SVM_Sterling Rock Falls Living_Spring 2022

Ready for fun, player one? You’ll find it at a Rock Falls pub

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rch A Sterling chu ng is showing you people that mixed martial arts is about more than just getting their ut kicks; it ’s abo getting closer to God — and themselves

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Ever wonder where Sterling parks got their names?

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Where Is It, in Sterling?

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Call 815-632-2531 or e-mail news@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Sterling-Rock Falls 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.

inside Therein lies a tale

While strolling through a park one day, did you ever wonder how it got its name? We’ll tell you, in this first installment of a two-part series on Twin City parks.

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Thinking outside the boxer

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Ready for fun, player one?

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DeSIGNS for you

It’s a bar, it’s an arcade — it’s a barcade, and it’s a place where everyone’s invited to enjoy the fun and games.

Former fighter finds a new purpose in life: showing young people that mixed martial arts is about more than just getting their kicks; it’s about getting closer to God — and themselves.

Where there’s a mill, there’s a way to share whimsical words of wisdom, inspiring messages and more, courtesy of a husbandand-wife team of word-worker.

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Where Is It in Sterling/Rock Falls?

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An occasional feature of Sterling-Rock Falls 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.

These lights are strictly old school These lights don’t get their signals crossed anymore, but they used to, back when they helped keep kids safe in Sterling. Do you know where they are?

ANSWER ON PAGE 39.

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For some, what a park is called may be all that preserves its namesake’s memory in most people’s minds. But there are stories behind those names, and each park is a reminder of the people who contributed more than just their name; they contributed something to their community or their country.

More than 30 different parks dot Sterling and Rock Falls’ landscape. Some of their names were forged in steel, others honor long-gone local luminaries who are no longer in the spotlight. One honors a man who fought to preserve a nation conceived in liberty and others honor those who gave their lives to protect it. One was even named just for the “Heck” of it.

In this issue of Sterling-Rock Falls Living, we’ll take a look at Sterling’s parks and help answer the question: What’s in a name? In the next issue, out in July, we’ll do the same with Rock Falls parks.

Story begins next page ...

rowing up in the Twin Cities, a trip to the park was a chance to get out of the house, run wild in the wide open spaces and have fun.

There were playgrounds to

By Cody Cutter play on and trails to explore.

Sauk Valley Media Maybe you swung on the monkey bars and climbed the jungle gyms. Or you went up and down on a see-saw, wobbled back and forth on a spring-mounted duck, or went around and around on a merry-go-round. In the winter, there were hills to sled and snowmen to build.

As adults, parks are a place where you can enjoy the fresh air, take a break from the grind, relax and unwind. Maybe you’re catching up with cousins at a family reunion or flipping burgers at a cookout. Or you dropped a line and waited for the fish to bite.

Some had places set aside for sports and games. Tennis, anyone? How about some hoops?

Whatever you did, you had fun — but did you ever wonder where the parks got their name?

EVEN SQUIRRELS ARE NUTS ABOUT PARKS, LIKE THIS LITTLE FELLA AT SINNISSIPPI PARK. | ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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HEZEKIAH BRINK

Located on East Fourth Street downtown, across from the post office, this park was named for its general location in the city’s early days. It’s home to the Grandon Civic Center bandshell, which hosts concerts throughout the year, including the Sterling Municipal Bands’ “Music Under the Stars” series.

It features audience seating, a shelter, and the Soldiers’ Monument (at left), which includes names of area service members who gave their lives in service to Union forces from 1861 to 1865 ALEX PASCHAL/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

The grassy boulevard area along Broadway between Fourth and Fifth avenues only has grass and trees, but if it weren’t for the person the park is named after, there might not have been a park — or a Sterling. Named for the city’s founder, Hezekiah Brink, the area once was the dividing line between Sterling’s two predecessor towns, Harrisburg and Chatham, that later merged to form the current city. The park was dedicated during Sterling’s centennial in 1932, and a small boulder commemorates the event.

CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

It’s both the name of a park and the subdivision west of Sterling that it’s in, which was established in 1953. Both are named after Douglas Gray Harvey Jr., who was an executive at the Whiteside County Airport during the 1950s. He was once married to Crete Dillon Bowman, granddaughter of longtime Northwestern Steel and Wire President P. W. Dillon. The latter owned land that would one day become the nearby Steelton subdivision. The park is adjacent to houses along Chestnut Street, Douglas Street and Harvey Boulevard.

