They
emergency, In take class caseof
Lee Center wrestler is Near the top of his game
Paw Paw business brings something special to the table
key difference at a Sublette car dealer? Family
Publisher/Ad Director
Jennifer Heintzelman
Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising
Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com
Published by Sauk Valley Media
113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222
Have a story idea for Small Town Living?
E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com
Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small TownLiving 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.
Teens who turn out and gear up in Sublette for a firefighting program not only learn what it takes to answer the calls to public service, they learn the importance of duty, pride and respect.
14 Near the top of his game
It took a match to spark something in a Lee Center wrestler who strengthened his strategy, boosted his confidence and earned a state champion title — and he’s not done working on himself yet.
22 She brings a lot to the table
A Paw Paw business owner not only created a place where people can buy farm-fresh meat and garden-fresh produce, baked goods, and more, but somewhere they can feel right at home pulling up a chair and enjoying their community’s company.
30 The key difference: Family
When the team at a Sublette car dealership talks about the importance of family, they’re not just talking about the people who’ve owned it, but the customers who’ve been coming through their doors for the past century.
ires, mangled vehicles, medical emergencies. For the people caught up in their chaos and confusion, they’re like a jumbled puzzle, and first responders are called upon to sort through the pieces and the panic and help put a person’s life back together. They’re puzzles inside the moment. Not the kind solved with time and quiet, but ones that demand decisions in seconds — how to get in, how to get out, how to reach someone who needs help — and first responders need to be prepared to make those decisions.
In Sublette, people who could be the firefighters of tomorrow are learning to be prepared today — and they’re getting an early start.
The Sublette Fire Department’s Explorers cadet program, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening volunteer firefighting and emergency medical services, recently concluded its second year, building on an early success and growing interest among local teens.
The program launched in January 2025 to address ongoing staffing shortages, particularly as longtime volunteers retire and fewer new recruits step forward. Designed for participants ages 15 to 19, the program provides a pathway for young people to gain hands-on experience while exploring potential careers in emergency services. It graduated its second group of cadets March 22 in a ceremony at the fire department, following an 8-week session, with five hours each week, that started Jan. 18.
Assistant fire chief Nick Dinges coordinates the program, with help from chief Kevin Schultz and the rest of the department. The program also receives assistance from others nearby, such as the Byron and Dixon Rural departments, as well as individuals from departments in Aurora, Dixon, Mendota, Oregon, Rockford and Rock Island. In all, 24 instructors guided this year’s training.
The program is growing, having expanded from 18 cadets in its inaugural class to 29 this year, drawing participants from Sublette, Franklin Grove and surrounding communities, as well as others from as far as an hour away.
For Dinges, the program is about more than just training, it’s about sparking an interest in the field of fire and rescue.
“In my mind, this eight weeks, if they want to stay in the fire service, this was a dress rehearsal,” Dinges said. “You’re now out in front of people, people know your name, they see who you are, they represent us, and more importantly if they want to get into a career in fire service, they now have a pathway with the relationships developed here.”
EXPLORERS cont’d to page 9
Above: Assistant fire chief Nick Dinges (seen at left) instructs a cadet as he finds his way through a maze of wires during a training exercise last year in Amboy. “For us to be able to train again, that gives us the opportunity to learn as well, and we’re gaining from them as much as they are learning from us,” said Dinges, who also coordinates the cadet program.
ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
The training emphasizes active, practical learning that cadets typically would not get in a classroom environment. Cadets rotate through different departments and engage in real-world exercises such as hose deployment, ceiling pulls, tool hoisting and navigating confined spaces in full gear. They demonstrate their skills by breaking through walls, practicing rescue techniques and working in simulated emergency conditions under the guidance of experienced firefighters from across the region.
Cadets begin with the basics — though, as instructors stressed, there is nothing “basic” about them. From the start, they are taught to treat their personal protective equipment as a
lifeline, drilling with it until every motion becomes muscle memory. Even simple tasks can be a challenge: Picking up tools while wearing fire gloves, Schultz told cadets, is like “doing brain surgery with oven mitts.” They learn to trust their gear, but also to understand its limits, and the behavior of fire itself. During flashover training, instructors noted the same reaction each time: eyes widening as cadets witnessed just how quickly conditions can turn. They practice forcing entry into spaces designed to keep people out, work side by side in tight conditions where communication matters, and handle the heavy, unforgiving weight of extrication tools.
