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Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave. | Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Dixon Living? Let us know ... Call 815-632-2531 or e-mail news@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Dixon Living may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
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A labor of love and science
Monday-Sunday 9 holes w/cart $16 18 holes w/cart $27
‘Quality throughout’
A fire could have been the final curtain call for live entertainment in Dixon, but stars of stage and screen got a second act, thanks to people through the years who’ve been committed to keeping the Dixon Theatre in the spotlight.
When a Dixon couple struggled to start a family, they came up with their own brainchild to help them have a baby, and now they’re helping others too.
Kids under 13 play free with a member or paying adult
A pawsitive influence
People who need a little TLC (that’s Tender, Loving Canine) have a furry friend in Vinny, a Dixon ’doodle with a golden touch when it comes to giving people something to smile about.
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2022 Green Fees April 1-May 19
inside
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The crown has been passed
Dixon’s Dukes and Duchesses will see a new principal roaming the high school’s halls this year — but it’ll be a familiar face.
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An occasional feature of Dixon Living highlighting local landmarks and locations off the beaten path. We’ll feature a photo and it’s up to you to guess where it was taken.
On your marker, get set, go! This bird’s-eye view of a trail marker in Dixon has a tale to tell, and it also honors a local running enthusiast. Think you know where it’s at? Then you’re probably on the right track. ANSWER ON PAGE 39. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM
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A DOG’S TALE TOLD BY CODY CUTTER SAUK VALLEY MEDIA
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Kelly Shroyer may be Vinny’s handler, but when it comes to making people smile, the lovable golden doodle is the one in the driver’s seat. The certified therapy dog has people grinning wherever he goes. “When we’re driving down the street, he’ll sit in the front seat and people will wave, people will roll down their windows and take a picture,” Shroyer said. “You can see the smiles on people’s faces even in the cars.” ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
f you’re not smiling the first time you meet Vinny, chances are pretty doggone good that he can change that.
He stands about 5 feet tall on two legs (but he’s about half that tall on four), he’s got an “Awwww!”-inspiring face, his disposition is downright heart-warming, and he’s certifiably cute. Vinny is a certified therapy dog, and this almost-Christmas Day fur-baby has been like a gift that keeps on giving, coaxing smiles out of local students and seniors, or anybody else he may come across. Born just a week before Christmas in 2020, he’s been spending some of his time lately with Dixon students who could use a smile or a calming, canine influence. When he’s not at school, or collecting sticks (one of his favorite hobbies), Vinny enjoys car rides with handler Kelly Shroyer. His head out the window and his tongue flapping in the breeze, Vinny is becoming quite the well-known dog about town and he brings a smile to people’s face wherever he goes, and all he has to do is live a dog’s life.
VINNY cont’d to page 7
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VINNY cont’d from page 7 “When we’re driving down the street, he’ll sit in the front seat and people will wave, people will roll down their windows and take a picture,” Shroyer said. “You can see the smiles on people’s faces even in the cars. Even driving in the car with him, it gives me a lot of happiness to see what he can do.” Vinny enjoys the spotlight, but where he really shines is brightening people’s day. He and Shroyer have only been together for a few months, but raising comfort dogs is nothing new to her. For more than a decade, she had Lucky and Gracie work with her when she worked in hospice care. Word got out about how the dogs could help ease grief, and it got even more notice after the 2018 shooting at Dixon High School, when senior Matthew Milby Jr. opened fire during graduation practice before being shot by then-school resource officer Mark Dallas. Milby was the only one injured in the gunfire, but students and staff were left with different kinds of wounds: the kind in the mind — fear, stress, anxiety, confusion. To help them, Shroyer brought Lucky and Gracie by to help them. Seeing the students’ sadness disappear with the presence of the playful dogs reminded Shroyer of why she wanted to become involved with therapy dogs just a few years prior. “I just saw a need,” she said. “I was traveling for my job at the time into the suburbs, and saw a lot of dogs that were accompanying people, and I didn’t see that around here.”
VINNY cont’d to page 9
Vinny hasn’t always been cute — sometimes he was even cuter, like when he was a dog-tired pup catching 40 winks. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
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VINNY cont’d from page 8 Both Lucky and Gracie passed away last year, but Shroyer continued her work, this time with Vinny. Vinny is a goldendoodle — a poodle on his mom’s side and a golden retriever on his dad’s side — that came from a Dixon breeder. Goldendoodles, which can grow to weigh about 50 to 70 pounds, have a relaxed disposition, are highly intelligent and, despite having lots of curly fur, are low shedding. Not all dogs can be make the cut as a therapy dog. They have to go through a specific training regimen and obedience sessions to earn certification. Vinny got his through Granny Rose Animal Shelter’s K-9 Enrichment Program after 6 weeks of training, where he was the youngest dog there. Therapy dogs also wear a vest when they are out at specific functions to let people know of their presence. “They’re very smart,” Shroyer said. “They’re very trainable. They want to people-please. He’ll go around and greet everybody. He’ll follow my lead, and he’s pretty adaptable.” Shroyer works with a child in the mentor program at Reagan Middle School, so Vinny accompanies her to those visits each Wednesday during the school year, where he Vinny even has his own trading attracts a lot of attencard that Kelly hands out at events tion. Word travels fast that she and Vinny go to. The card when Vinny’s at the features pictures of Vinny and a school, she said, and little information about him. “the teachers enjoy him just as much as the kids.” He even has his own trading card that Shroyer will pass around to interested children. “He’s got those human-esque eyes, so I just kind of think he connects with the people,” Shroyer said. “They’ll start petting him, and you can just see that tension kind of run out of their body by interacting with him.”
