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Fall/Winter 2016
Toy collection highlights products made in Illinois
Family has been keeping mowers running for years Couple aims to be healthy, natural resource in Oregon o g l e
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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editor Lucas Pauley Rusty Schrader Page Design Lucas Pauley 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 Ogle 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.
Toys tell story of time gone by in Rochelle
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Maydell & Ron Lessen
Dana Daub
CRS, Managing Broker/Broker, Million Dollar Club
Million Dollar Club
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113 South 4th Street Oregon, IL o g l e
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Contents
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5 – White Pelican Inc.
11 – Grobe’s Twin Performance
Company in Oregon allows nature lovers to rent gear and travel down the Rock River
Polo native runs shop by himself, making sure he can trust every bike that leaves his shop
16 – Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital
19 – Toy collection in Rochelle
Polo business has been passed down to the second generation of the Dambman clan
Man has toys made in Illinois on display at area museum, which features many regional and local items
27 – Chile Pepper Bar and Grill
33 – Alpine Chiropractic
Downtown spot in Oregon offers up some hot wings, and some cold beers when you’ve bitten off more than you can handle
Couple strives to improve the health of their patients, area families, and their community by the most natural means possible
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New way to ride on the Rock
TOP: Aaron Sitze gives renters Katie Blessman (left, also shown above) of Dixon and Jessica Johnston of Melbourne, Australia, tips on how to handle a paddleboard.
Oregon couple at helm of river outfitters business
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STORY BY TERRY THOMAS & PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL FOR OGLE COUNTY LIVING
hen Aaron and Christy Sitze moved to Oregon 15 years ago, they were immediately captivated by the town’s rustic charm and the region’s natural beauty. “We came here from the [Chicago] suburbs and were just blown away,” Christy said. “The town was so friendly, and we were so exited with all the things to do outdoors,” like hiking, camping, and observing nature and wildlife in the three state parks that surround the community.
But one of the biggest attractions for the married couple was the Rock River. “We really loved taking the family out on the river” to canoe, kayak, and just experience the waterway’s breathtaking scenery, Christy said. “And we loved sharing it with our friends.” This year, Aaron and Christy decided to take that love a step further and open an outfitting business that offers water lovers and nature enthusiasts such as themselves the opportunity
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to explore the Rock River’s allure directly, by paddling and floating along its storied currents. White Pelican Inc. offers customers the opportunity to rent canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and inflatable tubes and travel the Rock River. The company began operations May 1 from its base at historical Conover Square, on North Third Street in Oregon, adjacent to the Rock River near the town’s dam. Continued on page 8
It’s a budding family business. Joshua (left) and Alex work with their parents, Christy and Aaron Sitze, as they handle the water activities, while Dominic Cozzi and his wife, Melanie, shown with their kids, Luca and Ruby, oversee bike rentals. Dominic is Christy’s brother.
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Alex Sitze carries a paddleboard to the river for a customer. White Pelican owners Aaron and Christy Sitze’s sons, Alex and Joshua, help out with the family business.