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The small park at Locust and East Second Street, named for Alice and Howard Dale, features trees, flowers, benches and walkways. It once was the site of Tano’s tavern, owned by the Dale Family. Alice also founded the Dale Dance Studio in town.

When the tavern burned down in the mid-1980s, the family donated the property to the city and reopened next door.

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Named for Fred Eberley (left), owner of the longtime downtown family drug store (above) at the northwest corner of Locust and Third Street in Sterling. The wooded area off of West LeFevre Road and Lynn Boulevard, is known for its 1.5-mile walking course. Eberley donated the land to the park district in 1955. The walking path opened in 1978.

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Cannon losing the battle against time

CITY OF STERLING

W. F. FLOCK IS SEEN HERE IN A 1910 PUBLICATION OF PROMINENT STERLING RESIDENTS. THOUGH HIS DAYS AS SUCH ARE LONG PAST, THE PARK NAMED IN HIS HONOR IS STILL PROMINENT; IT’S LOCATED JUST OFF ONE OF THE CITY’S MAIN THOROUGHFARES.

This park, bounded by Locust and Eighth streets and Avenue B, and also known as Triangle Park, consists of a garden area and features a M1897 3.2-inch field gun in honor of the fallen American soldiers from the U.S.S. Maine, destroyed at Havana Harbor in Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. W. F. Flock (left), for whom the park is named, served during that war and later became a prominent grain and insurance salesman. He was Sterling’s last survivor of that war, having died in 1961.

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The city is putting out a call to arms to help restore the weather-beaten cannon at Flock Park.

The wooden wheels and the metal on the underside are in need of repair, and city officials are looking for “someone out there [who] has either the resources or know-how or connections to people who can help save the cannon,” the city posted on its Facebook page in February.

Those who have the skills and experience, or who know a person or business that does, are asked to provide that information in the comments on the post.

“We’d also welcome someone with the right expertise to adopt this project and act as an advocate to help us through the restoration process,” the post said.

Find City of Sterling – City Hall on Facebook if you can help.

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ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEY.COM

ROCK FALLS SHORTSTOP CHASE CHAPPELL GOES AFTER A GROUNDER DURING A 2019 GAME AT GARTNER PARK .

Carl Gartner owned Gartner’s Shoe Store downtown for nearly six decades, having started business in 1908. He was still alive when the 26-acre park just east of Eberley Park on West LeFevre Road was named for him in 1961. The park has a small playground and several baseball diamonds.

Harry E.C. Kidd (above) — better known by his initials, and the byline he used for sports stories in the Daily Gazette, as “Heck” — was involved in local journalism in both sports and news for 60 years, from 1906 to his death in 1966, when he was the newspaper’s sports editor. The park at Woodburn Avenue and West Seventh St. was established in 1976 and is home to Sterling’s junior tackle football teams.

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SVM FILE PHOTO

For more than 7 decades, the Hoover Family settled in the area around the former Woodlawn School. By the early 1940s, their property included the woods behind Sinnissippi Park. The Sterling Park District purchased the Hoover property shortly after the passing of Edward N. Hoover in 1941 to provide an eastern exit to Sinnissippi, and it later became a park of its own. It features playground equipment, picnic tables and grills. The park has hosted the city’s annual Pumpkin Dash (above) in years past.

This multiblock tract on Sterling’s northwest side, just a few blocks west of CGH Medical Center, was once home to the farm of William M. Kilgour (above), who was a brigadier general during the Civil War. He came to Sterling in 1837 with his parents, and later acquired of the property. In Sterling, he taught school and then practiced law, earning the honor of practicing at the U.S. Supreme Court level. The land became a park in 1936. It features a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts and paved walking paths.

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SVM FILE PHOTO FROM EAGLES KEEPING THEIR EYES PEELED FOR FISH IN THE RIVER TO DUCKS AND GEESE SCOOPING UP BREAD, BIRDS FLOCK TO LAWRENCE PARK.

Sterling’s gateway to the pedestrian bridge to Rock Falls over the Rock River, the riverfront walkway park is near the Union Pacific railroad tracks by the Dillon Home.

Martin is both the middle name of Northwestern Steel and Wire founder Washington Martin Dillon (illustration at left), and his grandson, Martin Dillon (illustration at right).