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VINNY cont’d from page 9 Vinny has visited students at Dixon High School from time to time and he and Shroyer have even attended some basketball games during the winter, where he lays on the floor in a corner of the gym. His presence even attracted a local news crew once when it filmed game highlights for the late night news. “He’s very observant,” Shroyer said. “He always wants to know what’s going on. If somebody were to walk by, he wants to make sure he greets that person. When we’re at the schools and the students walk by, he’s like, ‘Pet me, I want to be petted, pay attention to me.’ He wants to be loved by everybody.” Shroyer and Vinny both spend their 9-to-5 jobs at Morningside of Sterling memory care and assisted living facility in Sterling, where she is the sales and marketing director. Vinny’s job is to be the place’s mascot of sorts, putting a spring in seniors’ steps and a smile on their face. Morningside’s residents pretty much get pet therapy every single day, so it’s an added bonus for them. When it comes to elderly folks, Vinny can dial into not being as active as he might be with students, Shroyer said. “He can ease anxiety in the elderly and in children,” she said. “He just loves people. He’s interacted with one of my residents who’s 101, and a school-aged child in sixth-grade, so he’s run the gamut of experiencing people of all ages.” Vinny has come to know Morningside’s residents well. He can pick up on which residents love being around him and he knows which ones might not, Shroyer said. Goldendoodles
have a keen sense of when someone’s not feeling good, or when they’re anxious or agitated, and sometimes that even includes Shroyer when she’s feeling stressed. “He makes a huge difference with those residents, whether they’re on memory care or assisted living,” Shroyer said. “People will call him by name, and kind of look for him every single day. Sometimes when I’m not in the office, they’ll ask where he’s at.” Vinny is also there for residents’ families when their loved ones pass away. “He builds a relationship with the residents and the families at Morningside, and he’s made some visits to their funerals,” Shroyer said. “We’ll go to the services to give our condolences; coming along has been a great thing for the families. Having comfort just kind of deters that angst that they are going through.” As for why Vinny is Vinny, well, the name just fit, Shroyer said. “He looked like a Vinny,” she said, but added that it’s “’Vincent’ if he is ever in trouble,” which doesn’t happen often. Vinny also rides along with Shroyer when she takes part in meetings for Dixon Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce. They’ve also stopped by other assisted living facilities when called upon, and will have a meet-and-greet session with elderly folks this summer at the Whiteside County Senior Center in Sterling.
VINNY cont’d to page 11
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VINNY cont’d from page 10 “It’s a lot of work getting him to the classes and getting him to obey, and take to a public meeting and not bark,” Shroyer said. “He’s still 1, so he has some learning to do, but he’s very teachable and trainable. It’s a big commitment, but the reward — anyone who sees him is just smiling from ear to ear.” Part of that training involves getting plenty of socialization from a young age, Shroyer said. It also involves scoping out places that are pet-friendly so Vinny can interact with more people — that can even include something as simple as flooring. Floors that may not present a challenge to people, like laminate, can be a challenge for dogs, whose paws and claws can slip from under them on the smooth floors. “Taking them to as many places as you can and exposing them to different environments is
Every dog has his day on social media, including Vinny. Follow him ... On Instagram @mycousinvinny61021 On TikTok @vinnymcdoodle
huge,” Shroyer said. “We’re lucky to have to dog park [in Dixon] so that he can socialize there. You want to make sure their temperament is good, too, and that all comes with socialization.” Vinny is to Shroyer now what Lucky and Gracie had been to her for many years, and she’s continuing her mission to help others, and so is Vinny, lending a paw to brighten someone’s day or ease their pain. “It’s rewarding. It completes my ‘Why?’ Why did I want to take him to school? Why did I want to take him to do stuff on my volunteer time? It’s because of all of the ‘Thank yous,’ the smiles. The reward is pretty great just knowing that we made a difference.” n
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The history of performing arts goes back several centuries, and by the 19th century, as America continued to grow, the number of entertainment venues grew. Give someone a stage and an audience, and entertainment will follow — songs and dance, drama and comedy, even prestidigitators and pint-sized performers — but despite the adage, all the world wasn’t a stage. Smaller communities didn’t have places for people to perform. As rural communities became more urban, the demand for entertainment venues grew. People wanted a place where they could sit back, relax and enjoy a show, and Dixon was no different. As the city became more populated in the days after the Civil War, people began wondering when Dixon would get its own performance venue. The answer came in 1876 with the opening of the three-story Dixon Opera House, with storefronts on the lower level and the theater on the upper floors — similar to how theaters were constructed at that time. Originally conceived and constructed to host popular singers, it also became a platform where famous people could share their experiences and stories with an audiences hungry for entertainment.
THEATRE cont’d to pages 15 & 16
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THEATRE cont’d from page 14 In addition to the popular opera acts and performers of the time, the Dixon Opera House also hosted people such as evangelist Henry Ward Beecher, women’s rights icon Susan B. Anthony and the diminutive circus performer Tom Thumb. When it wasn’t hosting people from all over the globe, it hosted local performances and celebrations, such as high school graduations. The opera house nearly came to an end on June 23, 1903, after a fire destroyed the interior of the theater — but the show must go on, and it did. The damage was repaired and the venue hosted performances for another 17 years before disaster struck again. On Feb. 17, 1920, a pile of papers in the furnace room caught fire and the blaze spread throughout the building, nearby businesses, and part of the nearby First Baptist Church. This time, the damage to the Opera House was beyond repair. It would be another 2 years before entertainment returned to 114 S. Galena, and when it did it was thanks to a Family man who owned a theater just a couple of blocks away.
The postcard above shows the interior of the Dixon Theatre shortly after it opened. The present-day photos below are taken from similar angles.
Leonard G. Rorer operated the Family Theater at 107 S. Peoria Ave., another “upstairs” performance venue. But unlike the opera house, Rorer’s theater did much of its business in motion pictures — still silent at the time, save for live musical accompaniment, usually from organ players.
