks.

They also sell a lot of pizza. That’s probably because they make a homemade pizza dough from scratch, fresh each day, and bake the pizzas in a stone oven. It’s New York-style pizza, unique to our area, with a thin bottom crust and rolled, stuffed edges. Because of the time it takes to get the stone ovens to the right temperature, pizzas are available only after noon.

On Thursday nights the restaurant gives customers the option of grilling their own steak outside on one of their portable grills. On weekends there’s live music – outside if weather permits, inside if not. On Friday nights they have a fish fry, and every day they offer their own recipe for sweet and saucy BBQ Ribs, as well as a deep-fried pork burger.

Nino says they also love bikers, sports enthusiasts and locals just out to have a nice meal. The restaurant sells more than 50 craft beers, and has a very-well-stocked bar. They can seat up to 70 inside and about 50 outside.

Jill says the Crooked Roof is a family-friendly restaurant. “We do our very best to provide great food and great service. We take a team approach to serving all our customers. You won’t have just one person as your server; everybody on staff pitches in, whether it’s at the bar or on the floor to assure that our customers get the best service possible.” s

The Crooked Roof Address: 109 E. Carroll St., Lanark Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. until close (about midnight on weeknights) and until 2 a.m. on weekends.

Call 815-493-6838 for reservations or info.

The Crooked Roof offers an outdoor beer garden for fun in the sun.

The Crooked Roof restaurant in Lanark has offers a wide variety of drinks and food for your needs.

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PLACES TO GO! Carroll County Transit gets you where you want to be

Photo Submitted

LONNIE C. MILLER SPECIAL TO CARROLL COUNTY LIVING

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f you need to hitch a ride in Carroll County, put down your thumb and pick up the phone. Calling Carroll County Transit will get you where you need to go.

According to the organization’s mission statement, its goal is to provide safe, reliable, courteous and cost-effective public transportation. Not only is this a convenience, it’s a way to enhance the quality of life for Carroll County residents through affordable and accessible transportation.

The service started as an arm of the Senior Center organization, and was meant to help the elderly or disabled get a ride to meals that were available at the local senior center. Since then, though, it’s expanded.

Riders from all over the county and all age groups are welcome, as are service animals.

Handicapped-accessible buses and vans provide rides Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

It’s funded by federal and state grants, donations, rider fees and matching funds. Fees are accessed-based on many factors, including whether you are a Carroll County resident. Seniors (aged 60 and over) from both inside and outside the county ride free or for a donation. Veterans and disabled riders are charged $2, and others are charged $4 one-way.

Customers in Savanna, Mount Carroll, Shannon, Milledgeville, Thomson, Lanark and Chadwick are charged the Carroll County resident rate.

People who live in Freeport, Morrison, Clinton, Sterling, Dixon, Rock Falls, and Fulton are charged a slightly higher fee.

The transit service offers on-demand, curb-to-curb service, and doorto-door service upon request. Sometimes the service can provide connecting routes with other counties, too. All rides must be arranged with the dispatcher, Carol Young, by calling 815-244-0011. TTY Users can dial 711 followed by 855-702-7433 for assistance with the call. Carol will help schedule your ride and provide information on what stops are available. The dispatcher can also advise of rules such as adult supervision of underage passengers, waiting times for the driver, cancellations and such. Cancellations must be made 2 hours before a scheduled pickup.

Cancellations within the 2-hour period before the scheduled pickup are considered a “no show” and will be assessed a fee of $5. All stops must be arranged at the time you book your ride.

The fleet is made up of 12-passenger buses and 6-passenger vans, the newest of which was acquired in May. The routes can include hospitals, doctor offices, dialysis centers, grocery/department stores, employment offices, senior centers, banking facilities and beauty or barbershops. The bus drivers do not make change and cannot refund money. s

More Info...

Carroll County Transit 306 N Main St., Mount Carroll Reservations, scheduling, and cancellations: Call 815-244-0011 or 855-702-7433 at least 1 day in advance to schedule transportation.

Online: ccseniorcenter.org/Transportation.html

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