SVM_Sterling Rock Falls Living_Fall 2023

A Sterling cyclists still loves wheeling and dealing, even after all these gears

Homeless shelters found help just around the Korner, thanks to her royal highness in hiding

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Browsing for a makeover?

Check out a Rock Falls business’s handiwork

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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 Sterling-Rock Falls Living?

E-mail rschrader@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 Browsing for a makeover?

If you’re looking for some skilled cosmetic Handiwork, you’ll find it at a Rock Falls business where the owner encourages anyone in favor of feeling better about themselves to say ‘eye!’

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While walking in the Park District one day ...

Sterling’s park system celebrates a century of offering fitness and fun for the whole family — whether it’s everything under the sun or it’s all under one roof.

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Wheeling and dealing

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Home is where the heart is

For a Sterling pedal peddler, happiness is just like riding a bicycle: No matter how many times he goes along for the ride, he never forgets how much fun it is, even after all these gears.

When a pair of Dixon homeless shelters needed help, they found it just around the Korner, at a Sterling business that had just the ticket: A royal raffle that’s helped raise nearly $90,000 — and counting.

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the eyes really are the window to our soul, then it can’t hurt to have some window dressing to help them look their best.

That’s where Hannah Romera can help. The “Han” in Brows by Han has a talent for making eyebrows look their best, and she’s been sharing that talent at her downtown Rock Falls business for the past year.

Romera specializes in eyebrow work, from shading to blading and more, and she considers her work as more than just a way to give the brows a boost — it can give her clients’ confidence a boost too.

“Your eyebrows are your main focal point of your face,” Romero said. “They make women feel better, more confident, and it makes them feel better in the morning with not as much makeup to put on.”

BROWS cont’d to pages 5 & 6

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Hannah Romero of Rock Falls has long been fascinated with the effect eyebrows can have not only on a person’s appearance, but their outlook, and lately she’s been helping others see the benefits of brows that wow: “They make women feel more better, more confident, and it makes them feel better in CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM the morning with not as much makeup to put on.”

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BROWS cont’d from page 4 Romero has long enjoyed caring for her eyebrows, even as a young child growing up in Rock Falls; but while the eyes have it, they’re not the only area she works on. Eyebrows are still Romero’s specialty, but she’s also been doing lip blushes, lash line enhancements and saline removals, and the demand for those services has increased so much in the past year that she said she’s been thinking about changing the name of her business to better reflect the services she offers.

The last 10 years have seen a trend toward bigger brows, Romero said. While many women are familiar with microblading, she said there are other methods to consider too, depending on a person’s skin type.

Microblading uses a small tool with a row of tiny needles that create hair-like strokes of color along the brows, using pigment deposited in the skin. It’s considered a cosmetic tattoo procedure, but unlike tattooing, it’s semi-permanent, lasting for a year or more. A procedure best for young and dry skin, microblading creates the appearance of fuller brows.

BROWS cont’d to page 8

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6 | A Shaw Media Publication | Sterling-Rock Falls Living | Fall 2023

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BROWS cont’d from page 6 There’s more to it than meets the eye ... Turning eyebrows into eye wows takes careful planning to make sure clients get what they want.

Before the work begins, Hannah maps out the brows, a step that ensures symmetry, and helps find the most flattering, even shape to compliment a client’s face.

BROWS BY HANNAH FACEBOOK PAGE

A combination procedure of microblading and shading also can be done, which leaves the front of the brow with strokes and the tail defined with shading. If you want to lighten the microbladed brows, or shorten their lifespan, Romera does saline removal procedures, where a tool similar to the one used in microblading injects a saline solution into the area, causing the pigment to break down.

Eyebrow procedures also benefit people who’ve lost their brows due to disease, cancer or alopecia.

Romero will always recommend what will be the best option for clients, she said. They may come in looking for one thing, but decide on something different after she’s offered her recommendations for what will look best.

“Microblading is well known because it’s the oldest technique, but it’s not the best for everybody,” she said. “Sometimes that’s what clients think they want, but once they kind of know what will feel the most natural, that’s what we’ll go off of.”

The ombre brow, also known as a powder brow, has a darker appearance at the tail and fades lighter closer to the nose. Tiny dots are created under the skin with a small tool to replicate powder makeup.

For those with oilier skin, this procedure is better than microblading.

“That’s the most popular because it’s the best for everybody’s skin, Romero said. “Typically when people think of more permanent makeup, they think of microblading. That was the first technique, basically, but it’s not good for everybody’s skin because it cuts a little deeper in the skin.”

BROWS cont’d to page 9

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BROWS cont’d from page 8 Moving down the face, lip blushes enhance lips’ natural shapes and give them a color boost. Similar to microblading, it’s done with small needles that deposit pigment into the skin. The added color eventually fades into a natural matte look.

“It enhances your natural lips,” Romero said. “It makes them look fuller and gives them more pigment in color.”

Lash line enhancements are another service Romero offers. They’re done by tattooing an ultra-thin black or brown line along the top lash line, with pigment inserted between the lashes to create a fuller or darker looking lash.

Have droopy eyelids? No problem — enhancements can still be done. Enhancements last anywhere from one to three years, depending on the client.

“Most people want a thicker eyeliner, but this one is thin and natural, and it enhances your eyes,” Romero said.

Business has picked up for Romero since she opened her doors, and she’s seeing a mix of returning clients and new ones, including some who travel a couple hours for her services. Some come for just one service, while others get the full package: brows, lashes and lips.