TERRY WINCHELL OF STERLING BAITS HIS HOOK IN 2020 AT OPPOLD MARINA.

This origin of this name shouldn’t be too hard to figure out: It’s named for Abraham Lincol, who visited Sterling on July 18, 1856, to speak at a rally for presiCODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA dential candidate John C. Fremont. The park at 16th Avenue and East Fourth St./Lincoln Highway has been owned by the city for more than 125 years. It’s not far from Lincoln Grade School and it features basketball courts, and playground equipment.

Named for former Sterling Park District president Harry Edward Oppold, who also owned the G. E. Bishop Printing Company in town and was an accountant at one time. The park, at the end of Stouffer Road along the Rock River, opened in 1972, 15 years after his death.

It features boat slips, picnic shelters and playground areas.

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The Sterling Park District’s first park, organized in 1925, is named after Lawrence Brothers co-founder John H. Lawrence, in honor of the thousands of dollars the family dontated to the park. The island park between Sterling and Rock Falls, once known as Picnic Island, once had a lagoon, out- CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA door swimming pool and bait shop at one time. Today, it features a boat launching area, grills, horseshoe courts, playground equipment and shelters.

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A MOUNTAIN BIKER GRABS SOME AIR AT THE PLATT PAR PUMP TRACK.

The city-owned park on Sterling’s northeast side, off of East 17th Street near Calvary Cemetery, is named for Addison J. Platt, former alderman and mayor from 1913 to 1917 and again from 1927 to his death in 1928.

He was the first mayor under Sterling’s commission form of government. Platt owned a potato planter manufacturing business for many years as well. The park opened in 1950. Today, it features a baseball diamond along with a pump track for mountain bikers looking for a challenging and fun experience.

SVM FILE PHOTO

Bob Propheter owned a successful construction company in town, and in the 1980s, bought the land bordered by Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue and Seventh Street, which had been home to the former Central School for more than 130 years.

Propheter, whose company built local institutions such as Northland Mall and Sauk Valley Community College, donated the block of land to the Sterling Park District in 1986. It features basketball courts and playground equipment. It’s also the site where Abraham Lincoln spoke during a Republican rally at the park in 1856, and a statue of Lincoln commemorates the event.

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CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

This two-block park at the south end of 14th Avenue once was just one block, named 14th Avenue Park. The Redfield Family owned the 4.2-acre block to the west and lived in a large two-story house on the corner of East Second Street and 13th Avenue. The house was later razed, but the family continued to own the block until 2008, with former Kraft Foods of Milledgeville manager Royal Redfield owning it the longest. The entire park was renamed upon purchase of the Redfield tract. The park features playground equipment and trail access.

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The city’s premiere park, located off Sinnissippi Road and East 13th Street, is named for the Sac and Fox Indian tribes’ name for the Rock River. It features picnic shelters, trails, a disc golf course, playground equipment, restrooms, fishing, a ball diamond and more. It’s also the site of Indian burial mounds, and at one time, featured a toboggan sled, which many people still fondly recall.

SINNISSIPPI PARK OFFERS FAMILIES YEAR-ROUND ENJOYMENT: DISC GOLF, TRAILS, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, A BALL DIAMOND, SCENIC VIEWS AND MORE, INCLUDING A PERFECT PLACE FOR SOME SLEDDING, OR A SPOT FOR SOME DADDY/DAUGHTER TIME, TOSSING A BOOMERANG (RIGHT). | SVM FILE PHOTOS

One of the first great high school sports coaches of the Twin Cities, Theodore G. Scheid coached basketball and football at Rock Falls High School in the mid-1920s before enjoying a long and successful teaching and administrative career at Sterling High School, where he coached football and track. He later served on the park board before his death in 1958; the west end park at Woodburn and West 11th Street was named for him 10 years later. It features playground equipment, basketball courts and restrooms.

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Named for former park district president and board member Ralph A. Thomas, the new park got its name shortly after his death in 1968. It’s along Lynn Blvd. and 12th Avenue on Sterling’s north side. It features tennis courts, basketball hoops, playground equipment and a pond that’s a favorite spot for local fishers and ice skaters. It’s also home to the recently opened Dogwood Acres Dog Park

SVM FILE PHOTO MELANIE MEDINA PLAYS ON THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WALLACE PARK.