It’s a program that’s become increasingly important. In the last four decades, the number of volunteer firefighters nationwide has steadily declined — from roughly 900,000 to 700,000 — and that places additional strain on rural departments, especially in smaller communities like Sublette.
The impact is especially visible locally, where increasing call volumes and physically demanding patient care have created challenges for older, veteran personnel. Younger cadets can help fill that gap by assisting with tasks such as lifting patients, operating equipment and supporting crews on calls, all under supervision.
EXPLORERS cont’d to page 10
PHOTO:SUBLETTEFIREDEPT.
Exploring public safety
The Sublette Fire Department's Explorers cadet program involved eight weeks of hands-on training for aspiring firefighters ages 15 to 19. During the program, cadets learned about various techniques and tools of the trade, including how to navigate through a building during a fire, extricating victims from a vehicle, manning a hose, and other lessons. Seen here are photos from last year’s and this year’s cadet program.
PHOTOS:
Emma Chandler
Kade Politsch
Tyler Huggins
While the number of volunteers has gone down, call volume has gone up. In Sublette it’s risen from about 100 annually in 1997 to around 250 today, Dinges said. In addition, the time commitment for each of their calls averages more than two hours, due in part to more required reports to fill out in recent years.
Dinges said most volunteers are either unpaid, or paid on call at a very low rate, so “having these people step up and help not just us, but these other communities is a big, big deal. We really appreciate that. They are choosing to do it when there are a lot of jobs out there.”
On one of the training days, the noise amid a maze of hoses, walls and low-hanging obstacles was reduced to breath and instinct. For Nick’s son Jake Dinges, 17, of Sublette, it was a test of having trust in a partner, in the training and in himself.
“You’re sometimes partnered with someone you’re not necessarily close with, but you two have to figure out how to get out of there,” Jake said. “You can’t just quit in there. You just got to keep going and push through.”
His family helped shape his interest in firefighting.
“Growing up, I’d always come down and sit at the department, whether it was helping with the radio or washing trucks,” he said. “As I got older, I wanted to be more involved, not just to see the station side but also see actual calls.”
Now enrolled in an EMT program, Dinges sees the cadet experience as something that offers not only training, but perspective.
“You realize how little some of your problems are on the day-to-day, and a couple of times a week you’re seeing someone’s worst day, you look at your problems, and it’s like, ‘I can get through that,’” he said. “If people can get through heart attacks, burning buildings, and some of these issues, shoot, I can get through that math test that I have.”
EXPLORERS cont’d to page 12
Jake Dinges
Jack Delhotal, 17, of Franklin Grove also comes from a firefighting family. Inspired by his father, he joined the cadet program to make a difference in his own community.
“My dad got into it a few years ago, and I would see how he was helping and making a difference,” Delhotal said. “I wanted to be a part of that.”
For Delhotal, one of the biggest challenges has been mastering the physical and mental demands of the job — from properly using protective gear to staying focused in highstress situations.
“When you get in a building, it’s burning, you can’t see anything, it’s hot, and maybe your hose is tangled up, you really just got to keep pushing,” he said.
But like Dinges, he points to teamwork as the most important lesson.
“It’s you and your partner in a building, and you really got to lean on each other,” Delhotal said.
The importance of that bond is something Collin O’Malley, 17, of Sublette, didn’t expect when he first signed up.
“It’ll be fun,” O’Malley recalled Jake texting him to join the program. He did — but quickly found it was about far more than just fun.
“I learned a lot about friendship and leadership,” said O’Malley, who now plans to pursue firefighting as a career. “We’re all good friends around here now, and seeing everyone making a difference is very impactful.”
O’Malley also pointed to a phrase emphasized throughout training: “Duty, pride, respect,” a lesson he took seriously.
“The duty is to serve your community. You’ve got to have pride in what you do, and the respect aspect is so big,” O’Malley said. “When you go on a call, that’s someone’s worst day.”
As their certificates were handed out at the graduation ceremony, Schultz reminded cadets that what they had earned went far deeper than a piece of paper: It was also the trust they earned from the veterans in the department.
EXPLORERS cont’d to page 13
Above: The Sublette Fire Explorers Program celebrated the graduation of this year's cadets with a program on March 22, at the fire department. CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@ SHAWMEDIA.COM
Jack Delhotal
Collin
O’Malley
Alex Biden of Sublette rolls up a hose March 15, 2025, during during cadet firefighter training in Amboy. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
EXPLORERS cont’d from page 12
“The way you’ve carried yourselves, from uncertainty to confidence, over the last several months — you’ve not only been learning about firefighting, but you’ve been forged by it,” Schultz told the cadets. “You’ve moved from being observers to practitioners of the trade, a trade that takes years and decades to learn, but you’ve made the most important step: the first one. That’s something to be very proud of.”
or the person who called them.