Romero began her cosmetic service journey in March of 2019, having worked at other beauty places before deciding to venture out on her own. “It ended up being the best thing I ever did,” she said.

“I like making women feel confident in themselves. I like enhancing their natural beauty. I tell my clients that you already are this beautiful, and I’m just giving you that little push of confidence that you need. All I’m doing is giving you eyebrows, and they already feel so much more better about themselves.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Brows by Han, 301 First Ave. in Rock Falls, is open by appointment.

Find Browsby.han on Facebook and Instagram (@browsby.han), go to browsbyhan.godaddysites.com or call 815-213-1270 for appointments or for more information.

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For a Sterling pedal peddler, No matter how many times he goes along for the ride, he never forgets how much fun it is,

even after all these gears

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

ost of us hit the gas pedal when we want to get somewhere.

Bryce Mead prefers a different kind of pedal.

The ones he likes come in pairs and rely on people to get them moving, around and around and around — and he’s not alone.

The Sterling businessman and bicyclist is among the millions of Americans with a passion for pedaling, a passion he shares at the shop that bears his name and with the local bicycling community that he helped start more than 20 years.

Mead is both a former professional cyclist who’s competed all across the country, and the owner of Mead’s Bike Shop in downtown Sterling, where riders ranging from the casual to the committed can find gears and gear — a full-service bicycle store and repair shop.

Mead’s is more than just a bicycle shop though, it’s a place that welcomes fellow cyclists to enjoy the benefits of bicycling. He also promotes weekly and special event rides throughout the area.

MEAD’S cont’d to pages 13

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Bryce Mead has sold all kind of bicycles from his shop for 20 years, and also owns stores in Loves Park and Peoria Heights in the Rockford and Peoria areas. The 1999 Rock Falls High School graduate once raced professionally before dedicating himself full-time to his business.

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12 | A Shaw Media Publication | Sterling-Rock Falls Living | Fall 2023

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MEAD’S cont’d from page 11

summer time is exceptional with great views.”

Whether you’re looking for a basic bike for an occasional ride, “As a community, we really promote or you’re a committed pedal pusher, Mead’s shop fits the bill. He’s cycling in general,” he said. got bikes for all ages and abilities: bikes built for the road, The shop also sells parts and /CCUT TER@SHAWM R E bikes built for off road, bikes for fitness, bikes for fun. He’s ED accessories, clothing, car TT IA CU .C Y even got electric bikes that’ll give your feet a helping hand.

D OM racks and more, as well CO The store carries mostly bikes from the Waterloo, Iowaas offering service and based Trek Bicycle Corporation, but also has other brands, repair. including Sun, Electra, Strider Sports, We The People and There’s a different Radio BMX-style bikes. Recumbent bicycles — where ridkind of feeling being ers in a seated position pedal three wheels from a seat close on a bicycle versus to the ground — also are sold, along with child trailers for driving, Mead said, the little ones who want to come along for a ride. especially when the Electric models have been popular for about a decade, weather is nice. and in recent years have become even more advanced, “If you’re driving equipped with different bells and whistles, including a car and doing a touch-screen controls to shift gears and smartphone-con62-mile loop, you don’t trolled features. Bikes like these can help give you boost see the same things when you need it and hit speeds of nearly 30 mph. that you can see on a bi“Any time it’s a windy day, the electric bikes can make cycle. If it’s 20 miles, 40 cycling more enjoyable,” Mead said. “Any time you get miles, 60 miles, it doesn’t Pete tired, you can turn the assist on and make it easier. Got a hill? matter. I’ve been able to Shapero You can turn the assist on. You can make it as easy as you want ride all over in the country, works on a or as hard as you want, so you can definitely get your workout and a lot of people asked me while I bicycle at in, but if you get tired you can still do a 30-mile ride if you wanted was racing why I stayed in Sterling.

Mead’s to, and make it as easy as you want.”

It’s a very safe location to ride a bicycle in. The Midwest in the MEAD’S cont’d to page 14

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MEAD’S cont’d from page 13

Gears and gear ...

Mead said battery-powered bicycles are still a new thing to some people, especially ones who grew up with Stingrays and banana seats, but he’s more than happy to help them shift gears and learn about something new.

Part of the enjoyment of owning a bike shop is to educate people on the changes and trends in the cycling world.

Electric bikes were first popular in Europe before entering the United States market. Mead began selling them 12 years ago, and it only took a couple of years before there were more on the sales floor. Now there are close to 50 of them in his shop.

As with anything, the more features there are and the higher the quality, the heftier the pricetag. These days, a high-end performance road bike can set you back 13 grand, but those kinds of rides are reserved for serious cyclists. There are plenty of models out there that are more affordable — “We offer bikes for just about anyone,” he said.

“Whatever the customer is looking for, we got it,” Mead said. “The bike industry isn’t what it used to be, even from 10 years ago it has changed so much. It’s really unbelievable.”

Change has come from communities, too, as growing numbers of cities embrace the cycling community by installing and expanding bike paths.

Rock Falls Tourism launched a bicycle-sharing program in 2019 to promote exploring trails and being active outdoors. Riders can rent one of eight bikes from a site at RB&W District Park on the riverfront. Elsewhere, Dixon and Sterling have expanded their pedestrian/bicycle paths in recent years.

Growing up in Rock Falls in the 1990s, its boundaries weren’t big enough to contain Mead’s love for cycling. One of his first jobs was working for Kyle and Shelly Anderson at the former Mr. K’s Mud, Sweat and Gears bike shop on First Avenue as a mechanic, and that helped him immerse himself into the world of professional cycling.