Continued from page 6
To book a trip
The response so far has been positive, and the Sitzes hope to build on their early success. After a strong start, the business ramped things up a bit, said Aaron, also an English teacher at Oregon High School. This was after the couple got swamped on Memorial Day. Customers have come from near and far. “The cool thing is, we’ve had local people, people from all over the state – Rockford, Peoria, the suburbs,” Aaron said. “We’ve had people from Iowa and even Puerto Rico and Colorado.” The company offers a variety of travel packages to fit all skill levels and travel itineraries. River enthusiasts can choose from itineraries that go from Oregon to Castle Rock State Park or ones that go from Oregon to Grand Detour. Customers even can make their trip into a camping adventure, spending the night at a walk-in campsite at Castle Rock set up especially for canoers and kayakers. “We always ask people their level of experience,” Aaron said. “We have a 10-minute tutorial” emphasizing safety and the nuts and bolts of navigating the river. “We show people how to paddle, what to do if they begin to feel
unstable, that sort of thing.” “We’ve had beginners – people who’ve never kayaked or canoed before – and people who are really experienced. The nice thing about the Rock River is it doesn’t offer any challenges for the beginner,” said Christy, a former volleyball coach at Oregon High who now is director of Power Up Volleyball, a northern Illinois club volleyball organization. Customers are provided with maps of the river’s channels when they launch so they can decide where to travel on the waterway. The river’s main channel is easy to navigate and ideal for novices, Aaron said. For more experienced customers, the maps also highlight side channels, which offer more challenges. White Pelican can accommodate groups or individuals. The canoes, kayaks and other watercraft are rented out from the back of Conover Square. Aaron oversees equipping customers and
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White Pelican Inc., 201 N. Third St. in Oregon, is open through October. Reservations can be made at whitepelican.biz or at 828-777-4861 or 815-2634088. The company also has a Facebook page. launching them on their trip down the river. Christy oversees reservations, payments, and the waivers customers must sign before taking off. Their two boys – Alex, a senior at Oregon High School, and Joshua, a freshman – also help out, making White Pelican truly a family business. When customers rent their kayaks or canoes, an itinerary is established, Aaron said, with an agreed-upon destination and expected arrival time. White Pelican has a van that picks travelers up when they arrive at their destination. Aaron said the name White Pelican was chosen because the majestic birds symbolize the river’s natural appeal and allure. The pelicans are also one of the avian species that make the Rock River a destination stop for bird enthusiasts, who can see plenty of other species as well, including bald eagles, kingfishers, and blue herons.
In addition to birds and other wildlife, the river from Oregon to Grand Detour also offers lots of stunning vistas, with Castle Rock State Park and Lowden-Miller State Forest gracing the shores along the way. “It’s very scenic from Oregon to Grand Detour,” Aaron said. In fact, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 2013 announced that the Rock River had been officially incorporated into the National Water Trail System, which recognizes “water trails of local and regional significance,” according to the Rock River Trail Initiative website. For the Sitzes, the river is but one of the attractions the Oregon area has to offer tourists. “This is a very rich area for recreation, and it’s going to continue to grow,” Aaron said. “[There are] great places to stay, great places to eat, great parks. There’s just lots of things to do here.” “We’re really excited about all that is happening here. People are really working to make this a destination stop,“ Christy added. s
Jessica Johnston (left) and Katie Blessman took a 2-hour trip down the Rock River. When customers rent their kayaks or canoes, an itinerary is established, Aaron said, with an agreed-upon destination and expected arrival time. White Pelican has a van that picks travelers up when they arrive at their destination.
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Riding solo
Grobe’s Twin Performance is a local motorcycle repair and tuning shop in Polo that is owned and operated by one person – Justin Grobe.
Local motorcycle enthusiast owns and runs repair shop in Polo Continued on page 13
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Story By Kacie Klinge & Photos by Alex T. Paschal For Ogle County Living
Grobe’s Twin Performance owner Justin Grobe said motorcycles have been a passion of his since he was in middle school.
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robe’s Twin Performance is a local motorcycle repair and tuning shop in Polo that is owned and operated by one person – Justin Grobe. Grobe, 33, a Polo native, said motorcycles have been a passion of his since he was in middle school, which makes it easy to come to work every day. “I don’t usually look at it as a job; I look at it as more of a hobby,” Grobe said. “I like doing it; it’s fun to me. I don’t have a problem when the kids go to sleep to go out and work for a
Grobe’s Twin Performance
Address: 211 S. Jackson Ave., Polo Phone: 815-973-3897 Email: grobestwinperformance@ gmail.com Hours: Appointment Twitter: @grobestwinperf few more hours.” The reason for working solo in his shop all boils down to trust, according to Grobe.