“These are things that we can look at and quiz each other every day,” Dinges said. “They matter to the person that called 911. We can make ourselves better every time we’re out, even on a medical call or lift assist, whatever it takes to make ourselves better when we learn one thing on every call.”
More info
Find Sublette Fire Department on Facebook or call 815-849-5512 to learn more about the department’s Explorers cadet program. The department is located at 201 N. Richmond St. in Sublette, and provides fire and EMT services to Sublette, Ohio, West Brooklyn and Woodhaven Lakes.
Dinges also reminded the cadets about an important lesson they should take from each and every call: Pay attention not only to your environment, whether it’s an open window or closed door, but to the people in it, whether it’s a fellow firefighter
They’re lessons that even veteran first responders must remember.
“I truly believe that in this job, and in this life, whether you’re doing fire work on ground or in the back of an ambulance, no matter how good you know your job, you can and will be humble,” Dinges said. “You’ve got to always be sharp and be willing to train. For us to be able to train again, that gives us the opportunity to learn as well, and we’re gaining from them as much as they are learning from us.”
With the need for volunteers continuing, Sublette’s fire department leaders hope to continue attracting motivated young people to ensure the long-term sustainability of essential emergency services in the region.
For the younger Dinges, a shared energy across generations is what makes the experience meaningful.
“You start running calls and seeing people’s lives being changed,” Jake said. “They’re really important moments, and you can be a part of that.”
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
No obstacle is insurmountable.
Ask Landon Near of Lee Center, who’s made a successful run as a high school wrestler at Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling.
When a wrestler two years older with two years more experience than him kept beating him dual after dual, he didn’t resign himself to the idea that he wasn’t better than his opponent — instead, he got better than his opponent. Near worked harder and it paid off. He not only rose to the challenge, he rose to a state championship, too.
Near won the Illinois High School Association title at 113 pounds on Feb. 21 at the University of Illinois’
State Farm Center in Champaign, and along his postseason path to the championship, he defeated the wrestler whose victories had pushed him to prove himself, Princeton’s Augustus Swanson, once in the sectional final and again when the two met for a rematch in the state final bout.
The championship came a year after he took fourth place at 106 pounds at state as a freshman, a season that saw him win 44 matches. He equaled that total this past season, putting him 12 wins away from the 100-win accomplishment that most high school wrestlers see as a goal for their careers.
For now, no win feels more important to him than his most recent. Yet the magnitude of the moment never seemed to overwhelm him.
“I thought of it as another wrestling match,” Near said. “Having watched the matches that I had lost to him, I realized what I had to do and fix how I wrestled, knowing what he was going to do as well.”
NEAR cont’d to page 16
PHOTOS: ALEX T.
Near takes his wrestling seriously. He puts in the extra work he needs to be better at it, whether it’s filling his free time competing in off-season meets across the country or keeping up a practice regimen up to four days a week. Wrestling, he said, is a sport that demands consistency long before it delivers results.
“I like that the amount of work you put in really shows,” Near said. “You can be athletic and that can help, but to be really good at wrestling, you have to put in a lot of work to get to where you want to be, and doing the extra stuff as well almost every day. Most people don’t see all of the work that gets put in. There are little changes in moves that will make wrestlers better.”
ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
BOX OFFICE HOURS: TUESDAY - FRIDAY 10:00AM - 5:00PM (815) 244-2035
Near’s high school coaches, head coach Brody Ivey and assistant coach Adam Meenen, have seen Near’s persistence pay off, too.
“The work ethic in this kid is phenomenal,” Meenen said. “Going out on the weekends to do extra stuff, you never have to ask him to do anything extra, he’s always wrestling on the weekend or doing whatever to help that.”
Near has come a long way since getting his first taste of wrestling, back when he was in preschool, where the wins and pins didn’t come as easily. He didn’t wrestle again until grade school, having been inspired by the high school wrestling tales his father, Aaron Near, shared. Aaron, a 2002 Franklin Center High School graduate, wrestled for the Ashton-Franklin Center Raiders and was a sectional qualifier his senior year.
When an opportunity to participate once more in the sport presented itself through the Clipper Wrestling Club in Amboy, Near pounced on it.