Mead graduated from high school in 1999, and would go on to Whether compete in major national events, including the Tour of Califoryou’re nia, Tour of Georgia and Tour of Missouri as part of the Jelly a ing tak g Belly Pro Cycling Team. lon a or short trip “These were worldwide events as well, so there were or ride, off road also Tour de France professionals like Alberto Contaon a trail, Mead’s dor, Levi Leipheimer, and Lance Armstrong during his t sui to e bik a has ts, ben [comeback] run,” Mead said. “I was able to race um rec , ers any need and any age — rac lt bui against all of these individuals in a high-tier of es or bik electrics, bikes built for speed cyclists.” ries gear for for comfort. The shop also car re. mo and des sha ts, MEAD’S cont’d to page 16 cyclists: clothing, helme

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MEAD’S cont’d from page 14

these other systems in place, it definitely gave me a lot of different viewpoints.”

While racing professionally, Mead opened his bike Weekly rides also are organized through the shop, ranging shop in 2003 near the Sterling Post Office. He later from 18-25 mile rides to 35-40 mile ones. On Wednesday nights from relocated to Bazaar Americana near the foot of May to September, 10-mile “time trial” rides are held on Ridge Road the Avenue G bridge in Sterling before buying the south of Rock Falls for bikers of all abilities — and the rides come with a former Ben Franklin printing shop on Locust prize: the rider with the most improved time from the previous week gets Street 10 years ago, where his shop remains bragging rights until the next ride. Rides are also organized for charitable today. organizations.

The shop also hosts bicycle workshops and classes.

Mead’s decision to open a store came not One of the largest rides Mead organizes is the Free Mondo, formerly called long after Mr. K’s closed, and he sought to the Farm Mondo. The inspiration for the name of the ride through Whiteside keep cycling — both casual and racing — a County’s farm country comes from “fondo,” the Italian word for a bicycle race of part of the Twin Cities lifestyle. Having more than 75 miles. There used to be a fee to participate, but after the Covid-19 someone behind the counter whose heavily pandemic, the fee was dropped and the name changed to reflect the free ride. invested in the biking community helps give The most recent Farm Mondo, on Sept. 10, was comprised of a cyclist’s choice customers confidence in his abilities. of four loops: 18, 28, 42 or 62 miles, with the longer route spanning to nearly “Over time, you grow a sense of the both east and west ends of the county. The terrain ranges from mostly flat and evolution of what’s happening, but when somewhat hilly for the shorter rides, to a little of everything for the longer you’re traveling and you’re competing, you ride, including riders going up and down the large bluff east of Fulton. do learn a lot more and see all kinds of differ“It’s repetitively flat, but if you get near the bluff it starts getting hilly, ent aspects,” Mead said. “When you’re racing and then as you get closer to Coleta, there’s a few more big hills. We had a professionally, bikes are handled differently lot of new riders come with brand new bikes, people who couldn’t northan, say, one sold in a bike shop. It’s given me mally do these rides are now calling us and asking about it. So that’s a chance to be a little better about being a bike one positive about electric bikes, it gets people back out and able mechanic and to spread that information to our to do things that they weren’t able to do before.” other mechanics of how a bike should be handled in a race platform. Definitely traveling and seeing all of

MEAD’S cont’d to page 17

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Feel the need for Mead?

MEAD’S cont’d from page 16

Mead's Bike Shop, 414 Locust St., Sterling, 815-626-4601 The success of establishing a cycling community in the Online: meadsbikeshop.com and on Facebook Hours: 10 a.m.

Twin Cities inspired Mead to do the same in larger cities. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

He opened up shops in the Peoria and Rockford areas, both Trek Bicycle shops in Loves Park and Peoria Heights also named Trek Bicycle, and has organized riding events in are part of the Mead’s Bike Shop umbrella. those areas as well. Mead began his first Free Mondo for Loves Park: 4169 N. Perryville Road, find Trek Bicycle Rockford the Peoria area this year, and plans to add one in Rockon Facebook, or call 815-636-0664 ford next year. The Peoria ride, which encompassed Peoria Heights: 4111 N. Prospect Road, find Trek Bicycle Peoria both flats and hilly terrains north of the city, attracted 70 on Facebook, or call 309-966-1239 riders, including a few from Sterling and Rock Falls.

“When we opened up, there wasn’t a really community per se,” Mead said. “Now, we’ve kind of grown it, and we were able to open in Peoria and Rockford with the same philosophy of providing a great product and treating people right. We’re getting more people back to getting on bikes, and it’s definitely worked here, so we’re going to make it work in Peoria and Rockford as well. Hopefully we can have that continued success.”

A child exploring his hometown on a bicycle, a young man working in a bike shop, competing in races, opening his own shop — it’s a journey that’s come full circle for Mead, a circle with spokes that began spinning all those years ago when the Twin Cities served as a backdrop for a life-long love of bicycling, and where those wheels are still spinning today. n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

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(... and biking and golfing and swimming and working out and getting healthier)

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

“It has been said that a city is judged by its parks.”

That’s how the Sterling Gazette opened its editorial published on Oct. 25, 1923, endorsing the creation of the Sterling Park District.

If the people who wrote those words 100 years ago could see their city now, they’d likely tell their press room to hold on while they pecked out another line on their typewriter …

“If that’s so, then Sterling — in our judgement — is a great place to live.”