THEATRE cont’d to page 17
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THEATRE cont’d from page 16 Eleanor Starin of Chicago owned the Dixon Opera House at the time of the fire and didn’t want to deal with the property anymore. So Rorer stepped in, bought the property, and announced that he would build “the finest show house to be found between Chicago and Des Moines and from Rockford to LaSalle.” He would make sure the new building was not only suitable for quality entertainment, but also fireproof. Just 6 months after the first opera house fire in 1903, the Iroquois Theater fire in downtown Chicago became the deadliest theater disaster in the nation’s history, taking the lives of 603 people. That event led to an increased awareness of fire prevention, and its proximity to Dixon meant that safety was likely on Rorer’s mind when he decided to build his theater. After about a year of construction — at a cost of $200,000 (about $2.8 million today) — the Dixon Theatre opened its doors March 15, 1922. News of its opening made the front page of the Dixon Evening Telegraph. “The opening will reveal one of the most pretentious and elaborate theaters in this section of the state,” the article stated. “Rich colors, beautiful blends of tapestries and walls, a magnificent organ, and perfect taste characterize the institution. “‘Quality throughout’ has been the slogan of the management in planning and erecting the theater. The splendid organ installed is one of the finest obtainable. A complete battery of projection machines will furnish uninterrupted and perfectly adjusted projection at all times. Prices of a reasonable nature will always obtain. The splendors and beauties offered are for the public in every sense of the word, and the prices of admission will exclude no class. “One of the most striking things which will impress the patrons of the new theater building is the uniformity of design that has been carried out in the entire building, both in the architectural treatment and the decorative scheme, even down to the minutest details of the lighting fixture. The color treatment is uniform and is in old ivory with the decorative features b[r]ought out in bright but harmonious tones. THEATRE cont’d to page 18
A century later, Leonard G. Rorer’s name lives on at the Dixon Theatre. His name is immortalized in the terazzo flooring in the foyer (below), and architect William J. McAlpine gave a whimsical nod to Rorer’s name by including lions on the building’s exterior (above).
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THEATRE cont’d from page 17 “This general style of architectural design and decorative treatment was chosen because it is one which has been proven most popular with theater public. Pure and dignified in every respect, it gives a certain symmetry, which is generally admired. A more elaborate or more comfortable treatment might be striking and impressive at first sight, but would become tiresome and depressing with age.” The theater’s construction included fireproof materials, brick, terracotta, concrete, steel, and terrazzo. The theater originally sat 1,000 people, and included a second-floor lobby mezzanine overlooking the main lobby and access to balcony seats. The terrazzo floors were so ornate that only skilled people could install them. Architect William J. McAlpine contracted an Italian immigrant, Lorenzo Venier, to construct the floor. Venier eventually made a home in Dixon and opened a jewelry store that’s been in business for more than 75 years. The public flocked to the new theater for its opening night.
A century ago, someone sat in this very seat and watched “Glass Houses” (inset at left), one of the first films to flicker across the screen at the newly built Dixon Theatre.
THEATRE cont’d to page 19
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THEATRE cont’d from page 18 The doors first opened at 6:30 p.m., and the curtain rose a half hour later. Music from the Dixon Theater Orchestra, under the direction of Prof. J. C. Dooley, kicked off the event, followed by a special selection from Bernard Cowhan of “When Francis Dances With Me,” a comedy show with illustrated slides. The first week’s entertainment included a showing of “Glass Houses,” a movie starring Viola Dana about a woman who lives with two different personalities; as well as six separate Vaudeville acts — Fred Delmar’s Fighting Lions, Morgan and Morton in “Fun at the Cafe,” Lew Gould’s 6 Jolly Jesters saxophonic revue, Clifford and Leslie, Gilbert’s Metropolitan Four, and Follette, Pearl and Wicks in the farce comedy, “The Coal Driver.” “The throng that crowded the theater last night found it even beyond all expectations,” the Telegraph wrote the following evening. A year later, the entertainment kept coming. A week-long performance from Frank Winninger and his comedy troupe entertained the locals. Winninger’s act, based in Wisconsin, often was performed in tents and on showboats in the Midwest. “A Modern Reformer” was the run’s opening play each night before a number of other routines filled out the lineup. “For 20 years, Frank Winninger has set the pace in providing mirth-provoking entertainment,” according to an ad in the Telegraph. “His shows have cured more ills than science. You will laugh in your dreams.” “Lightnin” took the stage the week after the Winninger
performances; it was a play that set a then-record run of 1,291 performances on Broadway. Though the Dixon Opera House was gone, opera wasn’t. In the Dixon Theatre’s second year, Italian Tenor singer Tito Schipa performed in April 1924. An ad at the proclaimed, “to hear him is one of the great joys of a musical lifetime, his voice is superb, it warms and vitalizes and decorates every melody … Critics proclaim his voice equal to that of ‘Caruso’ and his art and musicianship superior.” Newspaper ads heaped similar praise on Austrian-American operatic contralto Madame Schumann-Heink, who was 62 when she performed in Dixon in November 1924: “Few queens have reigned so long and with such complete sway in their song domain as Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and each succeeding concert season sees the popularity of this wonder-woman not only undiminished, but increased.” Live performances began to play second fiddle to the new medium of the time: motion pictures. But despite their popularity, the theater continued to host live acts for the next few decades. Rorer’s theater operations expanded in 1936, when he opened the Lee Theater at 105 E. First St. That building also had the “Rorer” stamp on it, like the floor at the Dixon Theatre, with a cornerstone at First Street and Galena that bore his name. He also partnered with Sterling-Rock Falls theater owner George Kontos to open the Midway Drive-In in Prarieville in 1950.
THEATRE cont’d to pages 20 & 21
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Window frames are put into place during the construction of The Dixon Theatre (left), and later the walls go up, in these photos from Historic Dixon Theatre Facebook page
1885 Opera house store-
fronts included a confectionary shop, bookstore and grocer.
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1897 Opera house
storefronts included a pool hall, carpet store and grocer.
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1902 Opera house store- 1910 Opera house storefronts 1918 Opera house storefronts included a bowling alley.