“My dad would tell me about how he wrestled in high school, and I would think back to that,” Near said. “They passed out a paper in class one time, I gave it to my dad, and I wanted to do it.”
The Clipper Wrestling Program competed in the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation, and its tournaments often involved kids paired against one another not just by weight, but also by their grade level. When Near entered high school, he caught on to how high school wrestling involved sometimes freshmen like him wrestling against seniors, and the challenges it presented.
NEAR cont’d to page 18
Near credits his time with the Clipper Club for developing his attack strategies, reaction times, turns and scrambling to make him the wrestler he has become at Newman.
“It was a pretty awesome experience starting off from being in IKWF to high school,” Near said. “It was definitely way different; instead of tournaments every weekend, there are also dual meets, and having to manage your weight throughout the year. The style of wrestling is also way different in high school than from IKWF, in my opinion. You could wrestle kids three years older than you, if they’re a senior and wrestling a freshman, instead of wrestling a kid who’s your exact age. It changes things up a little bit.”
Freshman jitters weren’t a thing for Near; he won all but six matches his first year, and through a sectional semifinal win against Richmond-Burton’s Lelan Nelson — in a 1 minute, 18 second fall — made him a state qualifier. He placed second in the sectional and went 4-2 at state.
During his days with the Clipper Club, Near would join teammates on day trips to watch the high school wrestlers compete at state, and hoped one day he would be the one being watched. It didn’t take him very long to get there.
“It was pretty cool,” Near said. “As a little kid, we used to come down and watch it, and see these great matches from these high school wrestlers. Now I’m the person that those little kids in the stands are watching.”
Bumping up a weight class to 113 for his sophomore season, he cut his loss total in half and was unbeaten during December and February. His losses
came within a 15-day span during a challenging stretch in January, including two to Swanson. They met again at the Byron Sectional for its championship, where Near dispatched his first two opponents with first-period pins. He defeated Swanson 7-4, having scored an early takedown and didn’t look back after that.
That win brought Near more confidence and helped him on his path toward a state championship, he said.
“Augustus, I knew I could beat him throughout the year, and we had some close matches,” Near said. “After I beat him, I was kind of like, ‘I know what I got to do now.’ After sectionals, somebody asked me if I think I’d see him at state again, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m almost positive that’s what is going to happen.’”
Indeed they did meet. Near scored a fall in 1:30 in his first state match, and won decisions of 5-1 and 7-4 in his next two matches to meet with Swanson again. He fared even better than in the previous meeting, shutting him out 7-0 to capture the state title.
Monday 7am-2pm Tuesday & Thursday 7am-3pm Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 7am-8pm Sunday 7am-2pm
Top left: Near gets a hold of Mercer County’s Boston Morford’s leg in the 113-pound finals Jan. 31, during the Class 1A Wrestling Regionals. Top center: Near throws Princeton’s Augustus Swanson in the 113-pound first-place match Feb. 14 during the Class 1A wrestling sectionals. Top right: Near wrestles Richmond-Burton’s Lelan Nelson during the 61st annual Lyle King tournament in 2024. Bottom: Near celebrates winning the state 1A 113-pound title Feb. 21 at the IHSA wrestling finals. / PHOTOS: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM
His strategy this time around? Stay out of Swanson’s front headlock, because that’s where he had scored most of his points on him throughout the season, Near said.
“He almost scored a takedown in the first period, but I fought a pretty hard cross-face to get to his leg, and finished it off from that,” Near said. “I ran some legs on top in the second period, and I took him down in the third period and rode legs, which during the season I couldn’t from down when he was on bottom, but the legs kind of changed the game.”
As the third period went by, Near started to notice the crowd cheering him on — something he usually blocked out in a tough competition. When the clock hit 0:00 and the buzzer sounded, it was a moment that became etched in his mind for what’s sure to be a long time.
“Everything kind of blacked out, and I realized what I had just did,” Near said. “I looked to the crowd and everyone’s cheering. The crowd definitely helped with the momentum, and I then could hear them in the background. During my match, I couldn’t really notice them because I was so locked in, I guess, but afterward — that was a great feeling.”
His run didn’t happen in isolation. Newman went 21-6 in dual meets this year, building the kind of environment where wrestlers like Near could thrive.