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“You mess up on a car, you can pull over to the side of the road. You mess up here, and you could kill someone,” he said. Grobe graduated from the American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is a certified PHD Harley-Davidson technician. He can fine tune and repair any type of bike, but Harleys are his favorite. “The main bike that I work on is Harley – who doesn’t like those?” he said. Continued on page 15
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The Harley world is almost cult-ish. If you mess up, they’ll talk. It’s word of mouth, so you better be doing a good job. Justin Grobe
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Grobe’s love for Harleys runs deep, but he said many Harley owners are not afraid to tell it like it is, making it even more important that he fine tunes and repairs to perfection. “The Harley world is almost cult-ish. If you mess up, they talk,” Grobe said. “It’s word of mouth, so you better be doing a good job.” Another big feature of Grobe’s business is his Dynojet, which is a high-tech automotive dynamometer that ensures a motorcycle is calibrated to its highest abilities. “You can get up there and ride the bike. I’m hooked up to my computer and the motorcycle’s computer, ... trying to get the right amount of fuel, right amount of air to it,” he said. “You’re trying to find that peak performance. When you make different modifications to the bike, ... you test it and you get it dialed in to run with those different performance upgrades.” Grobe said what makes his shop special is his focus on what’s going on inside of the bike as opposed to its appearance. “There’s other good businesses around, but I’m more of a specialty,” Grobe said. “A lot of people like doing a lot of the chrome, bling and different things with the wheels. I do that but I don’t say ... go for that. It’s more of the performance side of it that I do.” Grobe said there’s a double meaning behind
TOP: Grobe runs a client’s bike on the Dynojet at his home shop in Polo. The machine ensures a motorcycle is calibrated to its highest abilities. ABOVE: A motorcycle is shown ready for the road at his shop.
the name of his business. Harleys have twin cylinder engines, and Grobe has twin boys. His boys, Kameron and Kale, are 9, and he also has three stepchildren. Maybe someday Grobe will hand the keys to the shop – and the bikes, if they’re lucky – over to one of his kids, but for now he’s focused on upgrading the size of his shop.
“Eventually, I’d like to get into a bigger building being this is on the property that I live,” he said. “It’s worked out well, though. The building is suitable for now. I have a couple in mind, but I’m just waiting for the right one.” For now, Grobe plans to follow his passion to work on motorcycles and stay true to his motto: “Work smarter, not harder.” s
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WOODS
Keeping mowers
Moving Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital in Polo recently passed down to next generation STORY BY KACIE KLINGE & PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL FOR OGLE COUNTY LIVING
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Proudly manufacturing in Oregon, Illinois, since 1946 Woods® has been building agricultural attachments in Oregon, Illinois, since 1946, when Leonard, Keith and Mervel Wood invented the first successful tractormounted rotary cutter. In 1994, Woods entered the construction industry and eventually expanded into the landscaping, grounds maintenance, and aftermarket parts markets. Today, we continue to serve all these markets from our headquarters on Illinois Route 2. Although Woods has grown and changed throughout the past 60 years, we remain true to the tradition of innovation and quality established by the Wood brothers. With the ongoing support of our employees and the community, we will proudly continue to be made in America – right here in Oregon, Illinois.
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t’s pretty evident fixing lawn mowers fuels this family. Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital in Polo has been passed down to the next generation of the Dambman clan. The lawn care repair business began as Folk Lawn Mower Hospital, established in 1955 by Harry Folk. In 1977, Gene Dambman purchased the business from Folk and passed it on to his son, Jared, 34, on Jan. 1. Although Gene, 65, no longer owns the business, Jared said he still comes in and works on a regular basis. “[Folk] lived next door to here. His wife was a school nurse for the Polo school, and that’s how we got hospital at the end of the name,” Jared said. Business has remained strong since Jared took over. “It’s a seasonal business,” he said. “Rain helps.” The Lawn Mower Hospital tends to bustle with business after a big storm hits the area. “After it rains, everybody’s mowing,” Jared said. “We have so many mowers out there because we’ve been here for 60-something years.” As the weather during some summer months pushes mowers to the limit, the company steps in and saves the day. “We have a lot of customers,” Jared said. “So out of all of those people, [lawn mowers] are bound to break down. Belts break, engines get worn out.”
Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital
Address: 605 S. Congress St., Polo Phone: 815-946-2014 Website: dambmanlawnmowerhospital.com When this happens, Jared welcomes the challenge of diagnosing and solving different mechanical problems and thoroughly enjoys the problem solving aspect of his job. Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital repairs lawn mowers, and sells new and used lawn mowers and tractors. The shop serves residential clients, and some of its business comes from local municipalities and organizations. “We sell to the city and to surrounding cities such as Oregon,” he said. Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society has also purchased equipment from the shop. Jared said one of the best parts of owning the family business is having such a loyal customer base. “All of our customers are so loyal,” he said. “I really appreciate their loyalty and I hope we can keep doing business further in the future.” And what will happen when Jared is ready to ride off – on a lawn mower, one would think – into the sunset and retire? Well here’s hoping his son, Brody, 4, enjoys lawn mowers as much as Dad and Grandpa do. s
Jared Dambman, 34, (above) took over Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital in Polo from his father, Gene, on Jan. 1. In addition to repairing lawn mowers for customers, the shop also sells new models, such as the ones shown at left.
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Toying with history Rochelle man turns collection into lessons on the vagaries of the manufacturing world STORY BY TERRY THOMAS & PHOTOS BY MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT FOR OGLE COUNTY LIVING
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ake a little trip back to your childhood with Steve O’Connor, and remember the toys that brought so much joy to your days. “Toys are something we all had in common, the things that we just associate with kids,” said O’Connor, a 55-year-old local historian from Rochelle. O’Connor is doing more than just reminiscing about the toys he and millions of other kids played with in generations past: He is on a mission to collect them. But the toys he collects are not just randomly selected. There’s a purpose to his trip down memory lane, beyond the simple nostalgia. “I collect toys that were made in Illinois,” he said. “Toys that were once made here by local manufacturers, but aren’t anymore.” Continued on page 21
TOP: Steve O’Connor stands next to some of his toys that will be on display at the Flagg Township Museum. O’Connor’s toy collection has toys once produced by Illinois companies. About 25 such pieces are on display at the museum. ABOVE: O’Connor holds one of the plastic toys from his collection.
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m in seu n. u ow ip M nsh le is sh w o gT hel Flag wn Roc e h T nto dow
Pay the Flagg a visit The nonprofit Flagg Township Museum, 518 Fourth Ave. in Rochelle, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, excluding holidays. An exhibit of toys once produced in Illinois opened Aug. 27-28 and runs into October. More than 20,000 items are on display regularly, including a Partin-Palmer automobile, uniforms from the Civil and Continued from page 19
As he talks, sitting beside him is an iconic red Radio Flyer wagon, once manufactured in Illinois but now made in Asia. It’s filled with vintage toys, all produced in Illinois factories. “Everything in here is from Illinois,” he says. “Here’s an example of Tootsie’s Toys that were made in a Chicago machine shop,” he said, holding up a small die cast truck. “Then there’s Tim-Mee, which was made in Montgomery, Illinois, near Aurora, and Midge from Rockford,” he says, holding up miniature metal cars, trucks and fire engines. He continues on, rattling off Buddy L, made in a machine shop in East Moline, and Halsam, which manufactured dominoes, checkers, building blocks, and puzzles from its factory in Skokie.
world wars, prehistoric stone tools, historical medical devices, student desks from one-room schools, and clothing from the 18th through the 20th centuries. In addition, the museum welcomes those willing to share their collections, especially baseball cards and memorabilia, model cars or Indianapolis 500 commemoratives, snow globes, Pearl Harbor collectibles, and Day of the
Dead memorials. Admission costs $3 for those 13 and older, $2 for ages 6 to 12; and $7 for families. It’s free to museum members, and free to all on Thursdays. There also is a gift shop. Call 815-562-3040, go to flaggtownshipmuseum.org, email mail@flaggtownshipmuseum.org or find it on Facebook for more information.