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included an undertaker and pictures business, gents furnishings, and a pool hall.
fronts included ladies wear, haberdashery and a pool hall.
THEATRE cont’d from page 19 By 1941, Dixon son and Hollywood star Ronald Reagan had more than two dozen films under his belt. When his latest, “International Squadron,” was ready for take-off, Dixon officials came up with a plan to bring some Hollywood glitz and glamour to the city; and for the first time, the Dixon Theatre became host to a world premiere. The event would coincide with one that would celebrate another hometown star, Louella Parsons, who had been making headlines in Hollywood even before Reagan as a trailblazer in national entertainment journalism. Then-Mayor William V. Slothhower and Chamber of Commerce President Walter Knack arranged for an event that would bring both Reagan and Parsons to town: Louella Parsons Day. The celebration spilled over into 2 days, brought about 50,000 people to Dixon and several movie stars — Bob Hope, George Montgomery, Ann Rutherford, Joe E. Brown, Jerry Colonna, and Ben Lyon and wife Bebe Daniels. It was Parsons’ first visit to town in nearly 25 years. Rorer helped arrange for the premiere of Reagan’s film at the Dixon Theatre. Parsons and her Hollywood guests also participated in a fundraiser for KSB Hospital, where a children’s
ward would eventually be named in Parsons’ honor. After many decades in the theater business, Rorer sold both the Dixon and Lee theaters in the mid-1950s. The Lee eventually closed in 1963 and become an Osco drug store, and later an indoor mini-mall. As for The Dixon Theater, it changed owners a few times after Rorer sold it but continued to show weeklong runs of films for another couple of decades. The 1980s were a time of change for Dixon. Population declined from its peak in 1960 and business in downtown slowed. The Dixon Theatre fell victim to the changing times. When the new Plaza Cinemas opened north of town in the early 1980s, it had three screens to The Dixon’s one. The newer theater also gave moviegoers a more comfortable experience. “Ninja III: The Domination” wound up being the last movie shown at the Dixon Theater, on Oct. 10, 1984, before it would be “closed until further notice,” according to an ad in that evening’s Telegraph. It’s fitting that the final film shown at the original theater would be a “threequel” because that’s just what the theater would get: a third act, as it were, from an opera house to a cinema to live performances.
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THEATRE cont’d from page 21 Meanwhile, Dixon city officials were looking for ways to revitalize the downtown, and that included the dormant theater. In 1985 there were talks of bringing a SuperValu grocery store downtown, which would have called for several old buildings to be leveled, but that plan ultimately failed. What did materialize that year was the resurrection of the theater, with new owners, Dixon Theatre Renovation, Inc., taking charge and converting it into a live performance venue.
Almost a year to the day of the final showing of “Ninja III,” the newly renovated theater reopened for concerts and other national acts, such as the Johnny Kaye Orchestra, and local performances, such as those from Gymnastics Devine. The Forester Sisters, a country music group of siblings Kathy, June, Kim and Christy, were one of the first acts. At that time, they were just getting noticed on the national country scene, and had recorded their first hit, “(That’s What You Do) When You’re in Love,” in mid-1985 — the first of many to come in the next 11 years. Exile, another country band, also performed during that first
year. Prior to coming to Dixon, it previously had been more of a rock band, and had its biggest hit in 1978: “Kiss You All Over.” Exile is billed to return to the Dixon Theatre on May 7, 37 years after their first show in town — and lead singer J.C. Pennington still is with the band. In this current incarnation, the theater has continued to open its doors several times a year to host popular acts and celebrities from near and far. Dixon Theatre Renovation, Inc. owned the theater until it was purchased by the Historic Dixon Theatre Group in October 2019. The current owners, whose board is appointed by the Mayor and City Council, set out to further renovate the theater, and after a delay caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in time to observe its 99th year. The theater also had a musical theater summer camp for children last August, with a performance of “Oliver Jr.” on Aug. 13. Additional acts throughout 2021 included The Eastman School of Dance, country artist Lorrie Morgan and tribute acts to Van Halen and Michael Jackson. So far in the theater’s centennial year, a performance from illusionist Reza and his “Edge of Illusion” act, music from Heart and Led Zeppelin tribute bands, stand-up comedy from Robert Dubac, and the recreation of prehistoric history courtesy of “Dinosaur World Live” have graced the theater’s stage. Along with Exile, additional acts throughout the rest of the year include the Rendezvous Symphony Orchestra of Chicago, comedian Joe Piscopo of “Saturday Night Live” fame, the Million Dollar Quartet tribute act, a Foreigner tribute band, and the children’s theater rendition of “Fiddler on the Roof Jr.” The theater has come a long way from Leonard Rorer’s vision of rebuilding from the ashes in 1922. Still, the mission remains the same: Celebrate the performing arts in all their rich variety and bring quality entertainment to local audiences. In 4 years, another anniversary will be observed: It will be 150 years — a sesquicentennial — of the performing arts on the 200 block of South Galena Avenue. While the opera of those early years doesn’t garner much of an audience these days, it’ll be interesting to see what new entertainment experiences will be brought to Dixon in the coming years. n
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5 p.m., May 1 | More: rendezvousarts.org Areyzaga and a large symphony of nearly 60 musicians will perform music from some of the best composers in classical music history, such as Ludwig von Beethoven, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Richard Wagner. Dixon Theater Executive Director Timothy Boles is the conductor. A performance of “Les Preludes” by Liszt will conclude the evening. 7:30 to 10 p.m., May 7 | More: exile.biz For nearly 60 years, Exile has performed and recorded both rock and country music, and is best known for the 1978 hit, “Kiss You All Over.” The band transitioned into a country act in the early 1980s, and was one of the first performers at the Dixon Theatre when it reopened in 1985. Today, 37 years after their first appearance, J.C. Pennington continues to lead the band, which later had country hits such as “I Could Get Use to You” and “Hang On Your Heart.” 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., May 13 | More: joepiscopo.org When Dixon’s most famous resident, Ronald Reagan, became President of the United States in 1981, he became open to satire on the national stage. Joe Piscopo, a cast member of Saturday Night Live, added a Reagan impression to his act. That’s not all he’s known for, though. Among several impressions of famous people, most notably Frank Sinatra, Piscopo would later star in movies such as “Johnny Dangerously” and “Dead Heat.” His current act is a combination of stand-up and musical performance. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., May 26 | More: milliondollarquartet.net In the mid-1950s, The Million Dollar Quartet of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins gathered to record music in a legendary session at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 4, 1956. Today’s Million Dollar Quartet is a tribute act to the four, playing renditions of songs their idols made popular: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “That’s All Right,” “Sixteen Tons,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” and more.