The father-and-son duo of Hugh Wallace and James M. Wallace were influential in Sterling’s early development. Hugh was a lawyer who served in Springfield as both a state representative and senator. James, a Civil War veteran, owned the Wallace House hotel downtown and built the Mercantile Building that still stands on West Third Street and Avenue B. James also was the first superintendent of Wallace School, which also bears his name. The block-sized park is bounded

by Sixth and Seventh streets and Avenues G and H, about a block from Wallace Educational Center. It features playground equipment and basketball hoops.

NATHAN LUDWICK OF ROCK FALLS WAITS FOR A BITE AT THOMAS PARK. ALEX PASCHAL/ SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

More

INFO

Sterling Park District

District parks make up 525 acres and feature 14 parks, 7 miles of bike paths, access to the Rock River via tow boat ramps, the Emerald Hill 18-hole golf course, 27-hole disc golf course at Sinnissippi Park, tennis courts, pickleball courts, fishing ponds and much more. Go to sterlingparks. org or find it on Facebook for more information. It is the largest park system in Whiteside County and is

governed by an elected five-member board of commissioners. Call 815-622-6200, go to sterlingparks. org or find it on Facebook for more information.

Sterling City Parks In addition to having a park district, the City of Sterling operates a handful of parks as well; three of which, Central, Lincoln and Wallace, are the three oldest in town. Call 815-632-6657 or go to sterling-il.gov/193/ Public-Works for more information.

... And don’t forget: More park names are coming around — for Rock Falls parks — in the next issue of Sterling-Rock Falls Living, out in July.

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By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

hen a hand becomes a fist, it’s not always looking for a fight.

Sometimes, it’s helping young people find meaning in their life.

If that sounds like a mixed message, it’s not. It’s a mixed martial arts message, and the man behind a local ministry is spreading the word.

Juan Castillo of Amazing Grace Church in Sterling has combined a combat sport and religion and turned the seemingly unlikely duo into a dynamic, life-changing experience at Muay Thai Ministries.

MUAY THAI cont’d to page 20

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MUAY THAI cont’d from page 19 Muay Thai was developed about 600 years ago as a means of defense, using a person’s entire body as a weapon. It’s known as the “art of eight limbs,” as it uses eight points of contact: fists, elbows, knees and feet. It’s the national sport of Thailand, and in recent years, its popularity has spread to the Western world, and it’s even become an Olympic sport.

But for Castillo, it’s way to help young people.

Castillo, who often goes by the nickname “Lalo,” is a former kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter who believes that Muay Thai’s Muay Thai Minmethods and the disciistries isn’t as much plines behind it can be tial ar m a g rin te as m t a part of the greater abou lessons in good. Not only can it art as it is learning egrity, humility, help improve body, int t, ec sp re e, nc tie pa sic core values. spirit and the mind, perseverance and ba Bible are often he said, but it can Scriptures from the e the ministry’s also bring people used to help promot ining peo- closer to Jesus Christ. message. “I’m not tra tructor ple to fight ,” said ins MUAY THAI cont’d to page 21 .

Juan Castillo

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MUAY THAI cont’d from page 20 His fighting days behind him, Castillo has turned to training teens in the art of kickboxing through the church’s Muay Thai Ministries — but it’s more like preaching in the long run. Sure, there are kicks and punches, but not without lessons from the scriptures and stories from the Bible.

“I never won a belt, championship or anything like that, but I have the knowledge, and I know that there was a reason for it, and it’s for this, to work with kids,” Castillo said. “The best way to find meaning in your own life is to help others find meaning in theirs, and that’s what I’m doing here with the kids.”

Lessons in spirit, patience, respect, integrity, humility, perseverance and basic core values are taught. Mental training includes lessons in memory retention, confidence, self control, problem solving, adaptation and resilience. Physical training helps student improve balance, coordination, flexibility, endurance, strength and muscle tone.

All that may sound like a lot to take in, but it’s not all that different from what other self-improvement programs teach — it’s just done with pads.

Muay Thai Ministries instructor Juan "Lalo" Castillo is a former kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter.

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MUAY THAI cont’d to pages 22 & 23

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Juan "Lalo" Castillo (right) and Kristy Pipes are the leaders of Amazing Grace Church's Muay Thai Ministries, which is part of the church’s Crossfire Youth Ministries program. Castillo runs the Muay Thai Ministry and Pipes is the pastor at the church; her husband, Daniel, helps with the class, and their children, Makaylee and Brayton, have participated in the program.