They’d also probably be happy to help light the candles on a birthday cake for the Sterling Park District, as it celebrates a century of serving the city’s park and rec needs.

PARKS cont’d to page 22

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PARKS cont’d from page 19

The vote to form the Sterling Park District made headlines in the Oct. 24, 1923, Daily Gazette. The article said that “For Sterling and the community, there is probably no other single improvement which could be made at equal cost that does so much to develop civic pride as beautiful parks.”

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A lot can change in a century’s time, including recreation’s role in the community. A hundred years ago, people were happy enough just to have a relaxing spot for a picnic in the park. Today, they’ve come to expect more, things like high-tech fitness options and local history, a place to tee up a shot or put their own spin on golf, a sports complex and wellness center, or trails, just to name a few. What hasn’t changed, though, is the Sterling Park District’s commitment to providing a place for all of those things.

The district’s 100-year journey began on an island, and has grown to reach out across the city. Today, in addition to 15 parks, the park district also operates a pair of physical fitness facilities (Westwood Fitness and Sports Center and the Duis Center), Emerald Hill Golf Course, and the Dillon Home — places for fitness, fun and family.

Behind that impressive lineup is a team of hundreds who make it all possible. There’s a five-member board of commissioners, voted by the public for four-year terms, and the district employs a staff of around 250 full- and part-time employees, led by an executive director. Marvin Reyes is the current park board president, and Larry Schuldt is executive director. As a public entity, the park district uses tax dollars to fund its budget and programs.

Schuldt started working at Westwood in 1976 as a part-timer while attending Rock Falls High School, and he’s been with the park district ever since, rising through the ranks to becoming executive director in 1991. He’s seen a lot of changes during his time on the job, but even after nearly 50 years, he’s still impressed with his hometown’s park system.

PARKS cont’d to page 23

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PARKS cont’d from page 22 “There are very few communities our size that have the variety of recreational opportunities that we have, between Westwood and Duis Center, the marina, Emerald Hill, and even the Dillon Home and all of the trails,” Schuldt said. “There may be some park districts that might have one thing that might be better, but there’s not many our size, or even bigger, that have the vast amount of things that we have.”

That vast amount is more than just parks and facilities.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM The district also offers a variety of activities during its summer programs. Reyes Lawrence Park is the Sterling Park District's oldest was a big fan of those growing up in Sterling, park, established in 1925 — two years after the park and when a vacancy opened on the park board district's own beginning. Among the scenery on the in 1999, he decided to throw his hat in the ring island park are stately elm trees, above, some measo he could serve on the board and play a part in suring four feet in diameter and dating back to the helping a new generation of families enjoy the 1840s. At one time, a lighted, concrete and brick promsame sorts of fun activities he did. enade area overlooked the park’s lagoon and welcomes park visitors, as seen in the two vintage postcards above.

PARKS cont’d to page 25

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Growing up, Marvin Reyes (left) and Larry Schuldt, like countless other local youth PARKS cont’d from page 23 through the years, enjoyed taking part in Sterling Park District pro“When I was a kid, grams. Today, they’re helping a new one of the things that I generation of young people enjoy enjoyed about the park what the district has to offer, as, district was the sumrespectively, the Park District’s mer programs — when Board president and exwe went out and did lots ecutive director. of arts and crafts, Frisbee competitions, hula-hoop competitions — and I had a lot of great memories of those times,” Reyes said. “Here I am today, as an adult, seeing kids have that same kind of fun that I had. We’re able to carry on the tradition for the next generation, and the next generation, so that way when they get older they’ll have The look of the park disthose great positive memories of being part of the trict’s signs has evolved park district. What I think is a valuable asset is through the years. From that we have people in the leadership roles who top: Calligraphic letters can continue that ability for the next generations used to point the way to to carry on.”

Sinnissippi Park, while One of the District’s most popular community other district parks were events, The Great Pumpkin Dash, has taken place identified by the famileach October since 1992 at Hoover Park. The cross iar burgundy signs with country-style race in and around the park’s woods white letters that lasted brings thousands of spectators to watch pre-teen for nearly 40 years. A new kids enjoy a fun run in weather that’s not too hot design, featuring green but not too cold. Pumpkins are given to kids who lettering and a tree was participate and prizes are awarded to winners. rolled out in the early Sterling Park District’s century-long story is 2000s.

The Gartner Park filled with memories, success stories and tributes sign is an example of the to community leaders through its parks’ names, district’s latest look. and the district’s will celebrate its role in the community when it launches a centennial celebration of events later this fall that will stretch into next year.

three of the oldest are Central, Lincoln and Wallace parks, all of which date back to the late 1800s. But in order to dedicate the time and resources needed to create a network of parks, along with their upkeep, the city would need a park district, overseen by a separate group of people elected by the public. With a park district, money wouldn’t be budgeted by city officials, competing with other city needs, but rather by commissioners whose would utilize money for park business.

The first proposal to create a park district was made in 1916, but voters turned the measure down by a margin of about five-to-one. Another attempt was proposed in 1921: that also failed, but this time by a two-to-one margin. The raising of taxes factored into both defeats at the ballot, but a Sterling man’s sizeable gift of land led voters to reconsider.

PARKS cont’d to page 26

The genesis

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SVM FILE PHOTOS

You don’t need to wait for nice weather to enjoy Sterling’s parks. They’ve got something to offer all year — scenery, sledding, ice fishing, to name a few.