All events subject to change. Additions or deletions from schedule may occur. Find The Dixon: Historic Theatre on Facebook, or go to dixontheatre.com for updated schedule and ticket information.
7:30 to 9:30 p.m., June 10 | More: mtishows.com/fiddler-on-the-roof-jr Performed by a cast of youngsters, the popular 1960s Broadway play (later adapted into a 1971 film) is about a Jewish-Russian family dealing with the changes of the country, and of time, after the turn of the 20th century. Tevye, a poor dairyman, tries to marry off his daughters and tries to have them maintain a sense of religious appreciation against their more progressive suitors. 7:30 p.m., Aug. 19 | More: doublevisiontheband.com One of the world’s more successful rock bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Foreigner recorded a slew of hits such as “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded,” “Cold As Ice,” “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Urgent,” “Head Games” and “Feels Like the First Time.” One of their other hits, “Double Vision,” is the name of this tribute band, which will perform their songs from their early days of guitar riffs to the synth-beat love songs of the music video era.
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ennifer Westphal is one determined woman. She dreamed of a career in biology, studied it, and spent much of her early adulthood earning the degrees and completing projects to get her doctorate. She would build an impressive resume, becoming Northern Illinois University’s first recipient of a doctoral degree in bioinformatics (a field of study that analyzes and interprets biological data using a combination of computer science and biology), authoring nearly two-dozen peer-reviewed articles, and she was cited nearly 500 times in respected science journals. When it came time to transition to family life, she faced another challenge. She and husband Ryan were among the estimated 1 out of every 10 couples nationwide who struggle with infertility, and that stood in the way of their dream of having children — but it didn’t stop them.
PHERDAL cont’d to pages 26 & 27
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Jennifer Westphal is shown here with husband Ryan and children Lois, 3, and Zackary, 2. Lois is the first baby to be born with Jennifer’s PherDal system. She still remembers the day she found out she was pregnant with Lois: “I was standing in the bathroom, at 9:03 a.m., and I called Ryan crying,” Jennifer said. “When you had been trying for so long, I was sobbing.” Now, she’s helping give other families the same chance to share their own tears of joy. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
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PHERDAL cont’d from page 25 From that challenge came a solution, and way for the Dixon couple — and others like them — to bring a child into the world. The answer? PherDal, an at-home insemination kit that not only helped the Westphals hear the pitter patter of little feet in their home, but did the same for others. They came up with PherDal: an at-home insemination kit to suit their needs and help others who struggle like they did. It helped the Westphals bring their first child, Lois, into the world, and recently they decided to share their success by putting PherDal on the market, and Jennifer said it couldn’t have come at a better time.
PHERDAL cont’d to page 28
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PHERDAL cont’d from page 27
ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
Jennifer Westphal turned frustration into a solution, coming up with an at-home insemination kit that not only helped her and her husband have a baby, but other people too. "I was 32 at the time, and I was told that I had to wait a year to see a specialist. I was really frustrated, and we didn't know what was wrong,” she said. "I was just mad. We drove into Chicago to see specialists, hoping they were going to give us the answer, and then they're just like, ‘$10,000, please.' No."
With the recent COVID-19 pandemic affecting morale around the world, Jennifer sought to bring some positivity, and babies, into the world by breaking down the barriers that those dealing with infertility go through – physically, financially and mentally. “I wanted to start something to do good in the world, because 2020 was just so sucky. We were so burned out, and we were home with a 4-month-old and a 1-year-old, for 13 weeks straight at one point. On and off with COVID and how horrible it was, I was just burned out and started a new job that was way less stressful and gave me time to think about what I want to do. I just wanted to do something that makes my heart feel good.”
PHERDAL cont’d to page 29
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PHERDAL cont’d from page 28 Jennifer, originally from Hinckley, and Ryan, of Rockford, dated for 5 years before getting married in 2016. Once she completed her academic studies, she wanted to start a family, but getting pregnant proved to be difficult, and after more than a year, Jennifer wasn’t sure what was going on. “I was 32 at the time, and I was told that I had to wait a year to see a specialist,” Jennifer said. “I was really frustrated, and we didn’t know what was wrong. We had all these tests and everything came back normal. A year came up, we got to go to the specialist and went through this whole series of tests and blood draws. They sat us down and were like, ‘Everything’s normal.’ While most people would welcome an “everything’s normal” diagnosis on any other visit to a doctor, in this case it wasn’t what the couple wanted to hear. Jennifer was upset. She wanted to know what was wrong, but all they could tell her was the couple was dealing with a phenomenon known as unexplained infertility — when testing can’t find a cause for someone’s inability to get pregnant. Their frustration grew when they found out her insurance would no long cover visits to the specialists. Most insurances will cover up to such a diagnosis, but not past that. Any treatment for it afterward doesn’t get covered, leading to more out-of-pocket costs and more of a financial stress, all because of the unknown. “I was just mad,” Jennifer said. “We drove into Chicago to see specialists, hoping they were going to give us the answer, and
then they’re just like, ‘$10,000, please.’ No.” All of that made Jennifer more determined than ever to find an answer — and this time, she would do it on her own. Armed with the same determination and mental mettle that helped her earn a Ph.D in biology, she dove in and started doing her own research and development. She learned about intracervical insemination, a more affordable method of artificial insemination, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She came up with a device she thought could help do the job that nature wouldn’t do, and just before the calendar rolled into 2018, the Westphals were ready to try it out. The first month came and went with no success. The second time was different. It was a success. Finally, Jennifer got the result she and Ryan had long wanted: She was pregnant. She still remembers learning the news like it was yesterday. “I was standing in the bathroom, at 9:03 a.m., on January 11, and I called Ryan crying,” Jennifer said. “When you had been trying for so long, I was sobbing.” When he got the news, “I had just pulled into the parking lot at work, and thankfully didn’t hit anybody out of the shock of it all,” Ryan said. “It was so overwhelming,” Jennifer said. “It was consuming. I called off work that day. There was no way I could think about anything else. All we had been doing for the first year of our marriage was trying to get pregnant.”
