Looking for a nice place to camp? Head for the Hills
Meet Amboy’s fire chief, and learn his best piece of advice
Feel an urge for pub grub? Don’t fight it, just say ‘Uncle!’
A look through the lens at faces and places in Lee County
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6 A Miss is as good as a smile
Meet Franklin Grove’s very own pop star, who can whip up more flavors of frozen treats than you can shake a popsicle stick at.
4
Perfect-Lee picturesque
A look through the lens at some faces and places in Lee County.
12 A little slice of haven
If you’re looking for a family-friendly place for some R&RV, head for the Hills and become part of a camping community.
20 Buzz feed
Feel the urge for some pub grub with a little ‘razzle dazzle’? Don’t fight it — just head to an Amboy bar and grill and say “Uncle!”
26
Chief duties
Duane Dickison has answered countless calls during his time in public safety, but the call that came in November was one he had never answered before: To lead Amboy’s fire department.
Amboy’s Kabe Daniels hits the pit in the triple jump April 25, during the Rock Falls Rocket Invite.
LEFT: Erin Odle and her horse Alibi of Paw Paw teach kids about equine behaviors April 25 during the annual Ag Expo at the Lee County Fairgrounds. RIGHT: The Sublette Community Building was packed with toys and collectors March 15, during the 43rd annual Farm Toy Show.
Amboy’s Ellie McLaughlin delivers a pitch against Oregon on March 18 during a game at Oregon Park West.
Paw Paw Elementary student Ava Wormley competes in round one of the Lee/Ogle/ Whiteside County Spelling Bee on Feb. 20.
Emma Chandler,
of
listens to instruction March 15 during cadet firefighter training
firefighters
a brush fire March 14 at Green River State Wildlife Area, south of the town. Strong winds made fighting the fire much more difficult and dangerous. Though the area is sparsely populated, some local residents were evacuated. Departments from Ohio, Tampico and Wyanet also responded. Read more about it ... Meet Amboy Fire Chief Duane Dickison: Turn to page 26
LEFT:
18,
Amboy,
in Amboy. RIGHT: Harmon
battle
ALEX
hen someone’s got a hankering for a cold treat on a hot summer day, Kate Gross doesn’t head for the freezer and pop open a box of store-bought sweets. She heads to the kitchen to make her own, and in doing so she’s managed to create her own little cottage industry.
Gross is the Miss of Ms. Mint’s Pop Shop, peddling popsicles she makes in the kitchen of her Franklin Grove home at pop-up markets, special events, and private gatherings.
Like other cottage food operations in the state, Gross can boast that her treats are homemade some with ingredients from her own garden and some from locally sourced produce.
“I have always loved popsicles,” Gross said. “There’s a lot you can do with popsicles. I’ll find ideas elsewhere and will come up with my own.”
And she’s come up with quite a few.
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When you see that peppermint strip umbrella, colorful cart, and a crowd of people, you know Ms. Mint is in
From her cottage kitchen, she creates a wide variety of fun flavors and colorful creations that not only please the palate, but put a smile on people’s faces that is, when they can stop long enough from licking her popsicles.
The ingredients she uses may sound familiar enough, but when she puts them together she creates a whole new world for people’s tastebuds to explore, such as strawberry lemonade and watermelon honey lime (her two most popular sellers, she said), honey pina colada, blueberry peach, salted caramel apple, chocolate peanut butter cup, strawberry peach basil and blueberry lavender lemon. She makes a pumpkin pie flavor in the fall, and if you want something that’s a little cold and spicy, how about a mango lime jalapeno? She even mixes in some of her own homegrown herbs and veggies, such as rhubarb.
With so many flavors to choose from — and more to come — it’s no wonder customers keep coming back for more, some to try something new and others to revisit an old favorite.
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“I love that I can be creative, and that you don’t have to follow a recipe,” Gross said. “There’s a lot of play involved, and I enjoy it and have so much fun doing that. My customers will get real excited to ask what I have that’s different.”
While making popsicles is a fun side hustle, it’s not Gross’ primary job — she’s a field inspector for Bradford Mutual Fire Insurance in Franklin Grove. Her gig as Ms. Mint has been a fun way to meet new people and see their joy when they try a new flavor for the first time.
“I enjoy having my own business,” Gross said. “I love being able to add to an event. People come to them to raise their vibration and spend time with their friends and family. They’ll go to a market because it’s a different experience and you can get all of these things, and you can talk to the person who made it so that you know all about it and all of the ingredients. It’s been real exciting for me, and it soothes my personality and interests.”