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MUAY THAI cont’d from page 21 Taking part in the program not only teaches a sport, but life lessons as well, Castillo said.

“When your center of belief is strong, all of the appendages — arms, legs — are strong and can do their job,” he said. “When the core is strong, everything else is strong.”

While Muay Thai is a way to gain physical advantage over someone else, that’s not the ministry’s goal. Violence is absolutely not tolerated and is not what Castillo wants to teach; in fact, if he finds out a student is using Muay Thai in a violent way, he or she is pulled from the program.

“I stress to the students that come here that it’s a fitness program,” Castillo said. “I’m not training people to fight.”

Castillo, who fought his last bout nearly a decade ago, was trained by local fighters Trirong Khuntangta, Brent Sisson and Nick Meier, and was a regular at the former Combat Zone gym in town. His experience eventually led to occasional private lessons. Toward the end of 2020, he began thinking about ways to combine elements of faith and fighting into a ministry, and he pitched the idea to Amazing Grace’s then-pastor Loren Schlomer.

Muay Thai Ministries, which is an arm of the church’s Crossfire Youth Ministries program, had its first class in January 2021, and has averaged about six to eight kids per session, including two of current pastor Kristy Pipes’ kids, Makaylee and Brayton. Dan Pipes, Kristy’s husband, also helps out with the class; when Castillo is doing one-on-ones with students, Dan is coordinating the rest of the students as a group.

The ministry has had a profound impact on not just her own children, Kristy said, but others as well.

“It can make them feel good about themselves and getting a hold of something,” she said. “There’s so much that comes from this ministry. That’s really what we want: these kids’ wholeness, spirit, soul and body — we want them to be whole in every single way, and this is one outlet that can help provide that and help train them in those areas.

“There’s power in the word of God, and that’s what trains us to live correctly. Our heart is to reach the young generation. Young people go through so many things these days.”

MUAY THAI cont’d to page 24

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MUAY THAI cont’d from page 23 The Pipes’ children had taken part in Castillo’s private lessons before the ministry began. Kristy said that, particularly Juan with Makaylee, the training and “Lalo” Caslessons learned from training tillo helps Elizabeth with Castillo helped make her Lindquist with her more comfortable with who hand wraps, which she is and more confident in protec t the hands. herself.

SUBMITTED “Makaylee fell in love with it,” PHOTO Castillo said. “That’s where the idea came to bring it to Pastor Kristy. If one youth likes it, then maybe it’s a good idea to implement this as a youth ministry.”

Part of the basement of the church’s youth center, located across the street from the church, was remodeled into a training area when the ministry began. Lined up in the middle of the room, hanging from the ceiling, is a banana bag, boxing bag, double-end ball, and speed bag. Castillo, who plans to add another heavy bag and another speed bag in the coming months, is always thinking ahead, looking for ways to grow the program and make a difference in more young people’s lives.

MUAY THAI cont’d to page 25

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“Lalo” Castillo holds a kick pad for Brock Lehman. Traditional Muay Thai kicking can be targeted for the lower leg, knees, thighs, ribs, arms, and head. Muay Thai is known as the “art of eight limbs,” as it uses eight points of contact: fists, elbows, knees and feet.

Want to learn about how kickboxing can improve the mind and spirit?

Classes, which run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays, run in 8-week sessions at Amazing Grace Church’s Grace Center, 509 Second Ave., Sterling.

MUAY THAI cont’d from page 24

The cost is $35 for an 8-week class, or $5 for single classes.

Proceeds go toward ministry expenses.

Amazing Grace Church meets for worship every Sunday at 10 a.m.

Find Amazing Grace of Sterling on Facebook, go to revivalfires.net or call 815-625-9300 for more information.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@ SAUKVALLEY.COM

Above: The Grace Center, at 509 Second Ave. in Sterling.

At left is the church

“It’s still in its infancy, and we’re still coming up with new ideas and plans for the future of this ministry,” Castillo said. “The Lord provides it; it’s not something that just organically happens. It’s a Godplanned idea. I didn’t make this happen, and it didn’t just fall on my lap. It’s something that I’ve been praying for God to give me something to do: ‘Give me something to do, give me something to do.’ And, boom, here comes MTM.” Classes run in 8-week sessions, with 2 weeks off in between. The second class of the year began March 19, but students can join at any time.

