Sterling-Rock Falls
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PUBLICATION • SPRING 2019
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Postal Customer CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
G N I L R E ST A Sterling s company ha ing been provid cturers local manufa eir the tools of th re trade for mo than 30 years
ALSO INSIDE ... Bartender trades her tip jar for a spatula at a Place of her own
The new sheriff in town is pretty excited about his new job
Local health care gets a shot in the arm with major projects at CGH
Gun shop gives customers a lot of bang for their buck
Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP), the professional summer theatre of northwestern Illinois, has the shows you will love: hot new shows just leaving Broadway, great American plays, everyone’s “old favorite” musicals, and the best in country, pop, and rock-n-roll revues in our “JukeBox Series.” Timber Lake Playhouse hires the best young theatrical talent from all over the United States, and we regularly bring back talented alumni who have gone on to stellar careers on Broadway, TV and Film. Noted past performers are Tony Winning Actress Jayne Houdyshell, Michael Gross (Family Ties), Jennifer Garner and Saundra Santiago (Miami Vice, Guiding Light, The Sopranos, and Broadway's Evita and more). Santiago last appeared at TLP in 2016 as Rose in Gypsy. Located just south of Mount Carroll, Illinois about 10 miles from the Mississippi River, TLP is a short drive from Fulton, Sterling and Rockford, Illinois. The current theatre building opened in 1975 with 371 seats. The building is fully air conditioned, and the nine-acre wooded campus is perfect for any other activity you and your guests desire. From picnicking on the deck overlooking beautiful Timber Lake to attending a pre-show activity in our newly acquired rustic barn, TLP is a great destination for a day of fun. Check out our website at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org for more information about our shows and other activities.
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Sterling-Rock Falls
FEATURE•STORY
Publisher Don T. Bricker General Manager/Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman
G N I L R E T S
Magazine editors Rusty Schrader & Kathleen Schultz Page design Rusty Schrader Published by Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600
In the 30-plus years it’s been in business, United Craftsmen has become an important cog in the local manufacturing PAGE scene, providing companies with the tools of their trade. Now, they’re gearing up for another expansion.
Do you have story ideas for Sterling-Rock Falls Living? Let us know. Call 815-625-3600, ext. 5535, or e-mail us at news@saukvalley.com
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Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Sterling-Rock Falls Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.
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The most bang for your buck The staff at 626-Guns prides itself on offering the whole shooting match for customers, from handguns to shotguns and much more.
Looking for a meal like mom makes? There’s a new spot in Rock Falls that fits the bill.
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Local health care recently got a shot in the arm, thanks to a pair of major projects at CGH Medical Center.
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The new sheriff in town
John Booker has worn a lot of badges during his time in law enforcement, and now he’s wearing a new one: sheriff
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103 West 3rd Street Sterling, IL 61081 815-548-9550 SM-ST1635489
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In the 30-plus years it’s been in business, United Craftsmen has become an important cog in the local manufacturing scene, providing companies with the tools of their trade, and now they’re gearing up for another expansion STORY TODD MCKENNA PHOTOS MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT | FOR STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
United Craftsmen General manager Paul Hackbarth said company officials recently thought they may have to find a bigger location in which to expand the business at 1500 W. Fourth St., but worked out a deal with its neighbor, Engel Electric. United Craftsmen has submitted a petition to the city to subdivide a parcel of property owned by Engel behind United Craftsman’s building.
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or more than 30 years, United Craftsmen in Sterling has carved out a niche in the local parts manufacturing industry producing orders to die for. Started in 1987 at 1500 W. Fourth St. by six brothers of the Sedig family, but now owned by Doug and Patricia Grunnet, the local machining and tooling specialists have produced a steady stream of steel and aluminum parts that most likely have found a home in many of the products in the local area. It is a local company that deals with local customers and since they have the capability to produce only a few parts for an order, they keep pretty busy. “Local manufacturers are probably 99 percent of our customers,” said general manager Paul Hackbarth. “We do most of our business within a 60-mile radius.” That business includes perishable tooling, short-run turning and milling, general machining, machining of component parts, die maintenance and electrical discharge machining. They can take most requests for a part design from customers and turn them into finished products. Continued on page 7
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Continued from page 6
“Almost everything is custom made. We get most of our stuff from e-mail and then if we can do it we quote it,” Hackbarth said. “It’s made to print from supply drawings and blueprints.” The tools of their trade are a mix of old and new equipment, with some of the machines 80 years old and some brand new, Hackbarth said. Their versatility is one of their strongest assets, he said. “We can do orders from one to 1,000 because we’re set up for higher run production,” Hackbarth said. “But our bread and butter is the small quantity production. We still have a niche business for the lower volume stuff.” Another huge asset for United Craftsmen is their 14 employees. Hackbarth has been seeing many of the same faces when he shows up for work for more than two decades. Three employees have worked there more than 25 years, a few more from 10 to 15 years and then there are the newbies, with only a year or 2 on the job. Story continued on page 11
United Craftsmen creates pieces based on CAD models or blueprints that a company provides. When the company first opened, the staff would get an order and then have to wait a few days to get the drawings in the mail before they could start production. These days, “with the internet, now it’s only a matter of about an hour,” general manager Paul Hackbarth said.