“Coming into the year, we all knew the potential he had, what he was going to do, and being on a mission to win a state title,” coach Meenan said. “That was his plan, and we saw it from day one. Each week, you just knew, yeah, he’s going to get it done. He’s a great kid, and is one of those kids who you want to coach and be a part of. He’s always going the extra mile, and keeping everyone on a tight rope.”
NEAR cont’d to page 21
Near
He plans
compete at the
U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota in July, looking to improve on a 1-2 record from his time there a year ago. And with two more years of high school left, there are two more state titles to win. That, Near said, is tougher to do, and he’s cognizant of knowing the responsibility of being a defending champion.
“Now that I’ve won state, I’m probably going to have target on my back,” Near said. “A lot of people say it’s harder to stay at the top than getting to the top. Everyone’s looking to beat you. You have stuff to lose now; you’re not the person with nothing to lose.”
For all the focus on what’s next, there’s still time to appreciate what’s already been accomplished. Still, the significance of the moment hasn’t been lost on him.
“It feels amazing, really,” Near said. “All of the hard work is finally adding up to something and getting me to achieve my goals, and taking me to places that I’ve dreamed of as a beginner. Last year, it was possible to get it done, but it didn’t work or end up happening the way I wanted, but I wound up doing it this year to make up for it.”
Beyond the wins and titles, it’s the approach that continues to carry him forward.
“There’s always doubt in the back of your head somewhere. You pretty much have to have a clear mind, and think that’s it’s just a wrestling match, really. That’s exactly what I think about before I walk out for my match, just not overthinking it, think that if you did [win], how awesome it would be, not worrying about losing, and staying confident.” n
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
Newman Central Catholic wrestlers have placed in the Top 6 in each year of the Illinois High School Association State Tournament in all but four years since 2000; in two of those years (2021 and 2022), no tournament was held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Landon Near is the 26th Newman wrestler to win an IHSA state championship, and those wrestlers have collectively won 38 state championships since 1977.
A Paw Paw business owner not only created a place where people can buy farm-fresh meat and garden-fresh produce, baked goods, and other items with a local flavor, but somewhere they can feel right at home pulling up a chair and enjoying their community’s company
Whether it’s a free cup of coffee or a cinnamon roll that helps change a life,
“Giving back is a big thing,”
says Eight Acres and Bakers owner Liz Karlsson.
ood isn’t always just about food.
Oftentimes, food is tied to something larger — conversation over a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, the smell of freshbaked bread, experiencing new tastes or enjoying familiar favorites, and the simple comfort of gathering with friends to share a meal.
For Liz Karlsson, creating such an atmosphere was part of a vision for her baked goods and produce business.
Karlsson owns Eight Acres and Bakers in Paw Paw, with both a brick-and-mortar shop downtown and farm stand shed a half-mile south of town, called the Little Blue Shed. At both locations, she sells baked goods, noodles, soups, jellies, vegetables (including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers) and black Angus meat from the cows that she and her husband John raise.
Prior to opening her doors downtown, Karlsson had been selling artisan breads and other baked goods for around 25 years at farmers markets, before opening the shed four years ago. A few years later, she opened her downtown location, in July 2025, in a storefront recently vacated by The Liquor Store. The business is an endeavor that not only sells items to the community, but also fosters it by offering a large community table where people can gather every Friday and Saturday afternoon for conversation, coffee and breakfast.
The idea of making her business more than just a store came by design once she established a vision for what she wanted her downtown location to look like.
EIGHT ACRES cont’d to page 24
“When this came up for sale, I had people tell me that I should buy it and put start baking here,” Karlsson said. “When we walked in here, it had been a liquor store, and I had absolutely no vision for what it would look like. We bought this and just started tearing down walls and gutted the whole place. When we got it bare, I got a vision on how I wanted things to look like.”
The seeds of the community table were planted early, when Karlsson worked at a coffee shop as a teen in her hometown of Earlville. She saw firsthand how having a gathering place benefited people who yearned to get out of the house and interact with others.
When she opened the downtown shop, a friend helped her kickstart the idea of the table — and people’s mornings — by
donating enough coffee so that she could offer it free for a month to those who joined the table. Then others kept doing the same, and “Nobody’s paid for coffee since I opened up,” Karlsson said.
The table has been a favorite gathering place for people — and for Karlsson, its greatest success has been one that’s felt close to home. Her father-in-law Karl has been dealing with some health problems recently, she said, and his seat at the table has helped him during a challenging time.
“He likes being able to come down and sit and visit,” Karlsson said. “I think it’s helped him a lot to be able to be with people. They’re so nice to him, and it’s been good for him.”