Top right: Against a backdrop of frost-covered trees, an eagle soars above the Rock River at Lawrence Park. Top left: Kinsley Kibodeaux and her brother Kellen make snow angels while hitting the sledding hill at Sinnissippi Park this past January. And speaking of winter fun at Sinnissippi, folks with a few years under the belt still fondly recall the days of flying down the toboggan slide (below) that used to be a favorite feature of the park.

PARKS cont’d from page 25 J.H. Lawrence owned land on the east portion of the large island on the Rock River between the west ends of Sterling and Rock Falls. In 1923, he donated his property to the Sterling community for use as a park — there was just one catch: Under the laws of the time, only a park board could accept the land for park purposes, and Sterling didn’t have one that at the time. Unlike Central, Lincoln and Wallace, which were created by the city, the new park would have to come into existence through other means.

Before residents could enjoy the island park, they needed to create a park board, and proponents of the plan needed to convince people it was a good idea. Local media lent its voice to calls for a board, too. In the days leading up to the vote, The Gazette published names of prominent city leaders, business owners, and even factory workers who endorsed its creation. On Oct. 26, 1923, voters approved the creation of the Sterling Park District and just three days later it came into existence.

PARKS cont’d to page 27

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PARKS cont’d from page 26 Sterling’s neighbor, Rock Falls, followed suit 2 years later, forming its own park system, the Coloma Township Park District. That year, Lawrence officially handed over his soonto-be park property, but to both park districts to own on a 50-50 basis.

Lawrence Park became the first park for both districts, and they worked together to build an outdoor swimming pool that opened in 1930.

In addition to the swimming pool, Lawrence Park also had an ice rink at the edge of Avenue G and 12th Avenue that was in use for the park’s first couple of decades. Brick picnic shelters, a horseshoe pit, boat launch and playground equipment also are at the park. Looming large over most of the park are the granddaddies of local trees: tall elms with trunks about four feet in diameter that are believed to date back to the 1840s.

Joint ownership of Lawrence Park ended in 1973 when the Coloma Township Park District withdrew its share. Fully owned by the Sterling Park District for the past 50 years, the park has seen several changes. The pool closed in 2010, and in recent years, the park has become a favorite spot for eagle watchers, and the district has installed signs with information about the majestic bird’s migration from November to March, when many eagles perch among the park’s trees.

Adding parks As the years passed, the Sterling Park District added more parks, some on land they purchased and others on land that was donated.

Sinnissippi Park, on the north bank of the Rock River bayou, became the Sterling Park District’s next project. The park’s first parcel was purchased in 1934, which included the dome-like Hopewellian Native Ameri-

can burial mounds; additions were made to the park up until 1942. Today, the park is made up of both open and wooded areas with walking trails, picnic areas, ball diamonds, playground and a 27-hole championship disc golf course that opened in 1982. The disc golf course, which also includes a practice range, hosts the annual Sinnissippi Open and brings in pros from all over the country.

Another part of the park’s past, but one that’s certainly not forgotten, was the large toboggan slide that was a winter ritual. The slide opened in 1940 and stood near the roundabout on the park’s east side and descended into the bayou. The slide closed and was eventually removed in 1996.

Kilgour Park was the park district’s third, established in 1935. It was named for former property owner W.M. Kilgour, who served in the Civil War and rose to the rank of brigadier general.

The park takes up parts of six city blocks, has six tennis courts, and is home to the Imagination Station — a wood playground complex conceived by three local residents that was completed on Sept. 11, 1994, drawing more than 200 kids on its opening night.

PARKS cont’d to page 28

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PARKS cont’d from page 27 In the following three decades, eight more parks were established: Hoover (1941), east of Sinnissippi; Sanborn (1944), in the Highland Park subdivision west of the future Northland Mall; Douglas (1955), in the Douglas Park subdivision west of town; Eberley (1955), known for its woods and walking trail; Gartner (1963), which hosts youth and high school baseball games; Thomas (1966), with its pond and ice skating in the winter; Scheid (1967), home to the city’s youth soccer programs; and Oppold Marina (1972), which is leased from the Illinois

Department of Natural Resources and provides boat access to the Rock River east of town. The last five parks were named in honor of former park board commissioners and executives, and future parks established after that also would bear names of park and community leaders.

In the mid-1960s, the park district sought to develop additional ways to keep children Poochactive, including The Place at the es have a park, Coliseum, a spot for Sterling and too, in Thomas Park.

Newman High School students to The 3.5-acre Dogwood hang out after school and play Acres park was established in games and engage in activities; 2020 and features benches and and the Sterling Bikeway, a fiveseparate, fenced-in areas for mile route around town connectsmall and large dogs — with ing places of interest. Eventually, plenty of trees, of course. these concepts gradually faded ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA. away over time, but others would COM take their place.

Thinking inside, and outside, the box After nearly 50 years of focusing on parks, the District added an indoor facility with the opening of Duis Center — originally named the Sterling Park District Recreation Center — in 1970.

PARKS cont’d to page 29

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PARKS cont’d from page 28 The facility featured an indoor gym and swimming/diving pool. The facility made it possible to play sports such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, handball and badminton year-round. The indoor swimming pool not only gave the park district two pools to operate — the one at Lawrence Park was renovated in 1975 — it led to the beginning of the Sterling High School and Sauk Valley Community College swimming programs in the mid-1970s.

Open gym programs for the public were also established at Duis.

The “rec center” was renamed on May 16, 1988, in honor of Frank Duis, the first executive director of the park district from 1961-1988. Renovated in 2010, the Duis Center continues to host swimming, diving and water-based fitness sessions, and now houses the park district’s gymnastics program.