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PHERDAL cont’d from page 29 On Sept. 18, 2018, daughter Lois was born at KSB Hospital. She was named after one of Jennifer’s grandmothers. Today, the 3 1/2-year-old enjoys Minnie Mouse and Elza from the movie “Frozen” and playing with her brother — that’s right, her brother. In a twist of fertility fate, the couple welcomed a second child, Zackary, a little more than a year after Lois was born — and this time they didn’t need any help. Like his sister, he enjoys playing with his sibling, and also likes the cartoon character JJ Cocomelon, dinosaurs and trucks. The Westphals finally had their family, but now they were facing a new set of challenges: a world changed by COVID-19. The pandemic sent them home to work, and then things began to slow down. The couple was looking for ways to supplement their income and they come up with the idea of marketing the device that gave them their first little miracle, and in October 2021, PherDal was born. PherDal — pronounced like “fertile” and named with Jennifer’s Ph.D. in mind — comes in a kit for sale at pherdal.com. The kit includes three sterile syringes, meant for one-time use, a collection jar, and an ovulation journal to help women track their cycle and time it correctly. Jennifer markets the products using her maiden name, Hintzsche, to coincide with her academic work done before she got married. Jennifer ordered 200 kits to be made, and she and Ryan put them together, made it available on their website, and marketed it chiefly among an online community of other women facing similar challenges. It didn’t take long — less than 3 months — for the first batch to sell out.
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Find PherDal on Facebook, Instagram (@pherdal_science) or TikTok (@pherdal_science); or go to pherdal.com to learn more about the athome insemination kit, and to read testimonials from users.
PHERDAL cont’d to page 31
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PHERDAL cont’d from page 30 PherDal is billed as the only one of its kind that comes with sterilized syringes. That, and its price, is what helps it stand out among other kits. With three sets of syringes and collector jars sent with each kit at $99 an order — or $33 a try — the couple says PherDal is the most affordable option on the market. Instead of ordering more right away, the Westphals wanted to invest in getting the all clear from the Food and Drug Administration, which will help better market the kits. Currently, PherDal is FDA-registered, and they hope the clearance process is complete by the fall; that’s when the “first wave” of “PherDal babies” is expected to arrive. Jennifer enjoys hearing about people’s experiences using PherDal, and has come to know 15 expectant mothers who have shared their story with her. Many of them have posted heartfelt videos online. She hopes to meet one of them, the first person other than herself that she knew to become pregnant via the kit, soon. She’s even designed little onesies for the babies to wear with a message on front: “Finely crafted with love and science.” The kits were still sold out as of April 1, but more are on their way, Jennifer said. The online order form has a waiting list where customers can sign up to reserve a kit, but she hopes that when all the clearances come through, they can be sold over-the-counter at pharmacies at an even more
affordable price. “I thought that if I could help get one person pregnant, I will have fulfilled this need I had,” Jennifer said. The kits also help benefit those in the LGBTQ community who want to become pregnant, couples with male factor infertility, and women who are single mothers by choice. Most kits have been sold in the United States so far, but Jennifer knows of one person in the United Kingdom who has used it. Ryan is proud of the work that his wife has done to make their dream — and others’ — come true. “The initial idea had a lot of anxiety and concern about what it takes to launch something like this. Knowing what she was undertaking was quite a big challenge. Looking at it now, with how far we’ve gotten up to this point, and where we are on the verge of getting the patented version released and going through the testing, it’s pretty cool with the short amount of time she’s been working on it, and how far she’s taken it up to now is really exciting.” Talking about infertility can be a sensitive subject for some couples, but not for the Westphals. After going through the highs and lows of failure and success, Jennifer wants to “shout it from the mountaintop,” she said, telling her story and inspiring other like her to not give up. “It really gives people an option to try before they go spending thousands of dollars,” Jennifer said. “We’re really looking forward to making this an affordable option for everyone.” n
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hen Jared Shaner moves into his new digs at Dixon High School, he’ll not only have an office to fill, he’ll have big shoes to fill too. Shaner is stepping into a role held by Michael Grady for nearly 20 years, as principal, swapping his office near the gym for one closer to the school’s front doors. With that new office comes new responsibilities, but Shaner is up for the challenge — and he should be: He’s served as one of the school’s assistant principals, as well as athletic director, for the past six years. Another reason he’ll be ready: Being able to follow in Grady’s footsteps “has a lot to do” with the man who’s walked the halls of Dixon High for decades, both as educator and administrator, Shaner said.
PRINCIPALS cont’d to page 34
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Dixon High School’s current and future principals — Michael Grady (right) and Jared Shaner — talk about their roles, and what’s next, during a recent interview. Shaner is taking over for Grady, who’s retiring this year; and Grady is looking for forward to spending time with family and helping his brother, Jim, oversee the family farm. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
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The King of the Castle THE START
Long before he was known as Dr. Grady, a young man from Amboy was an inexperienced math teacher and assistant basketball coach at Dixon High School. In just his third year teaching, he began what would become a lifelong career in education at DHS. Mike Grady started his career in Dixon in 1991 as a math teacher and assistant boys basketball coach for the Dukes. After several years he moved into an administrative role and became the dean of students, a job he held until he took over as the schools’ principal in 2003. The rest, as they say, is history.