Gross’ nickname of “Ms. Mint” came from a love for mint — she drinks peppermint tea every day, she said — and her preference of Ms. as a title for women. She came to Franklin Grove from the Chicago area 10 years ago, but when she first settled in town she wasn’t making popsicles, she was making fashion statements with a twist: wire-twist head bands. After a couple of years, though, she was itching to try something new. That’s when she learned about making popsicles. It was a great way to combine her appreciation of fresh produce with making something fun to eat.
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If one flavor is good, then two or three must be really good. Ms. Mint likes to mix things up with her flavors, offering selections such as watermelon honey lime, blueberry lavender lemon, chocolate peanut butter cup, and strawberry peach basil, to name just a few.
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MS.
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From mixing bowls to molds to mm-mm good ... Ms. Mint’s popsicles start with fresh ingredients — some from her garden and others locally sourced — before making their way to commercial molds that turn them into frozen treats. She also recently added some smaller molds (right), perfect for popsicles for little tykes or folks prefer a smaller taste of her treats.
“I was looking around for something to do that would suit me,” Gross said. “It’s a sweet spot, having a product that you love making that people enjoy.”
Success didn’t come overnight, but it didn’t take long for word of popsicle-filled mouth to get around and she was able to grow her business, adding commercial equipment that allowed her to turn out more treats and different sizes. That in turn led to more stops for her pops — more places such as markets and events where she could share her passion for all-natural, freshly made popsicles.
The equipment was “the smallest I could find that suited my needs, and I could make a lot more pops, more flavors and be at more events,” she said.
“That’s been a game changer, and it’s been so much fun.” It also allowed her to make popsicles in smaller sizes for customers who just want a “tasting size,” she said.
“You get the benefits of fresh fruit, and sometimes the herbs that I use in them which have health benefits,” Gross said. “They’re a good size and they’re not that big, so even if you indulge a little bit, you’re not getting a crazy amount of sugar. It’s a perfect treat, and having them ready to go at a hot event in the summer has been a big success for me.”
MS. MINT’S POP SHOP
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Gross’ first event this year was the Spring Fling at Woodhaven Lakes in late April, and her schedule runs until October. She announces events on Facebook and Instagram. Last year’s appearances saw her bring her treats to Ashton, DeKalb, Dixon, Oregon, Princeton, Rochelle, Rock Falls, and at Jonamac Orchard in Malta, where she’s used apples in some of her popsicles. She’s also a reoccurring vendor at farmers markets in DeKalb and Oregon.
It’s be a fun journey for the part-time popsicle producer — and if you’ve ever wondered how a cold popsicle could warm someone’s heart, just ask Gross. For her, the treats have been a treat, allowing her to tap into her creativity and see the happiness her icy inspirations bring people. It’s an experience that’s been worth, well, a mint.
“It’s really fun to go to different places and see different people, and seeing people come back every year and be really excited about what I have,” Gross said. “I’ve seen kids grow up. It’s been a lot of fun. I’m really grateful for everyone who has supported my business over the years, and when I’ve been able to grow it, and I couldn’t have done it without them.” n
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
amie Rogers remembers the days when he and his siblings would get excited to enjoy the outdoors in a setting away from their family’s suburban Chicago home.
No honking horns or tangles of traffic, just the peace and quiet of their rural respite, punctuated by the sounds of nature: Trees whispering in the wind. Birds chirping their songs. The “ribbits” of frogs that they could catch if they were quick enough That was what Mendota Hills Campground meant to young Jamie and his parents, Mark and Susan Rogers, who began camping there in 1985 — and they never left.
As the family’s fondness for their getaway grew, so did the circle of friends they found in fellow campers they met there. The campground became a community, the community became a home, and the home became a business.
The Rogers Family has owned Mendota Hills since 2002, providing a home for campers of all kinds — seasonal dwellers, weekend visitors or just one-off adventurers — offering a place for some R&R, tranquility and fun activities on 130 acres of lots, woods and lakes, along with a church on site.
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Three generations of the Rogers Family have enjoyed being at Mendota Hills Campground since owners Mark and Susan Rogers (seated) started camping there with their children in 1985. The Rogers took ownership of the Amboy campground in 2002, and their son Jamie (third from right) and his wife Jessica (left) now are involved in ownership. Jamie and Jessica's children, Sawyer, Oliver, Shiloh and Eden, are taking in experiences that their father enjoyed as a kid decades ago.
The campground on U.S. Route 52 between Amboy and Sublette, which opened in 1979, has evolved under the Rogers’ ownership to a point where they and their staff have been nationally recognized for their hard work and hospitality; they were honored last year by RV rental company RVshare as “Best Family Friendly Campground in the U.S.” It’s an industry honor that the Rogers are proud to live up to.