Halsam, O’Connor expounds, “Invented Legos before there were Legos” referring to a product known as American Plastic Bricks produced by Elgo, a sister company of Halsam. To emphasize his point, O’Connor goes on: “Schwinn used to make its bicycles in Chicago, and the other big manufacturer, American Machine and Foundry, made Roadmaster bikes in Olney, Illinois. Now there’s a not a single bicycle made in the United States, except for a handful of custom bikes.” Even some Sauk Valley manufacturers once produced toys, and O’Connor has collected a few of them, too. He shows off a pair of clip-on roller skates, known as Hustler Speed Kings, that were produced decades ago by Frantz Manufactur-
ing Co., the Sterling manufacturer that now manufactures conveyor bearings and wheels. According to the company’s website, the wheels used on these skates served as the “springboard for the production of conveyor wheels (referred to today as skate wheels).” So far, O’Connor has been able to document some 60 Illinois toy manufacturers that have either disappeared, discontinued toy production, or shipped manufacturing of their products elsewhere, to places like China, where wages are low and regulatory oversight virtually nonexistent. The cost to Illinois workers has been somewhere in the vicinity of 5,500 jobs, he said.
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Continued from page 21
He’s certain he’s only scratched the surface. There are plenty more shuttered toy factories and lost jobs to be discovered, O’Connor said. For O’Connor, toys are but a highly nostalgic example of a broader issue. “Toys are actually only a small part of a bigger concern,” he said. “And that’s the decline of industry in the state and the nation. This history disappears so fast it scares me. From the 1880s to the 1990s, the largest segment of the Illinois economy was manufacturing. Now it’s being destroyed.” To highlight that doleful trend, O’Connor and the Flagg Township Historical Society put together an exhibit of toys once produced in Illinois at the Flagg Township Museum in downtown Rochelle. The exhibit opened the weekend of Aug. 27-28 and runs into October. O’Connor has also created a Facebook page, Lost Illinois Manufacturing, where users can discuss and share information about Illinois industrial jobs that have disappeared or gone elsewhere. Recent discussions deal with topics such as the closing of Radio Flyer’s Chicago production plant in 2004 and the 1984 closing of the Playskool Inc.’s Chicago factory in 1984 by parent company Hasbro. O’Connor’s fascination with the lost world of Illinois manufacturing is a natural outgrowth of his upbringing and his own experiences making things. “My father was an industrial engineer,” he said. “I grew up being preached to about how important manufacturing is. My father was also very interested in history and a big reader, and so books and history were big parts of my childhood.” O’Connor has carried on that tradition. “I’m a machinist, so I’ve been involved in production all my life.”
TOP: O’Connor holds a pair of clip-on roller skates, known as Hustler Speed Kings, that were produced decades ago by Frantz Manufacturing Co., the Sterling manufacturer that now manufactures conveyor bearings and wheels. According to the company’s website, the wheels used on these skates served as the “springboard for the production of conveyor wheels (referred to today as skate wheels).” ABOVE: A restored 1915 Partin-Palmer car, which was made in Rochelle, greets visitors to the Flagg Township Museum.
His passion for history brought him into contact with the Flagg Township Historical Society, where he now serves on its Board of Directors. His passion for making things focused his interest in history on industry and the economy. Continued on page 25
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The Flagg Township Museum in downtown Rochelle has a variety of items that are of both local and regional interest.
Continued from page 23
“I live near the [Rochelle] Railroad Park, and I became aware that Whitcomb Locomotives used to be built in Rochelle, and so I started doing research on them and I got hooked,� he said. “The museum had information on Whitcomb, so I started attending meetings and eventually joined the board.� As with so many Illinois factories, Whitcomb eventually shuttered its doors. “It was about done by 1952,� a victim of changing economic trends and bad management decisions, O’Connor said. The research on the company’s rise and fall, however, inspired O’Connor to expand his studies to other local and state companies that had disappeared over the years, including toy manufacturers. “Toys sort of came naturally, because a lot of toy manufacturers were machine shops that saw toys as a way to add to their production lines.� For O’Connor, the history he is unearthing has significance beyond mere nostalgia and appreciation for days gone by. It informs the world we live in and the future we are building. “The questions I’m interested in are: What jobs did we have and why did we lose them?� he said. By answering those questions, O’Connor said, we can make better decisions in the future that protect local industry and the jobs it generates. “You learn from the past, and perhaps you don’t repeat the same mistakes in the future.� s
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Wings worth waiting for Chile Pepper Bar and Grill offers friendly atmosphere, food fresh from the kitchen and cold craft beer STORY BY KACIE KLINGE & PHOTOS BY ALEX T. PASCHAL FOR OGLE COUNTY LIVING
Continued on page 29
Diane Wells and husband, J.T., are the co-owners of Chile Pepper Bar and Grill in downtown Oregon. The eatery’s specialty dish is chicken wings and it offers a wide selection of craft beers.