She’s heard how others have benefited, too. Someone once told her, “‘I met more people in the last two weeks than I had in the last two years,’” Karlsson recalled. “That’s kind of what this is.”
Breakfasts have been served at the table since March, with Karlsson selling her homemade egg casserole and biscuits and gravy. As of mid-April, she was entertaining the idea of offering a lunch menu and cold brew coffees and espressos.
When there’s not a crowd at the table on Saturday afternoons, it’s occasionally used
for pasta parties, where Karlsson teaches people how to make tortellini. They have been popular for couples parties, girls birthdays, bible study groups, and some have even combined the occasion with a wine party, she said. The parties are capped off with a tortellini meal from their own creations, served with a loaf of bread and salad.
“That’s been a big thing,” Karlsson said. “It’s been a lot of fun. Someone told me that I should teach people how to make tortellinis, and I’m like, ‘Yeah. I probably should.’ I got to thinking about it, and I thought that if I wanted to teach them to make them, I want everybody to sit down and share a meal together after we made them. It’s been a lot of fun meeting a lot of different people.”
Karlsson’s baked goods remain the backbone of the business. What started with loaves baked in cast iron pots expanded after purchasing a bread oven capable of producing more loaves. Her breads come in flavors such as cheddar, jalapeño, asiago, garlic and tomato basil, varieties she hopes to eventually use for sandwiches once lunch service begins. Cinnamon rolls, however, have become her signature item and carry a purpose beyond the pastry case — inspired by a mission trip she went on a couple of years ago through the Cup of Cold Water Christian missionary in Sheridan.
ACRES cont’d to page 28
The business’ Little Blue Shed, 652 Paw Paw Road, is open from May to October with payments made on an honors system.
EIGHT
EIGHT
Eight Acres’ inventory doesn’t have to travel far — it goes from farm to shelf and shed, at both Karlsson’s downtown Paw Paw storefront and the Little Blue Shed about a halfmile outside of town.
ROCK FALLS, IL STAY
JULY
- PLAY - EXPLORE
7/2 | INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
7/11 | ROCK RIVER JAZZ BAND CONCERT 7/18 | EATS ‘N’ BEATS @ THE DISTRICT
AUGUST
8/1 | GEORGE FEST
8/8 | EATS ‘N’ BEATS @ THE DISTRICT
8/15-16 | AQUA PALOOZA/ROCK FALLS RIVER CHASE
8/22 | ROCK RIVER JAZZ BAND CONCERT
8/29 | ART IN THE PARK SCULPTURE WALK/OUTDOOR ART GALLERY
SEPTEMBER
9/12 | TASTE OF FIESTA 9/19 | FIESTA DAY PARADE 9/26 | TACO THROWDOWN FESTIVAL 9/27-28 | FALL & FANTASY FESTIVAL
OCTOBER
10/3 | LUMBERJACK SHOW 10/27 | SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN LIGHTED GOLF CART & UTV PARADE 10/30 | BIZZ BOO TRICK-OR-TREAT
“I went on a mission trip with Cup of Cold Water, and I didn’t know that you had to raise your own money for your own mission trip, and this is how I raised the money,” Karlsson said. “I say I baked my way to Mexico, because that’s where we went. Every month I donate money to Cup of Cold Water through a portion of the cinnamon rolls.”
“Every cinnamon roll helps change a life,” she said.
Beyond breads and cinnamon rolls, Karlsson also sells cookies, pies — strawberry and rhubarb are a specialty — and frozen meal-prep dishes such as cream chicken with biscuits and lasagnas. Some of her baked goods are also stocked at Pfeiffer’s Farm Market in Ashton and The Farm Basket in Somonauk. She’s also made space at her shop for several home-based business owners to sell products including towels, candles and hair scrunchies.
people, and pasta, to the table ... Eight Acres does more than just sell food, it provides a place where people can come together, at the community table (above), and where they can also pick up some pasta pointers, during Karlsson’s occasional pasta parties (right). “It’s been a lot of fun,” she said.
Meanwhile, on their 8-acre farm, the Karlssons grow vegetables and raise cows, Nigerian Dwarf goats, and chickens. Meat from the cows is processed in Rock Falls. About 15 to 20 chickens are at the farm at any given time. This year, Karlsson has recruited her grandson Gunnar to manage the vegetable garden. The farm’s Little Blue Shed is open from May to October, and payments are done through an honors system.