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ABOVE: United Craftsman general manager Paul Hackbarth holds a cutter blade the company made. Parts big and small and orders the same, United Craftsmen has been handling jobs for local companies for more than 30 years. “We can do orders from one to 1,000 because we’re set up for higher run production,” Hackbarth said. “But our bread and butter is the small quantity production.”
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“It’s a nice place to work. We keep it laid back and we keep employees,” Hackbarth said. “It’s a good group of guys.” Some of those guys, like Hackbarth, have seen quite a few changes since they first walked in the door at United Craftsmen. He said that decades ago they would get an order and wait a few days to get the drawings in the mail before they could start production. “With the internet, now it’s only a matter of about an hour,” he said. They count local companies Wahl Clipper, Franz Manufacturing and Rayovac as customers, among many others. It’s a customer list that keeps growing. United Craftsmen expanded in 1997 and it may be at that point again. Hackbarth said the company recently thought they may have to find a bigger location to expand again, but worked out a deal with nearby Engel Electric. United Craftsmen has submitted a petition to the city to subdivide a parcel of property owned by Engel Electric behind their building. “So we’re going to stay in our current location and can expand in the future,” Hackbarth said. n
MORE INFORMATION
1500 W. Fourth St., Sterling – 815-626-7802 Online: unitedcraftsmenltd.com
United Craftsmen has been a part of the manufacturing landscape in Sterling for more than 30 years and has many employees who’ve been with the company since the early years.
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STORY TODD MCKENNA PHOTOS MICHAEL KRABBENHOEFT | FOR STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
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he store’s slogan is “Give Us A Shot” and after 5 years in business, plenty of customers have done just that. 626-Guns in Rock Falls has been open since October 2013 and owner Jim Prescott said it’s because of great customers – some repeat clients for years and others shopping for the first time – that the business has been able to keep going, and growing, through the years. “We started with the building that had three rooms and we were in the front room,” he said. “Then we expanded into the middle room and then again into the back room.” As the store, located at 1114 First Ave., continued to expand, Prescott and his son/store manager, Austin, added more inventory to meet the needs of their ever-growing number of customers – and they might not be done yet. “We’ve got some thoughts on more expansion, but we’re kind of waiting to see what new laws may be coming on that,” Prescott said. The key to their success, he said, is offering a wide selection of firearms and accessories at the store, but also being able to access inventories from around the world via the internet to fill orders. Continued on page 15
As 626-Guns has expanded through the years, owner Jim Prescott and his son/store manager, Austin, added more inventory to meet customers’ needs – and they might not be done growing yet.
At Morningside of Sterling, our residents enjoy spending each day as they please. For Iola, that means greeting her neighbors every day and putting a smile on everyone’s face. Best of all, Iola and our residents receive the personalized care and attention they need, while still making their own schedule. Iola and the Morningside team invite you to stop over and enjoy one of the following: • A complimentary lunch, prepared by our Five Star chefs • Movie night surrounded by friends • Wellness or exercise class • On-site spa services • Any of our upcoming parties or events! Call 815-622-2800 to join us for any of the activities above and enjoy a personalized tour – we’ll even send Iola to greet you!
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This project was supported by Grant #2015-VA-GX-0049, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice, or the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
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626-Guns in Rock Falls carries a large selection of firearms and accessories. “We’ve got a good selection of handguns, both pistols and revolvers. We probably have more AR rifles here than anyone in a 30-mile radius and several shotguns and rifles too,” owner Jim Prescott said. Continued from page 13
“We’ve got a good selection of handguns, both pistols and revolvers. We probably have more AR rifles here than anyone in a 30-mile radius and several shotguns and rifles too” Prescott said. “We can order things online too, and those are pretty random as far as what they want, but we can usually get them within a week.” The store is well stocked with ammunition, and also has a vast assortment of accessories, such as holsters for concealed carry firearms, reloading supplies, and more.