The first class is free, and after that, the cost is $35. Proceeds go toward the ministry’s upkeep and equipment, and T-shirts for students to wear the help promote the ministry and church.

On the 1-year anniversary of the ministry in January, Castillo asked each of his students a very important question: What have you learned from it all? The answer was almost unanimous, and something that Castillo hopes remains in the future.

“They have confidence in themselves,” Castillo said. “They have their head up now, [especially] the ones who used to walk with their head down. They had this built up confidence in themselves.” n

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Castillo holds a hoop for Brayton Pipes as Makaylee Pipes and Gloria Parker look on during a drill to train students the proper punch technique: punching from low to high and over and down. Castillo said that taking part in the program not only teaches a sport, but life lessons as well.

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By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

local pub has found a winning game plan, and it’s based on a good, old-fashioned business philosophy: Show customers a

good time.

So far, that philosophy has t’s served Cochran’s Pub well, and tha l. helped the bar serve customers wel iliar, fam nds sou e nam If the business to d use n hra that’s because Dave Coc ted own Cochran’s Pub when it was loca took just south of Galt, on Galt Road. He ily fam with e tim nd spe a few years off to n whe but 6, 201 when the bar closed in ore the chance to give the bar an enc time in performance came about — this et downtown Rock Falls at Second Stre to ided dec n hra and Third Avenue — Coc , ugh tho e, get back in the game; this tim as the pub’s manager.

The new Cochran’s Pub has been and welcoming customers since 2020, s face new Cochran said he likes seeing the and familiar friends walk through try e, gam a h catc k, door to enjoy a drin and — es hin their luck at the slot mac now, plunk down some coins in the

GAME PLAY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Come on out 2. Play 3. Have a good time 4. Come back for more

bar’s arcade.

While Cochran’s has joined the crowd of other bars that are part of ond Rock Falls’ bustling night life on Sec on tap Street, Cochran says there’s more er bars. at the pub he runs than at the oth temcon s ure Cochran’s arcade feat from es, porary and classic arcade gam tries a power pellet-munching guy who to to stay ahead of the pack of ghosts en Wh e. gam ing a fast and furious driv r olde ndcustomers come into the 21-a ual virt game room, they can rev up in a or play s ball e ske roll ps, race, shoot hoo a king-sized version of

Pac-Man. “What I like about what we do now, you don’t have to be a drinker, and you don’t have to go out be a gambler. If you just want to pop and have a good time, you can still who ple peo e hav in,” Cochran said. “We just play games for hours.”

COCHRAN’S cont’d to page 28

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COCHRAN’S cont’d from page 27 The addition of the arcade games provided a way to keep it casual and give more people what they want, Cochran said. The games and gambling parlor are in separate rooms, just down a short hall off the bar.

Recalling gaming’s glory days at the former Blackhawk Arcade at Sterling’s Northland Mall, Cochran’s game room is like a trip down memory lane. The Cruis’n Blast racing game puts players in the driver’s seat for races in locations around the world. The World’s Largest Pac-Man has a nearly 6-foot tall screen with a game console a few feet back where players can enjoy the classic 1980s arcade game. The same machine also can play another arcade classic, Galaga. Plans are also in the works to welcome some other folks to the arcade, including Pitfall Harry, a traffic-dodging frog, and Mario, when upgrades to the machine will add Pitfall, Frogger and Donkey Kong.

COCHRAN’S cont’d to pages 28 & 29

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Cochran’s Pub has a Chicago vibe to it, from references to the popular Chicago-based comedy “The Blues Brothers” on the outside to a Wrigley's Field sign inside.

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Fun is the name of the game at Cochran’s Pub in Rock Falls, where manager Dave Cochran (left) invites customers to plunk some coins in the games at the bar ’s retro PHOTOS: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM arcade, and of people lot so far a have taken him up on the offer. “What I like about what we do now, you don’t have to be a drinker, and you don’t have to be a gambler.

If you just want to go out and have a good time, you can still pop in. We have people who just play games for hours.”

Among the games: A World’s Largest Pac Man video game, featuring a 6-foot-tall screen.