AtrightisatributetoPrincipalGrady,submitted byDixonHighSchool,whichappearedinthis year’seditionofSaukValleyMedia’sannual Pridemagazine.Acopyofthearticlebefound attinyurl.com/uyspxfe3,onpages13-15.
ALONG THE WAY
31 years. 372 months. 11,315 days. That’s how long Dr. Grady has been a part of our school. In fact, for many of these years he was not only a part of our school, but was the educational leader of our school. Over the course of this time he no doubt made a lifetime of memories: Teacher institute days. Students in math class. Daily announcements. Watching his own children go through DHS. Helping students with math. Lunch supervision. Good days and bad days. Sporting events and senior nights. Band concerts, fall plays and spring musicals. Dr. Grady has seen, heard, and participated in them all. Graduation speeches. State champions and teams who struggled. Student discipline. Bad jokes (which are legendary!). Lunch detentions and school assemblies. Teachers who have come and gone. Retirement parties. Coaches. Megaphone announcements from "Math Man." Immeasurable impacts on countless students. Snow days. A global pandemic and E-learning. Failed school initiatives and successful school initiatives. Board meetings, tough decisions, building changes, and awards nights. Supporting and leading his school after a school shooting. Mourning the loss of students and celebrating their individual successes. Through all of these things and many more, Dr. Grady has been here and done that. In addition to the great administrator that Dr. Grady has been, he’s also been keeping a secret through all of these years: DR. GRADY IS CORN COB CARL! CORN COB CARL IS DR. GRADY! His commitment to DHS over the years proves that Mike will do whatever it takes to reach a student, empower a teacher, or bring a smile to someone’s face, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously while doing it.
FINAL HOORAH
The 2021-2022 school year marks Dr. Grady’s 33rd year in education, with 31 of those at Dixon High School. In a world where change is inevitable and many adult Americans switch jobs and careers up to six or seven times, one thing has been constant at DHS: Mike Grady. This school year will be his final one. Dr. Grady officially retires at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. At the end of their careers, many people are tempted to rest, ride it out, and be content with whatever happens around them, knowing that they have limited time left. That is certainly not the case with Dr. Grady. While he is excited for the new chapter in his life, he is attacking his last year in school with the same energy, effort, and passion that he always has. You can routinely find him doing student discipline at the start of the day, followed by supervising lunch detention where he helps students with missing homework. He can oftentimes be seen meeting with teachers and staff, listening to questions or issues that may arise, and working to find solutions to keep DHS moving forward. Although the old saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone," we are well aware of what we have had with Dr. Grady as our principal, and will miss him when this year is over. He has given his professional career to our kids, teachers, staff, and Dixon High School. His impact will long be felt and we appreciate all that he has done along the way.
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PRINCIPALS cont’d from page 33 “Being able to work with him for 6 years, watching him interact with kids, watching him lead our building — and as he announced his retirement we worked a little closer, had some conversations — I felt like just from a leadership standpoint, that’s what intrigues me.” The two have worked together since Grady hired Shaner in 2016. By that time, the athletic director and assistant principal roles had already been combined. As assistant principal, Shaner has dealt more with the discipline and student affairs, while Jessica Musyl, another assistant principal, works more with teachers and curriculum. When Grady hired both, he gave them control over their areas of expertise. As Grady neared retirement, he and Shaner worked more closely together to make the transition a smooth one. When Grady decided it was time to call it a career — having spent 31 years in education, the past 18 as principal — it didn’t take long for him to find the right person to take over. He said Shaner has great people skills, cares about kids, and has a great work ethic — all of which will serve him well in his new role when he officially takes over July 1. “I tell Jared this all of the time: He is one of the main reasons I’m going to miss [being here],” Grady said. “We have a really good administrative team right now. We don’t always agree, but I know where his heart’s at, where his head’s at, where his work ethic is, and I’m going to miss that.” Shaner said he enjoys “working with people, helping individuals, groups, teams and buildings get better.” Both Shaner and Grady are products of small towns. Shaner, a Prophetstown native, began his teaching career at Olympia High School in Stanford before moving to Lincoln and Mount Vernon; he taught physical education and was a special education teacher during those years, as well as a head football coach. Grady, originally from Amboy, has been at Dixon High since 1991, first as a math teacher, and then as a dean of students for 4 years before becoming principal. Before coming to Dixon, he taught math in Amboy for 2 years, and before that, he served as a student teacher under Neil Alexander at Bushnell-Prairie City High School in west central Illinois. Alexander not only proved to be an influence on Grady, but also would play a pivotal role in shaping up Grady’s eventual successor as principal. Alexander later moved on to teach at Lincoln High School in central Illinois, where he also coached boys basketball, and Shaner served under him as an assistant coach.