Prescott said the staff at 626-Guns puts an incredible amount of emphasis on getting to know each customer and personalizing their service to each customer. It doesn’t matter whether they are a frequent customer or someone walking into the store for the first time, unsure of exactly what kind of firearm they want. Prescott said he starts with the basics. “The first thing we do is try to get them comfortable to tell us about what their needs are and determine the intended use for the firearm,” he said. “Then we present a number of alternatives.”
Especially with customers who are looking to purchase a handgun, Prescott said the staff encourages them to hold it to see how it feels. They then advise customers what kind of recoil they can expect. “We narrow it down to something suitable for the intended use,” he said. “I think that’s what sets us apart. We’re willing to take the time necessary with new shooters with more of a handson approach to get them what they want.” Continued on page 17
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LEFT: Business has been good for 626-Guns since it opened in 2013. One of the store’s keys to success, said owner Jim Prescott (shown here in 2015), is offering a wide selection of firearms and accessories, both in-house as well as accessing inventories from around the world via the internet. RIGHT: History buffs and gun collectors can find something at the store, too, like these World War II rifles. Continued from page 15
Prescott said he has noticed an increase in women coming into the store. “Our female customer numbers are definitely growing and we try to be very helpful with them,” he said. Once the customer makes a decision on their purchase, it’s time to fill out the required forms to make sure the person is legally allowed to own a firearm. Prescott said the staff helps customers fill out the federal form and advises them of the 3-day waiting period. They then submit the customer’s background information to the Illinois State Police to run a criminal background check. From there it depends on the response to the background check. If it comes back clear, the sale can proceed, but if it comes back delayed then the purchase is halted. “About half the people are instantly approved and the other half, if they get delayed sometimes, it’s just about 2 hours,” Prescott said. “Most decisions are made before the 3-day waiting period is up.” If the customer is approved, the purchase moves forward
with either cash, check or debit/credit card for payments. The store does take trade-ins as well. Another service 626-Guns offers is to act as the licensed dealer in a transfer transaction. Federal law requires any private citizen who is buying a firearm from another private citizen, such as in an online purchase, have that transaction go through a licensed dealer. 626-Guns will receive the firearm from the seller, do the background check on the buyer, and then transfer the firearm to the buyer if approved. For those who prefer bows to bullets, the store also carries archery supplies – bows, arrows, cases and covers, sights and other accessories. The store can also cut and assemble arrows to customer specs. Customers also can browse or buy online at the store’s website, where they can find everything from survival supplies to stun guns. Whatever the need, Prescott and his staff have one aim in mind: customer satisfaction. “Our main goal is to make sure the customer walks out with what they want,” Prescott said. n
MORE INFORMATION
1114 First Ave. Rock Falls 815-626-GUNS (4867) Online: 626guns.com and on Facebook Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
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Sheriff The new
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STORY TODD MCKENNA | FOR STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
John Booker has worn a lot of badges
during his time in law enforcement, and now he’s wearing a new one: sheriff — and he couldn’t be happier 18
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fter 3 months on the job, the excitement still is just as fresh as the day he was elected. Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker enthusiastically approaches each day that he shows up to his office and sits down in the chair he worked so hard to get. Booker, 52, has 20 years of experience working for the sheriff ’s department – he
hired in 1998 and most recently served as chief deputy – so he knew some of what to expect when he assumed the top role. “Nothing has completely overwhelmed me yet,” Booker said, with a hint of excitement in his voice. “I think being chief deputy and working with Sheriff Wilhelmi helped.” Continued on page 19
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John Booker celebrates his election win Nov. 6 with his daughter, Kaylyn, and son, Brandyn, at Kegger’s in Sterling. “This is the happiest day of my life, aside from when my children were born,” Booker said that night. Continued from page 18
Booker had worked with his predecessor, Kelly Wilhelmi, who was appointed in 2008 to finish Roger Schipper’s term and retired after 30 years. Wilhelmi had been preparing him for eventually taking over the job, and endorsed Booker in the 2018 election. Booker first was hired by the department in 1998 and worked his way up the ranks as a patrol sergeant, then detective, lieutenant, and chief deputy. Indeed, experience like that is valuable when tackling the long list of issues that come across his desk on a daily basis. Continued on page 20
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“It’s extremely busy. You are constantly busy,” Booker said. “Sometimes I come in on Monday and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at all that happened this weekend.’ But our office does a good job of informing me all the time of what’s happening.” He keeps busy by design because he wants to be involved in the communities in the county and keep up on what issues there. He has strong roots throughout the county, having worked as a patrol officer in Rock Falls, Prophetstown, Erie, Morrison and Tampico. He still MORE INFO has contacts through those Whiteside career stops and wants to County Sheriff’s take advantage of them. Office “I want to work more 400 N. Cherry united, so there’s tons of St., Morrison meetings, lots of meetings 815-772-4044 that I consistently go to,” Booker said. “I do not go to them just because I ran for sheriff, but I think we do great things when we unite.” One area where he hopes this approach pays off is in fighting the growing problem of drug sales and addiction, especially methamphetamine. Booker said that by working together, law enforcement can find several ways to attack the problem. Although he handled several responsibilities as chief deputy, Booker said that as sheriff, he’s encountering a whole new host of duties, such as paying bills for example.