Just a few years after the Duis Center made a splash, the park district began to think about ice. An outdoor ice rink was built in 1974 south of the Duis Center, and four years later it was rebuilt as an indoor rink on the same grounds and named the Frasor Center. The rink closed in 1988 and the building was renovated for storage and administrative office space.

More indoor activities were added to the district’s offerings in 1980 when it purchased the Westwood Indoor Track Complex, which was built in 1974.

Over the next decade, Westwood expanded through new buildings and the acquisitions of additional ones nearby to evolve it into the Westwood Sports Center.

Westwood’s complex expanded to a third building in 2002, and it continues to evolve adding new programs and services to encompass more than just recreation, but health and fitness too, for people of all ages.

Artificial turf was added to the track facility in 2014, pickleball courts were

installed in 2015, a building entirely dedicated to tennis opened in 2018, and several new enhancements were added in 2019: a kids gym, fitness turf area, new batting cages, wood basketball courts and a smoothie drink bar.

Response has been positive to those changes. Fitness memberships have soared in the past decade, from around 800 to more than 4,000.

“I’d like to think that’s what the board and the staff did to make Westwood better, but it wasn’t just that,” Schuldt said. “It was the mentality of people wanting to be more fit and going out there. A lot has to do with a nice facility, but it also the mindset of people nowadays.”

Reyes agreed.

“It’s a reflection of what people want,” Reyes said. “The thing is, with us needing to prepare for the future and what the next generation wants and to accommodate them. They’ve been pushing for people to be healthy, and we’ve been able to meet the needs of the people who want to do that.”

PARKS cont’d to page 30

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PARKS cont’d from page 29

Still growing

That health and wellness trend helped pave the way for the opening of the Westwood Wellness Center, with saunas, hydro massage beds, tanning beds and booths, and a cryotherapy chamber that will be available later this year.

Propheter Park and Redfield Park are the two newest members of the Park District’s growing family. In 1986, the former Central School property that was owned by construction businessman Bob Propheter was donated to the District. Redfield Park came by way of two separate acquisitions in order to extend the city’s network of bike paths: the 1300 block of East Second Street was purchased from the Redfield family in 2008, and the former 14th Avenue Park was given to the district by the City of Sterling the following year in a swap for Sanborn Park.

The park district also purchased the former Newman and Community Catholic high school football field on the west end of town in 1976, and renamed it Harry Kidd Field in memory of the longtime Daily Gazette sports editor. The field continues to host football games by the Sterling Junior Tackle program.

Man’s best friend got a place to call its own too, when the 3.5-acre Dogwood Acres dog park was established in 2020 in Thomas Park.

More than just parks In addition to parks and wellness facilities, the Sterling Park District also owns and maintains the Dillon Home Museum, Emerald Hill Golf Course and paved walking and bicycle paths in town.

Upon the death of Northwestern Steel and Wire owner P.W. Dillon in 1980, his 1858 two-story Italianate home was donated to the park district to operate as a museum for local history.

In 1994, the park district bought the former Emerald Hill Country Club and renamed it the Emerald Hill Golf Course. The course also hosts Sterling and Newman high school golf meets, and is home to the Emerald Hill Women’s Golf Association, which will observe 75 years as a club in 2024.

For the past couple of decades, walking and biking trails have been laid out near the Rock River on the east side of town. Martin’s Landing, named after a member of the Dillon Family, connected the area around the Dillon Home to a pedestrian bridge over the Upper Dam of the Rock River, and opened in 2008.

The walkway serves as an unofficial extension of the Hennepin Feeder Canal trail that goes about 45 mouths south into Bureau County. Extensions were made paralleling the Union Pacific railroad tracks and the bayou into Sinnissippi and Hoover parks. Plans are being made to extend the trail to Sauk Valley Community College by 2026, and as of this year the trail’s eastern terminus sits at River Road.

Another trail on the northwest side of town was constructed in 2006 connecting Westwood to the intersection of Lynn Boulevard and Locust Street.

PARKS cont’d to page 31

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PARKS cont’d from page 30

Legacy

Under the executive directorships of Duis and Schuldt, the park district has received several nationwide honors for operation excellence and productivity of programs. Among those honors include the National Parks and Recreation Association’s National Gold Medal Award, won in 1978 and 1985, for excellence in longterm planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services with a fiscally sound business practice; as well as recognition by Sports Illustrated in 2006 as a Good Sports Community.

Emphasizing excellence with aesthetics in its parks and facilities is something that keeps people coming back to them, Schuldt said.

“The first part of the park district’s history — the first probably 50, 60, 70 years — people really only cared about the functionality of stuff,” Schuldt said. “As long as it was a de-

cent basketball court, they didn’t care other than that.

Now what’s important is the aesthetics. People want things to look nice and be nice. Back when Duis Center was built, it was a cinder block building about as plain as you could be, but no one cared; it had a pool, a couple of basketball courts, a weightlifting area and a game room upstairs. You could never build something like that now, and for it to be very successful. People want functionality, but they also want it to look nice.”

People have a say in what they want their parks to look like and what new ideas should be brought to the table. The park board meets at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Duis Center.

Got something to bring to the table? Who knows, maybe it’ll become part of the District’s 100-year-old, and counting, story.