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COCHRAN’S cont’d from page 29 Elsewhere, there’s a pair of bowling-themed skee ball machines, and basketball games with colorful “his-and-hers” setup — neon blue lights on one lane and pink lights on the other. Game lovers will also find Big Buck Hunter Reloaded, Terminator Salvation and Golden Tee Golf , and plans are in the works to add pinball machines soon.

Cochran purposely paired up some of the machines — like they say, two can play at that game — to encourage some friendly competition and put a fun twist on date nights.

“You might not become a millionaire with arcade games, but you provide customers with something other than just drinking or gambling,” Cochran said. “You came come out here, play, and have a good time. We’re proud of that.”

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

If you’re not into arcade games, you can sit down and go for a spin at Cochran’s video gambling machines.

COCHRAN’S cont’d to page 31

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COCHRAN’S cont’d from page 30 The arcade, Cochran said, is “the coolest part of the whole place.” It’s like a mini-version of the popular national arcade/restaurant chain Dave and Busters.

Cochran said plans are also in the works for the building next door, to renovate it into a more kid-friendly arcade, with an electronic ticketing system and a snack bar — 2,300 square feet in all. The pieces are still coming together, and there’s no definite a timetable yet, but Cochran is determined to make it happen. He wants Cochran’s to be a place people of all ages can enjoy.

“One of things that we find missing is, after sporting events and things like that, when parents want to go do something with the kids and let the kids kind of be kids and entertainers,” Cochran said. “I know when we get done with [school] volleyball games, it’s nice to go out and let the kids burn off some energy before we go home.”

As for the bar, it offers ample seating where pub patrons can enjoy a drink, catch up with friends or watch a game on TV; food’s not on the menu. The bar has a Chicago vibe to it: Popular sports championship front pages from the Chicago Tribune make up part of the wallpaper; references from the “Blues Brothers” movie are scattered around; and if the Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks, Cubs or White Sox are playing, you can bet it’s going to be on TV. Cochran enjoys have something different in town, and carving out that unique niche has made running the business fun. He enjoys being back on the local business scene, giving people a place where no matter how they walk in, they’ll walk out with a smile on their face.

“I still enjoy good, friendly regular customers,” Cochran said. “I enjoy when somebody comes in, and one of our bartenders’ jobs is to introduce to each other, and then they come back and are excited because they’ve met some new people, and keep coming in for that. It’s good, old-fashioned customer service.” n

223 W. Second St., Rock Falls Open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

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Start each day with a grateful heart.

Beautiful girl, you can do amazing things ...

Life is short, lick the spoon.

Those are just a few of the phrases and whimsical words of wisdom immortalized in the crafted creations turned out by Marci and Jaime Near, the creative couple behind The Crafter’s Mill in Rock Falls.

When it comes to motivational speaking, the pair lets their fingers do the talking — painting, stenciling, engraving, whatever it takes to turn home decor and more into personalized products. Signs, handbags, stepping stones, keychains, cell phone charging mats … there’s not much they can’t customize.

You might have seen signs of their success around town.

“I enjoy meeting with the customers when they get their items, say that they love it, and then tell this person and that person,” Marci

Cody Cutter Sauk Valley Media

said. “It’s funny, we’ll see friends that we’re not even friends with on Facebook that we’ll come across a picture and go, ‘That’s one of our signs!’ Or we’re driving down the road and see one of our barnwood signs hanging in the front of their house.”

CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d to page 34

There’s no sign that demand for one of the Nears’ most popular items is slowing down. "Someone asked me 10 years ago: 'What are people going to do when they quit buying signs?’” Marci Near said. "Well, they're still buying signs ... I can't foresee them going away."

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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throughout northern Illinois and that eventually evolved into The Crafter’s Mill in 2011. At that time, Marci was still operating R@ CODY CUTTER/CCUTTE a day care and Jaime worked at SAUKVALLEY.COM the Walmart Distribution Center in Spring Valley. Jaime later transferred closer to home and Marci left the day care business, and that gave the couple more time to devote to expanding their business.

Jaime said bringing the family closer through their work is something he enjoys most about the business. He and Marci have been married for 26 years and have three children, Morgan, Lane, and Laighton. Every so often, Marci’s mother, Mary Jo, will help out by staining signs.