It was John’s idea to have cows.
“It’s been very interesting,” she said. “We went into this blindly, just trying to learn about stuff — especially when the cows started having babies. One time we weren’t sure what we were doing, and the cow that had the baby, we ended up having to pull it because it had a hard time. We laugh about it. We take care of our cows, pet them, and feed them the right stuff.”
Giving back to their community doesn’t end with hosting a table and offering baked goods and locally grown meat and vegetables. The Karlssons also built a small food pantry cupboard across the street from their store and keep it well stocked, viewing even small acts of kindness as part of the business they built.
“Giving back is a big thing,” Karlsson said. “We’re so blessed with everything that we have that we try to give back to others, too.” n
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
Private Recreational Camp Resort 815-849-5209 www.woodhavenassociation.com 509 LaMollie Rd. Sublette, IL
More info
Eight Acres and Bakers, 341 Chicago Road in Paw Paw, is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The business’ Little Blue Shed, 652 Paw Paw Road, is open from May to October with payments made on an honors system. Find it on Facebook, go to https://eightacrefarmnet.com/, email karlsson2766@ gmail.com or call 815-766-2216 for more information.
So Much to See. So Much to Do. Hiking. Woodlands. Nature. Lakes. WiFi. Pools. Crafts. Movies. Pavilions. Arcade. Disc Golf. Mini Golf. Day Camp. Basketball. Live Music. Fireworks. Painting Parties. Open Markets. Volleyball. Shuffleboard. Car Show. Paddleboats. Sledding. Farmers Markets. Campfires. Fishing. Tournaments. Pickleball. Acoustic Nights. 5K/3K. Haunted House. Canoeing. Anything That Floats. Horseshoes. Aqua Zumba. Clubs. Scavenger Hunts. Kayaking. Food Fairs. Picnics.
Long before computer inventories, online marketing and electric vehicle certifications, a Sublette family was selling cars in their hometown with handwritten paperwork, face-to-face conversations and a philosophy simple enough to fit on a note card: Treat people right.
Even though pen and paper has largely given way in the sales world to keyboards and computers, the approach of courtesy and trust has carried through four generations of owning a car dealership, from founder Ralph Vaessen to the family who’s followed and are still working the showroom, service and parts departments today.
At Vaessen Brothers Chevrolet, business has long relied on something less corporate and more familiar. It’s when customers are greeted by name and where family members work throughout the dealership — and every few years, anniversary open houses and classic car shows bring customers back not just to browse, but to reconnect.
It’s the kind of familiarity that has helped sustain the dealership across four generations of family ownership, and this year, the dealership is celebrating 100 years in business, marking a full century since Ralph began selling cars in 1926.
Internet manager and marketing specialist Kourtney Vaessen represents the fourth generation of her family to work at the dealership. For her, and the rest of her family, the milestone is more than just a business anniversary, she said.
VAESSEN cont’d to page 32
ABOVE: “When people come through the door, they can feel it and sense that it’s familyowned,” Greg Vaessens said. “They feel comfortable when they come through the door.” ... Three generations of Vaessens continue to run Vaessen Brothers in Sublette. From left: Jeff, Neal, Reece, Kourtney, Greg and Nick Vaessen. ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@ SHAWMEDIA.COM
PHOTO
VAESSEN cont’d from page 31
“I personally feel this is huge,” Kourtney said. “Being in a small town, it just shows that we’re doing something right, bringing customers in from the suburbs and from local families.”
What started as a general car dealership that sold a variety of brands, became exclusively Chevrolet in 1933, when Ralph’s brother, Paul Vaessen, joined the operation. The dealership has remained a Chevrolet dealer ever since.
In 1952, the brothers built a gas station, service center and showroom on the northeast corner of U.S. Route 52 and Main Street, where the business operated for 25 years. The building is now the Roadhouse pub. The dealership moved to its current location about a half-mile northwest
in 1977. Around that same time, Ralph’s son, Neal Vaessen, and Neal’s wife, Donna, purchased Ralph’s half of the partnership. Neal later bought Paul’s share in 1980, consolidating ownership under the next generation. Neal’s brother, Ron, also was part of the business for many years.
Over the following decades, three of Neal’s sons — Greg, Jeff and Nick Vaessen — joined the business during the 1980s and 1990s for a third generation, eventually helping usher in a fourth generation of family involvement in the 2000s, including Greg’s daughter Kourtney and Jeff’s son Reece. Today, Nick serves as general and sales manager, Greg oversees fixed operations, and Jeff manages parts.