Submitted
One of the first goals John Booker accomplished as sheriff was increasing his department’s interaction with the community. At left, he visits with students at Morrison Community Preschool in February. Afterward, he let students try on some his gear.
“One thing is I’ve seen is the expense it takes to run the county buildings,” he said. “It’s paying bills every day, which has absolutely nothing to do with police work.” Such is the life of the top administrator in the sheriff’s department, and Booker understands that it’s not going to be glamorous every day – but he has goals and keeps working toward them. He has already accomplished one of those goals he promoted while running for office: increasing his department’s interaction with the community.
He also made good on a promise to focus on mental health, as the County Board approved a proposal to transfer the behavioral mental health treatment of jail inmates to the county’s health department to provide more consistent care and familiarity with providers. It’s a good start in his first 3 months, but Booker knows there will be other challenges ahead and he plans to meet them with the same enthusiasm and excitement he feels each day he walks into his office. n
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STORY TODD MCKENNA PHOTOS ALEX PASCHAL| FOR STERLING-ROCK FALLS LIVING
NEW AND IMPROVED Local health care recently got a shot in the arm, thanks to a pair of major projects at CGH Medical Center: a new clinic in Rock Falls and a revamped and remodeled surgical floor at the hospital
C
GH Medical Center officials have had a busy past few months. Since January, officials have opened a brand new clinic in Rock Falls and also unveiled a completely remodeled surgical floor at the hospital on LeFevre Road in Sterling. The process began about a year ago, on March 7, when officials broke ground on CGH Rock Falls Medical Center at 1315 Dixon Ave. Construction began when weather allowed and by May 7, the new building began to take shape. The new clinic was needed because the lease on the former facility at 100 W. First St. in Rock Falls was expiring and officials decided to search for a new location. Continued on page 22
The new CGH clinic at 1315 Dixon Ave. in Rock Falls offers family practice services – wellness, disease prevention and treatment of minor illness in patients of all ages – and pediatric services.
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Continued on page 23
CGH began its surgical floor renovation in September 2017 and held an open house in February 2019. The project consisted of revamping and renovating 15,430 square feet of space, basically giving the entire floor some sort of attention.
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While work continued on the new clinic, CGH officials also turned their attention to plans to completely remodel the fourth floor of the hospital, which houses surgical patients. That project consisted of transforming 15,430 square feet of space, basically giving the entire floor some sort of attention. Now that remodeling work is done, the surgical floor boasts a bariatric patient room, an isolation/negative pressure room, and two safe rooms. Negative pressure rooms are used to contain airborne contaminants within the room. Negative pressure allows air to flow into the isolation room but not escape. In addition, all 20 of the patient rooms on the floor received a makeover as well, with new paint and new floors. The lighting and heating systems were upgraded and all of the bathrooms were enlarged and remodeled.