“As we add programs, we get a lot of feedback from customers, taxpayers and other people who utilize us,” Reyes said. “The fact that when they see an idea and can present it, we’ve made it happen. It’s nice that we have our relationship with the public. We’re not saying that it’s just the park board that makes a decision or the park district that makes a decision, it’s a community with all of us together trying to strive for the same greatness. We love suggestions, and we love that we can implement so many ideas that they offer.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Find Sterling Park District on Facebook and on Instagram (@ sterlingparkdistrict), go to sterlingparks. org, email info@ sterlingparks.org or call 815-6226200 for more information.

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is where the

BY CODY CUTTER SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

njoying a night out is fun.

Winning money is fun.

Helping people is fun.

Enjoying a night out, winning money and helping people all at the same time … Put ‘em all together and what do you have? A heartfelt gesture of goodwill that’s put thousands of dollars in the hands of people who are helping the local homeless population.

Good times, a good cause, and a potentially giant jackpot — now that’s a win-win-win situation, and the couple behind that winning combination have been giving people a chance to get to know a member of the royal family a little better for the past several years, courtesy of a raffle at their rural Sterling business.

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QUEEN cont’d from page 33

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Want to know what the jackpot is at for K’s Korners’ weekly Queen of Hearts drawings? Drive through the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and Old Route 2 west of Sterling to find out.

K’s Korners customers have come to look forward to coming face to face with a face card that can be worth thousands of dollars when they stop by the bar and banquet center to get in on a chance to win the jackpot in the weekly Queen of Hearts drawing, and the beneficiaries of that goodwill — the pair of PADS homeless shelters in Dixon — have come to look forward to the support they’ve received through the years.

Marion Younger, who owns K’s Korners with her husband Andrew, organizes the Queen of Hearts raffle drawings, held at 6 p.m. every Tuesday night at the business on U.S. Route 30 and Old Route 2, about halfway between Sterling and Rock Falls.

Queen of Hearts raffles have grown in popularity in recent years, both locally and elsewhere, with a number of them held at bars and fraternal organizations throughout the Sauk Valley, with money going to help local causes.

Marion, who is PADS’ treasurer, established one at K’s Corners six years ago to help connect the local homeless population with the resources they need to support themselves.

“It’s fun to see everybody have a good time,” Marion said. “It’s really fun to give people money, and it really feels good to help PADS and support a worthy cause.”

Rules for Queen of Hearts can vary, depending on who’s conducting it, but there’s a general concept to it. At K’s Korners, tickets — six-for-$5 — are sold leading up to each week’s drawing, up until a few minutes before the draw.

Ticketholders write a number from 1 to 54 on their tickets — representing cards in a deck, including the jokers — along with their name and phone number.

QUEEN cont’d to page 33

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As the game progresses and envelopes are unsealed, if they don’t reveal the queen, then those numbers are out of play and players pick from the remaining numbers.

Tickets are placed in a drum behind the bar, where there’s also a locked display case with 54 sealed envelopes inside, numbered 1 through 54, each one holding a card from the deck inside.

A ticket is drawn, the envelope corresponding to the number on the ticket is unsealed, and if it reveals a queen of hearts, the ticket-holder wins a portion of the jackpot; if it reveals another card, the jackpot rolls over to the following week.

The drawings usually go on for weeks before the queen comes out of hiding. Since K’s Corners’ first started the game 6 years ago, there have been only seven rounds and six jackpot winners (the seventh was still going on as of press time in late September).

QUEEN cont’d to page 36

The queen of hearts is safely tucked away in one of 54 envelopes on the raffle board for what could be a short, or long, nap, depending on whether the number on the ticket drawn matches the number of the envelope. At right, K’s Corners co-owner Marion Younger reads out a ticket pulled during a recent Queen of Hearts drawing at the rural Sterling tavern.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

QUEEN cont’d from page 34

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TER@ CODY CUTTER/CCUT .COM DIA ME AW SH

Marion Younger (left), presents a check for nearly $34,000 to the PADS homeless shelter after a recent jackpot drawing during the tavern's Queen of Hearts drawing.

A portion of the jackpot goes to the PADS shelters in Dixon (men’s at left and women’s and children’s at right) and the rest to the holder of the winning ticket.

With each jackpot total, 70 percent goes to the winner and 30 percent goes to PADS. More than $85,000 has gone to PADS since the first drawing.

Younger hit upon the idea after seeing how popular the raffle became when the Dixon VFW started its Queen of Hearts drawing in 2015 to raise money for building repairs. That drawing lasted for 44 weeks and racked up $301,510 before the queen of hearts was revealed; the money was split with 70 percent going to the winner, 15 percent going toward the VFW building fund and the other 15 percent donated to charities – PADS being one of them.

She also knew that having a weekly drawing would bring more traffic to the tavern, so after getting all her decks in a row — reviewing state rules and regulations for the drawings — the first drawing took place Aug. 29, 2017, and each Tuesday night since then has been a busy one at the bar.

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QUEEN cont’d from page 36 “I thought if we could do that for Dixon PADS, and raise that kind of money to help it, it would be wonderful,” Marion said. “I checked into it and found out if you’re not a nonprofit — if you’re a bar, for example — you can do a Queen of Hearts, but you have to do it for a charity. Of course, the charity I work for is Dixon PADS, so that’s how it evolved.”

Even if a winning ticket doesn’t reveal the queen, the owner of the ticket wins a prize if they are present at the drawing. That amount is based on the jackpot total; for example, if the pot is worth around $40,000, the week’s winning ticketholder would win $500.

Sandy Gonzalez of Rock Falls was one of the lucky ones who had a ticket drawn. Her ticket was pulled during the Sept. 5 drawing, but the number she had on her ticket didn’t reveal the queen. She was present for her drawing, however, and left the bar that night $500 richer.