For Vaessen Brothers’ customers, the family structure is part of what has kept people returning.
cont’d to page 33
“The family aspect makes a big difference, knowing that it’s family-run, family-owned,” Kourtney said. “You’re going to get a good experience and we want everyone to be treated like family when they come in. It’s pretty much one or two people handling your entire process, which is nice. We try to make it a personalized experience.”
Greg Vaessen said that atmosphere is something customers notice immediately.
“When people come through the door, they can feel it and sense that it’s family-owned,” Greg said. “They feel comfortable when they come through the door, and won’t feel like it’s a big corporate thing or anything like that. You’re trying to help small-town America.”
That small-town approach to business has helped sustain a surprisingly broad customer base. Neal, who has gradually stepped away from the business in recent years but still pops in every now and again, has seen many changes in more
than a half-century in the business.
In a town of about 350, where they sell about twice as many vehicles as there are people, the Vaessens’ name draws people from near and far.
“There are people who come in from all over the Midwest … ,” Neal said.
“Last year, we sold 300 new and about the same number in used.”
Sublette’s agricultural roots have also helped shape the dealership’s business over time. The village’s farming community continues to drive strong truck sales, while other customers’ preferences have shifted significantly over the decades.
“It used to be a lot of cars that we’d sell,” Neal said. “Now there’s a lot of people buying SUVs, trucks, Suburbans, Tahoes and Equinoxes.”
Even as the dealership remains grounded in its rural customer base, it has adapted with the times. It is certified to sell and service electric vehicles, even if demand in the area has been limited so far.
“In our area, it’s not that big of a deal, but it will be eventually,” Greg said.
“We don’t sell a lot of them because of the certain area we’re in. It’s how it is, but we can sell them and service them.”
Still, some reminders of the dealership’s earlier days remain tucked away. Greg said the business still has old boxes of handwritten paperwork stored on site. Across generations, however, one philosophy has remained largely unchanged in the family.
“Just treat everybody right, as best you can,” Neal said, referring to the best advice he got from his father.
It’s a lesson that’s been handed down from generation to generation, Greg said.
“Treat the customers right. If you screw something up, make sure you fix it. That seems to be working with how people seem to like us. People drive a long ways to come see us. They like our mentality, our attitude, and being easy going. There’s a lot of people who walk in the door who we know by first name.”
VAESSEN cont’d to page 35
Specialty Magazines
VAESSEN cont’d from page 33
To celebrate the centennial, Vaessen Brothers is planning a 100th anniversary open house later this year, with details still being finalized. The dealership traditionally hosts an open house every five years, often featuring a classic car show with vehicles representing each decade the business has been in operation.
Kourtney is looking forward to the reunions and memories once again.
“This job, you meet and see so many people,” she said. “You make friends. I really look forward to the anniversary parties because you get to see everybody. Your customers come and want to say hi. It’s a good time for everybody to get together.”
For Kourtney, one of the biggest rewards of working in the business has been something that’s’ not measured in the ledger books, but the family album. It’s something she hopes she can instill in any future Vaessens who wish to be a part of the family tradition.
“Grandpa always says if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” she said. “It’s true. As a grandkid, I’ve had more time to spend with my grandparents than some people have, and it’s been something that I’ve been fortunate for.” n
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
More info
Vaessen Brothers Chevrolet, 505 N. Pennsylvania Ave. in Sublette, is open from 7 a.m. To 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Saturday; the parts and service department closes at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and noon Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to vaessenbrothers.com or call 877-244-2457 for sales or 877-220-6199 for parts and service.
Start Here
At Better Living at Liberty Court, our Signature Memory Care Programming, Better Days, is a direct reflection of the Better Living mission: To love generously, serve passionately, and elevate every moment for our residents, families, and team members.
Better Day focuses on making every moment meaningful by combining compassionate care with purposeful initiatives:
Moments of Joy Memory Treasures
Celebrating the small, daily moments that bring happiness, like a favorite song, a warm smile, or a cherished memory.
Collaborating with residents and families to honor life stories and experiences, and create emotional connections that last.
Every aspect of the program—from the way team members connect with residents to the design of daily activities—is intentionally crafted to bring joy, dignity, and purpose to each day.
It’s more than a care approach; it’s a commitment to living out our mission in every interaction.
Better Together
Actively involving families in care decisions, offering support groups, and providing resources to educate.