“I like being around family, and knowing that when someone comes to buy something that they’re buying something of quality that’s CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d from page 33 not going to fall apart, and they’re going to display it at their house or give it as a gift,” Jaime Like the song says: “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign,” and signs are the said. “Sometimes it’s a stress reliever from Nears’ specialities. Signs for the laundry room, signs for the kitchen, romy other job. I can come out here and just get mantic signs, funny signs, inspirational signs, signs for the classroom – if away from [the job]. Being here and getting something calls for a sign, The Crafter’s Mill can make it away from all of that is huge.”

The Near missus and mister have been crafting creations for more than

Jaime and Marci Near, the couple behind The Crafter’s Mill in Rock Falls.

20 years, starting with bracelets. They sold their wrist work at several places

CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d to page 35

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CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d from page 34 In the beginning, the Marci Nears’ signs were shows off r Nea made of barnitems availthe of e som wood. Today, the Crafter ’s Mill.

The able through rustic theme The showroom is open by appoint is still popular er ord ment only, but customers can with customugh items at thecraftersmill.com or thro ers, with the are ts duc pro ir The e. its Facebook pag country look of ket Bas hel also available at the Bus the farmhouse Candle Company at Northland style becoming Mall in Sterling, and Riverfront their best sellAntiques in downtown ers. Marci draws Clinton, Iowa. up the designs, and Jaime builds most of signs before turning them back over to Marci to paint — all done in house at their stand-alone home workshop.

“Someone asked me 10 years ago: ‘What ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM are people going to do when they quit buythey invested in a hobby-sized laser engraver. However, that machine soon proved ing signs?’” Marci said. “Well, they’re still no match for Marci’s creativity and in October, they upgraded to a bigger and betbuying signs. You just change them. I can’t ter Thunder CO laser engraver, and they’re well on their way to seeing that investforesee them going away.” ment pay off.

Painting and stenciling were all the

CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d to pages 36 & 37

Nears did until a couple of years ago, when

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AL@SHAWMED CH IA S .C A

AP

PHOTOS: ALEX T. P

ASC H

AL /

The Nears have been putting their talents to work for more than 20 years, starting with bracelets, and they’ve been able to expand their line of custom-made creations, from keychains to kitchen items, home decor and more. When they invested in a bigger and better laser cutter/engraver, it opened new possibilities for custom design work, like these customized containers above.

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CRAFTER’S MILL cont’d from page 36 The engraver has helped the Nears expand their product line, offering laser-cut ornaments, signs, decor and more. It can also customize wine bags, wallets, photo frames, cake pans, journal covers, key chains, wooden jar lids, and other items.

One creation that stood out was a set of drink coasters that were custom-made to hold photos of a baby’s growth at different milestones.

“We get questions from customers who want to send me a saying and ask if I can do this in this size, and this color,” Marci said, and the Thunder laser has been a big help in helping her be able to say “Yes, we can.”

The bulk of the Nears’ items are sold through their website (thecraftersmill. com) or Facebook page. Items can either be shipped to all 50 states or picked up at the workshop. Not into online ordering? No problem: Many of their products are sold at the Bushel Basket Candle Company at Northland Mall in Sterling, as well as Riverfront Antiques in downtown Clinton, Iowa.

The Nears also have organized craft shows in recent years at East Coloma School in Rock Falls and New Life Lutheran Church in Sterling, helping give fellow artisans a platform to showcase their work and get the same feeling of success that the Nears had when they started out selling their products.

For the Nears, success is about more than just dollar signs, it’s about helping their family and contributing to their community, and as long as customers keep coming back for more, the Nears will always be happy to keep one sign front and center: the “Open” sign.

“It works,” Marci said. “It put our son [Lane] through college and married our daughter [Morgan]. We’re a small business that keeps money local. [Laighton] rides horses and does dance lessons, and it’s all local money being put back into here.” n

More info Find The Crafter’s Mill on Facebook, Instagram (@ thecraftersmill), go to thecraftersmill.com or call 815-353-7862 for more information.

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Their flashing colors haven’t seen the light of day for nearly 30 years, but these school crossing signals used to help keep Wallace Elementary School students safe as they crossed West Fourth Street near Avenue F in Sterling. . Wallace School closed in 1988, but the building continues to house Head Start programs for the young children. A block south of this intersection, on Third Street, is the McPherran House (a restored 1870s home featured in the fall 2021 issue of Sterling-Rock Falls Living; read the story at tinyurl.com/3b2c8p3x), and halfway between them is another location some Wallace students may remember: the former Helen’s grocery and candy store.

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