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PRINCIPALS cont’d from page 34 When the assistant principal/athletic director position opened at Dixon High, Grady got a call from Alexander with a recommendation for the job. “Neil gave me a call and said, ‘Hey, Mike, hire Jared,’” Grady said. “I said, ‘Okay, Neil, great. But why?’ He’s like, ‘Just hire him, and you’ll figure it out.’ Well, I needed a little more than that. He ran down a list, and the first thing was that he cares about kids, and that he’s an extremely hard worker. First one at school, last one to leave. He’ll do anything you ask him to do” — but he almost didn’t get a chance to prove it. After applying, he was told by the interview committee that he wasn’t going to get a chance to make his case, in favor of more experienced candidates. That’s when Grady stepped in and convinced the district that the advice he was given had plenty of merit and that Shaner would be the right person for the job. The district agreed, and Shaner left Mount Vernon to come to Dixon. He said he and his family — wife Erinne and children Jozie, Tyler and Cullen — have enjoyed their time in Dixon. “Bringing my family here was a great decision,” Shaner said. “We have absolutely enjoyed it. We love the community, we’ve been supported, and I think that’s important. Mike and I are both small-town guys, Amboy and Prophetstown. I couldn’t see myself in anything much bigger than this because I like that community feel. I’m glad that things have worked out the way they are. It’s a great place to work and live.” Getting to know students and relate to them is a key part of
any principal’s job, but Grady — who has a doctorate in education and is known throughout the school as “Doctor Grady” — had some help. When his own kids attended high school, it gave him a greater understanding of how to relate to students. One of the ways Grady developed a connection with students in recent years has been to find ways to keep them smiling. If the person in charge of the school can share a little levity, it can take the edge off of being an authority figure. Enter Grady’s alter ego, “Corn Cob Carl,” a hillbilly-like character with overalls, buck teeth and thick-rimmed glasses. Carl has proven to be a popular act at school functions. In fact, it became so popular, a daily theme for Homecoming week saw office staff dress up in Grady’s alter ego for “Twin Day.” The journey from principal to Carl has been part of Grady’s evolution in education. His focus his shifted more from ramifications to relationships. “When I was dean of students, a lifetime ago, it seemed like we had a different philosophy and mindset,” Grady said. “It was: Find kids who were doing something wrong, discipline them, and that will change their behavior. Anybody can do that. After awhile, I figured out that you have to get to know the kid. If the kids know that you care about them, especially when you’re in an administrative position, then the conversations change. It took me a while to figure it out, but this is a service leadership position. You’re serving the community, and the kids here are our biggest assets.”
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PRINCIPALS cont’d from page 35 Grady said that philosophy of having better relationships with students got a boost when Margo Empen became superintendent, allowing him greater freedom to implement ideas and learn from mistakes that may happen along the way. Having that support from the district administration means a lot to Grady, and the same goes for Shaner, too. He said that having a team at the top like Empen and assistant superintendent Doug Stansford helped seal the deal for the principal’s job. “If we didn’t have good leadership at the district level, I wouldn’t have taken the job,” Shaner said. “I enjoy being an athletic director. There are some stresses and headaches when you’re the athletic director, but not like when you’re the principal. If I didn’t feel like there was good support
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there, I could have stayed on that end of the building for the rest of my career and be happy doing it, but because of Margo and Doug, that was definitely another reason why I took the job.” One of Shaner’s first orders of business: Find his replacement. With his promotion to principal, someone needed to step into the role he was leaving — and this hire would be the first in 18 years without Grady as part of the process. Shaner found that person in Roger Fegan, a teacher and baseball coach from Freeport High School who’ll be Dixon High’s new assistant principal/athletic director. Grady did, however, play one part in the hiring process: He gave Fegan his first tour of Dixon’s castle on the Rock.
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Grady addresses students during the commencement for Dixon High School’s Class of 2021.
Grady, as Corn Cob Carl, joined in celebrating business teacher Kim Munson when she was given her Amazing Teacher Award. At left is Kim’s daughter, Madalyn.
You won’t find many principals dressed in louvred glasses and purple capes — unless it’s homecoming week and you’re Michael Grady.
Grady sanitizes chairs prior to the graduation ceremony in 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic. SA UK EY LL
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Grady cheers on senior Sophia Doane from a safe distance as she and mom Amy stopped by the school to pick up her cap and gown in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Grady dressed up as one half of the Hans and Franz characters from “Saturday Night Live” for Dynamic Duo day during homecoming week.
Dixon High alum and Oklahoma City Thunder pro basketball player Isaiah Roby (left) gets a hug from Grady in 2019 during an event in honor of Roby’s draft pick.
When voters were deciding whether to renovate the current Dixon High School or build a new one, Grady did his part to help them make an informed decision. Here, he listens to a question from during a school tour.
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PRINCIPALS cont’d from page 36 “Mike has taught me this over the years that the formula for success is pretty easy: Hire good people, let them do their job and support them,” Shaner said. “When you sit down and talk to Roger it doesn’t take too long to know he’s a good person. Other people that I talked to talked about his work ethic; and another thing that stood out for him in the interview was that he really kind of has that vision — he did his homework before he came here and understands that we have some good things going on athletically and in extra-curriculars, and there’s always room for improvement, and I think he sees that and kind of has a vision of maybe where we can go next.” Farm living will soon be the life for Grady in retirement — a fitting place to be for Corn Cob Carl. He and his brother, Jim, will oversee their parents’ farm in southern Lee County, as well as another 160 acres that Jim recently pur-
chased across the Bureau County line in Ohio. That life will give Grady freedom to spend more time with his family both near and far: wife Renee, and adult sons Aaron, Colin and Evan. “I owe my wife a lot of time,” Grady said. “I’ve talked with her about how we want to travel, go visit our sons and complain about what’s for supper when we show up to their house unannounced. My parents are in their 80s, and I’m going to help take care of them as well. I’m really looking forward to those things. Grady is proud of the work he’s done, and just as proud of the team he’s leaving behind. “With Jared, Jessica, and with the addition of Roger Fegan, Dixon High School’s kids are going to be treated well,” Grady said. “They’re going to have a good curriculum. I’m very at ease with how this transition has occurred. I’m very comfortable about looking at what I’ve done and how Dixon High School is going to do better things when I’m gone because it’ll be in great hands.” n
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The Lowell Parkway Trail links Washington Street in Dixon with Lowell Park north of town, and is a popular stretch for local runners and walkers. This trail marker serves a dual purpose: as a trail map and brief history, and it also memorializes local running enthusiast Walter Lillyman Jr. (at right). The trail area once was the right-ofway for the Illinois Central railroad.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently awarded the Dixon Park District with a $185,600 grant through the State’s FY ’21 Recreational Trails Program to upgrade the Lowell Parkway Trail. Work is scheduled to be completed by 2024. The program is supported by funding from the Federal Highway Administration program.
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