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Hours: Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am-5pm www.acehardwaredixon.com www.acerentalplacedixon.com f a l l / w i n t e r
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Continued from page 27
I
f you’re looking for a place to see a familiar face, the Chile Pepper Bar and Grill might be the place for you. “It’s like ‘Cheers,’” said J.T. Wells, co-owner of the bar and grill. J.T., 53, and his wife, Diane Wells, 54, are not just owners; they’re working right alongside their employees each day. Any night of the week, you’re likely to see Diane out on the floor. “I’m out here at nights from like 5:30 to 8:30. I have a bartender back here; she takes orders, but I take the floor. The girls and I kind of work together and then [J.T.] is out in the kitchen cooking.” The presence of the two owners helps build relationships with customers. “I always make sure I come through the bar and say, ‘Hi’ to everyone,” Diane said. “We have a lot of very good customers, and they’re repeat customers. I usually see them once a week. ... It’s very relaxed.” The restaurant’s personalized decor makes it unique, and Diane said much of it has been donated by customers. “People see we have decorations up so they bring in some too,” Diane said. “A lot of people bring in chili pepper decorations they find from different places. When they see chili peppers, they think of us.” J.T. and Diane agree the bar and grill has a laid-back atmosphere, and is a great spot to have dinner and a couple of drinks before you go out for a night on the town. Continued on page 31
Located in downtown Oregon, the place can get jumping – even on a Tuesday. The restaurant’s personalized decor makes it unique, and owner Diane Wells said much of it was donated by various customers.
Chile Pepper Bar and Grill
Address: 416 Washington St., Oregon Phone: 815-732-1583 Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch on Friday, and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
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White PinesRanch Horsin’ & Kiddin’ around since 1958
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We’ve Got You Covered When you need to see a doctor, your family deserves the very best. SwedishAmerican is pleased to offer three clinics in Ogle County to care for you, with locations in Byron, Davis Junction and Rochelle. No matter which location you choose, you’ll be connected to great doctors and nurse practitioners who are part of the northern Illinois health system that has won the most awards for quality and excellence. In addition to primary care, our clinics offer other convenient services, like on-site lab and X-ray, as well as Saturday hours. Our Rochelle clinic also offers OB/GYN. To learn how we can meet your needs, or to schedule an appointment, please call one of our three Ogle County clinics today. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Byron Clinic
Davis Junction Clinic
Rochelle Clinic
230 West Blackhawk Drive (779) 696-1300
5665 North Junction Way (779) 696-9200
380 IL Rte 38 East (779) 696-9050
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Continued from page 29
The restaurant’s specialty dish is chicken wings and it offers a wide selection of craft beers. “We have eight different flavors [of chicken wings] on the menu, and then every month, we do a flavor of the month,” Diane said. “Our draft beers are craft. We change them in and out all of the time. ... We hardly ever keep the same one for a very long period of time.” Some of the craft beers they currently have on draft include Sam Adams’ Octoberfest and 312, along with Pretzel City Amber Brew from Generations Brewing Co. in Freeport. J.T. said when it comes to cooking meals, he takes his time in order to prepare each item to perfection. “We just don’t do fast food. ... I’m not going to start cutting corners to throw stuff out at you really quick,” he said. Diane added that during the 14 years the restaurant has been in business, it has yet to have a meal sent back to the kitchen. Diane and J.T. have been married for 37 years, and although some people might think living and working together would take a toll on their relationship, J.T. said he has found the perfect formula to work peacefully with his wife. “I just stay quiet and do what she says,” J.T. said with a laugh. “We really do communicate very well. ... We sit and talk and bounce ideas off of each other.” s
Taco Tuesday at Chile Pepper Bar and Grill offers many ingredients to choose from to stuff your hard- or soft-shell tacos.
ou? th re y le wi ns a g ab ptio arin vail o . w d are a flavor cales o s H gs y t n man hea n get i W and gs ca kly. n c Thi y qui c p s i
The bar offers a variety of beers to cool your taste buds, especially if you opt for the spiciest wings.