Continued from page 22
Over in Rock Falls, the new 7,000 squarefoot clinic in Rock Falls now offers space for four providers at the facility, which is located across from East Coloma-Nelson School. The previous location had only three. They began seeing MORE INFO patients Jan. 28 and a grand opening was held Feb. 4. The clinic offers family practice ser100 E. LeFevre Road, Sterling vices – wellness, dis815-625-0400 ease prevention and Online: cghmc.com treatment of minor and on Facebook illness in patients of CGH Rock Falls Medical Center all ages – and pedi1315 Dixon Ave., atric services. Rock Falls CGH officials 815-625-4790 or 815-632-5366 followed up clinic Clinic hours: 8 a.m. opening with to 5 p.m. Monday another open house though Friday (closed for lunch: 12:15 to to show off the new 1:15 p.m.) Appointsurgical floor on ments are required. Feb. 20. The new clinic joins 15 other CGH clinics throughout the region, with locations in Sterling, Rock Falls, Dixon, Morrison, Tampico, Prophetstown, Polo, Mount Carroll, Milledgeville and Walnut. n
LEFT: A bariatric patient room on the newly remodeled surgical floor at CGH features spacious restrooms and a ceiling-mounted lift. TOP: The remodeled surgical floor at CGH boasts a spacious nurses station. ABOVE: Among other upgrades: an isolation/negative pressure room.
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A
Place of her own
If you’re looking for a meal like mom makes, there’s a new spot in Rock Falls that fits the bill, where the owner aims to please, and so does the rest of the family
J
ane Sutton’s gone solo, but she has plenty of help near and dear to her heart on her new adventure. After 13 years tending bar a few doors west at Corner Tap, Sutton now has her own place, Jane’s Place, at 110 W. Second St. Continued on page 26
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• 2-8 yard commercial containers • 10-40 yard roll-off containers • Compactors, radio-dispatched trucks and experienced local drivers • licensed special waste & asbestos hauler 1214 S. Bataan Road | Dixon, IL 815.625.1000 or 815.284.2432 RepublicService.com ®2018 Republic Services, Inc.
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Regular menu items at Jane’s Place include burgers and fries, and the restaurant also offers daily specials, such as such as Gravy Thursdays, and Mexican dishes on Fridays and Saturdays. Continued from page 25
Cooking and good food have long been a staple in the Sutton family, and Jane had long had the idea of opening a restaurant of her own. When she found a vacant storefront close by to her, she seized the opportunity. “One day I just said ‘I’m going to do it,’” Jane said. “I can do this. We can make this work. We’ve made it work, and we’re going to make it successful.” Continued on page 27
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Total KWH’s produced since 2012 - 1,262,000
We offer services including, but not limited to
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Has produced the following KWH’s over the years: 2016 - 7,718,600 2017 - 10,664,000 2018 - 8,441,000 Average household uses 600 KWH’s/month The City of Rock Falls uses approximately 6,506,147 KWH’s/month.
Rock Falls Electric Utilities
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Est. 1895
Nationally recognized Municipal Electric Agency One of only Three Communities in Illinois
Jane’s place specializes in home-style cooking, but her menu also takes people around the world, to south of the border with some chili (left), a taste of Greece with a gyro (right), a little bit of Poland, with a Polish sausage, and a slice of Italy, with some pizza. Continued from page 26
Although the restaurant has Jane’s name on it, her family is involved in it just as much. She does most of the cooking, and her husband, Dale, and sons, Al and Dale Jr., also work there, along with Jane’s friend, Deb Orlowski. Operating the place as a family has helped things run smoothly, with few issues or surprises, Al said. “We know how each other all are, so it’s MORE INFORMATION pretty easy to work things out real quick,” Jane’s Place he said. “We don’t have to worry about 110 W. Second St., Rock Falls anything festering us, we’ll get it done and 815-716-8062 over with right away.” Open: 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Some recipes have been in the family daily; grill open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for generations, and are among the many Online: Find Jane’s specials offered on a rotating basis. One Place on Facebook of them, spaghetti, is made the way Jane’s father, Harry “Chub” Collier, made it. “He was a great cook,” Jane said. “About anything and everything he would cook, spaghetti, and sauce; everything was from scratch,” she said – and it’s worth the wait. “The longer it cooks, the better.” Jane’s Place also has a bar; it was the first part of the restaurant to open Dec. 21. The grill opened 5 days later, and the grill hours expanded in February as more people were eager to try something different.
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Some of the specials are themed, such as Gravy Thursdays, with plates featuring a gravy burger or a meat loaf smothered in gravy, with vegetables as a side. Fridays and Sundays feature Mexican dishes, such as tacos, tostadas and loaded nachos. Otherwise, the main menu ranges from burgers to pizza, shrimp, BLTs and hot dogs. Jane’s Place is spacious, and “homely,” she said. “We’re here to please,” Jane said, “and we’re doing it.” n
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