Gonzalez said she enjoys coming to K’s Korners with her friends to enjoy a night out and get in on the thrill of seeing whether they’ll be a winner that night.

“I come because it’s very exciting,” Gonzalez said. “You get to sit with your friends, and then when they call your name — oh, my God. I had never won here, and it was very exciting. It’s $500 I didn’t have, so that worked out.”

STRONGER TOGETHER

QUEEN cont’d to page 38

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Above: From left, Marion Younger, Amy Dodge and Jacqueline Younger run the sales table for the Queen of Hearts and 50-50 raffle Sept. 5 at K’s Korners.

Proceeds from both drawings benefits PADS Homeless Shelter in Dixon. At left: Sandy Gonzalez of Rock Falls came away with $500 after her ticket was pulled Sept. 5 at K’s Korners’ Queen of Hearts raffle. Although her ticket number didn’t reveal the elusive queen, she had fun with it all. “I come because it’s very exciting,” she said.

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QUEEN cont’d from page 37 While some place’s drawings will start over with a full board of cards when a joker is revealed, K’s Corner’s drawings run no more than 54 weeks. Sometimes the queen comes out of hiding by the halfway point, other times she plays hard to get.

The bar’s sixth round was especially interesting. The queen of hearts held out until she was the last one on the board, and the jackpot swelled to six figures, with the winner pocketing $94,230 — minus Uncle Sam’s cut, of course. A W-2G form is filed by the winner before receiving the money, similar to how casino and lottery payouts are arranged.

While the suspense was good for ticket sales and good for business, it left the PADS shelters waiting more than a year for a winner, so Younger decided to come up with a way to keep money coming in to PADS. She added a weekly 50-50 raffle to the Tuesday night fun, with half the raffle winnings going to the winner and the other half to PADS. The 50-50 raffle proved to a big hit, too, with the pot doubling from the first draw in a matter of weeks.

“We went 54 weeks waiting for a [Queen of Hearts] jackpot,” Marion said. “Now with the 50-50, we can donate money every single week. With our houses, you have to pay for gas, electric, water, garbage and everything, and with two houses that begins to deplete the funds pretty rapidly. So we started the 50-50 to help with that.”

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Having spent decades in the hospitality business, coming up with ways to keep people coming through the doors comes naturally for Younger. She and her first husband, Richard Wilson, owned Wilson’s Tap on West First Street in downtown Dixon for 35 years. After Wilson died, Marion sold the bar to her daughter Val, who changed the name to Val’s Place.

Marion remarried and took charge of K’s Corners, opened by Andrew’s late father Marvin in 1972.

In 2015, the Youngers bought a former barn about a mile west that once housed the Double G Western Store and had it moved to their property. The barn was attached as an annex to the tavern on the lower level, and as event rental space on the top floor.

While the K’s Korners’ expansion plans came together, PADS’ plans were still a work in progress — that was, until it received a game-changing gift in May 2017: a two-story home on the northwest corner of West Everett Street and Hennepin Avenue in Dixon.

The donation was much needed at the time. In 2016, its lone home on West First Street faced a shortage of space, housing as many as 106 people over the course of the year, and the arrangement of men, women and children under a single roof “didn’t work real well,” Marion said.

Men were housed upstairs and women and children on the ground floor.

QUEEN cont’d to page 39

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QUEEN cont’d from page 36 While the second home, built in the late 1800s, didn’t come with strings attached, it did come with a list of home improvement projects that needed completed before it could be used to house women and children.

That’s where her majesty stepped in. The Queen of Hearts drawings has gone a long way in helping pay for repairs and renovations.

“It needed a lot of work,” Marion said. “All of the heating and cooling had to be replaced, all of the plumbing had to be replaced, and there was a lead paint problem and all of that had to be redone. There was a huge expense, and it just worked out well when our jackpot got really big. Then we were able to donate a lot of money toward that.”

Along with providing residents with basic necessities — food, clothing and personal care products — PADS also has programs to help them in job searches, polish up their interview skills, and help with other life skills. Donations of time, money and goods always are needed, but the “PADS Homeless Shelter, Dixon IL” Facebook page also posts requests for specific donation needs.

As for the home of the Queen of Hearts drawing, the customers who come to her “Korner kastle” enjoy being able to help a good cause. Part of the raffle’s popularity comes from the satisfaction of knowing where a portion of the money will go.

“It’s a great thing,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of people will ask, ‘Where does the other part go?’ When they tell you, that’s what makes it even better.”

While tickets fill the drum and people fill the bar, anticipation fills the air at K’s Korners on Tuesday nights. The countdown until the drawing is shouted for all to hear, right up to the final minute before the last ticket is sold and the tickets are tumbled.

Who will win? Will the queen be seen? Who will have half a chance at a 50-50 raffle?

Who knows — but one thing’s for certain: People look forward to the drawings.

“Everybody has fun,” Marion said. “Everybody has a really good time.” n Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

K'S CORNERS, 13030 Galt Road west of Sterling, is open 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily; Queen of .

Hearts drawings are 6 p.m 50 50every Tuesday, and raffle drawings follow at 7 p.m. Find it on Facebook, email mlyounger51@hotmail.com or call 815-6262988 for more information.

PADS HOMELESS SHELTER in Dixon has a men's home at 805 W. First St., and a home for women and children at 203 W. Everett Street.

Find it on Facebook, email dixonpads@comcast.net or call 815-288-6818 for more information.

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