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(Rt. 64)
Carri and Seth Anderson, owners of Alpine Chiropractic and Natural Medicine, offer chiropractic, massage and natural medicine procedures at their Oregon clinic.
Husband and wife take natural path to healing STORY BY LONNIE MILLER & PHOTOS BY VINDE WELLS FOR OGLE COUNTY LIVING
Vintage Chicks and Feed
Our shop is full of artfully displayed *Vintage Items *Rustic Relics *DIY Salvage-old doors, shutters, windows Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 9am-5pm 700 IL Rt. 72 East, Leaf River
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Continued on page 35
ARTIFACTS Antiques.Art.Accents Open Wednesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Clinic aims to improve customers’ health
A
lpine Chiropractic’s husband-and-wife team, Seth and Carri Anderson, are on a mission: to improve the health of their patients, area families, and their community by the most natural means possible. Their clients come to them for nonsurgical relief for hip, joint, back and neck pain, headaches, sciatica, pinched nerves, lumbago, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, tingling or numbness and shooting pain in general. “We work as a team to provide excellent care,” Seth, 35, said. “We want our patients to experience a focused treatment plan that is pleasant and done in a welcoming atmosphere,” Carri, 34, added. “That’s one reason we offer massage as well as myofascial release, a soft tissue manipulation and stretching for those patients who need it.” They are dedicated to the practice of natural medicine, a health care approach that seeks to identify and correct the cause of a condition, rather than simply treating the symptoms. It’s a process that focuses on prevention rather than treatment. To that end, Carri is completing her chiropractic internal medicine degree, and in addition to chiropractic care, she specializes in digestive issues and other areas such as food allergies and supplementation. “When I’m working with a client who has serious medical issues but wants natural ways to fight disease, I work with both the patient and with their doctors whenever possible,” she said. “We start with nutritional improvements they can try. I contact their doctor because I don’t like to recommend changing any medications without their primary care physician’s cooperation and input. We always want to search for contra-indications between medicines and what other remedies we might try.” The clinic also has licensed massage thera-
The clinic was named the Oregon Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Business of the Year.
Alpine Chiropractic
Address: 101 N 4th St. Suite A, Oregon Phone: 815-881-8191 Online: alpineoregon.com and on Facebook Email: contact@alpineoregon.com Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; consultations are free, and walk-ins are welcome pists on staff who provide deep-tissue massage, Swedish massage, myofascial release and sports massage/passive stretching. Many clients, in fact, take advantage of the therapeutic massage offered without needing chiropractic treatments. Massage therapy, in fact, is used to treat many conditions, including stress and anxiety, insomnia, myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, nerve and muscle pain and sports and work injuries. Another Alpine advantage: “We never rush an appointment,” Seth said. “I want to be sure that our patients feel like they’ve had ample time to express their concerns and to seek advice while they’re here. I want the patients to know they’ve been heard and we are taking their concerns seriously,” he said. “We want to relieve our patients’ pain as quick-
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ly and effectively as possible, without dragging out a long-term treatment plan. If a client needs longer term care, we will provide it, but not every case requires multiple appointments.” It appears the Andersons know what they’re doing; the clinic was named the Oregon Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Business of the Year. Seth is a Sterling High School graduate; Carri graduated from Polo High School. They met in college and took a break from Carri’s premed and Seth’s art studies to backpack through Europe. When they returned, they decided to follow their hearts, both pursuing careers at Palmer Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. They graduated in 2010. They’ve been married 12 years, and have a daughter, Evelyn, 5. s
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German Valley
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