“Most of our campers are from the Chicagoland area, and they have all of their fun over there that they need – the bowling alleys, the movie theaters and all that stuff – so it’s important for them when they come out here to still have a rustic experience,” Jamie said. “When you see kids going out to the creek to catch tadpoles and fish, that’s what they’re going for.”
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MENDOTA HILLS CAMPGROUND FACEBOOK PAGE
Jamie became a co-owner of the campground in 2012, and through the years he and his wife Jessica have taken on most of the responsibilities of operating it as his parents take on less work.
While the number of activities and special events on the campground calendar have grown since Jamie and Jessica have taken on a more active role, the campground itself hasn’t — and there’s a reason for that. While the Rogers want to give campers more reasons to enjoy the campground, they don’t want to outgrow that close-knit community feel.
“We’re very intentional on our size,” Jamie said. “We have 130 acres and 200 sites, and it’s intentional in the fact that we’re very community oriented and know pretty much everyone who comes through the door here.”
Each weekend during the season — which runs April 25-Oct. 19 this year — has a theme with corresponding activities: Some of them include a Father’s Day weekend and a Hawaiian Luau weekend in June, Water Wars and Christmas weekends in July, and a rib cook-off and mad scientist weekends in August (a full schedule, and announcements of special events, is available on the campground’s website).
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Looking for clothes, camping needs, food and drink — and a barrel of candy? You’ll find it at the campground’s gift shop.
9TH ANNUAL
Mark and Sue began a bible study at Mendota Hills 1990, which eventually grew into the The Refuge Church in 2005, located at the campground. Today, John and Glenda Kalebaugh (at left) lead services there. Another familiar face at the campsite: Drena Deets (above), who drives the church’s “taxi” cart to provide rides around the complex on weekends.
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For folks just happy to immerse themselves in nature, the campground’s four lakes offer plenty of ways to do it: paddle boats, paddle boards, kayaks, canoe, row boats, and round Corcl boats are available to rent; one of the lakes offers a beachfront; or guests can just grab a pole and head to the fishin’ holes.
There’s also a disc golf course, which being expanded from three holes to nine this summer, archery, an RC track, and areas for games such as carpet ball and GaGa ball (go to carpetball.org and gagacenter.com/ nyc/about/what-is-gaga to learn more about those games). A campground gift shop offers decor, clothes, toys, food, candy and iced coffee and slushies.
Even with the new activities the Rogers have added, tradition still plays an important role at Mendota Hills. One of the events people look forward to each year — since it started in 1979 — is the frog jumping race.
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Campers pick frogs that are then placed at the center of a large circle and watch them race to the edge; the first four to make it earn ribbons. Another activity is a blind canoe race, in which two people navigate obstacles: the canoe navigator telling the blindfolded paddler where to row. Some campers even hold their own events that other campers attend, such as hog roasts.
The Rogers have come to know all sorts of campers who enjoy their home away from home, from those who could afford to go anywhere but choose Mendota Hills, to those who look forward to a trip there as their sole vacation. Regardless of what brings them there, the Rogers want the make sure they enjoy their stay.
“For people who can’t do the large trips because their money’s tight, this is the place to go,” Jamie said. “[Anyone] can do this because it’s pretty inexpensive for what you get. If you come in, you’re going to have a good experience and will be treated well. There are families where this is their only vacation they’ll ever take, so we take that seriously and try to keep that in mind. Every weekend, we have to really be on for that moment where that could be their best memory for kids who may not have any other vacations.”
Jamie and Jessica’s children, Sawyer, Oliver, Shiloh and Eden, also do their part at the campground, adding to its family feel. For Jamie, seeing their own kids at the
campground is like a walk down memory lane.
Jamie cherishes the childhood memories of the adventures he and his siblings enjoyed there, when they would spend the day roaming the campground, coming back to their campsite just long enough to eat, or sometimes going “to other people’s campers to eat,” he said.
Another of his favorite memories is a game his dad had them play: One weekend, one match for the fire; they’d keep the wood coming to keep the fire burning until leaving for home Sunday evening.
“We definitely had it a lot more simpler back then,” Jamie said. “There were very minimal activities and no golf carts out here, so we pretty much hung out at the ponds catching tadpoles and hiking in the trails. The profoundness was in the simpleness in the camping and what was provided. Sometimes we miss that.”
Another change he’s seen is the growing number of people puttering around on golf carts. Growing up, he would see a lot more foot traffic while camping, or the occasional bicycle. These days, carts cruise the campground — it’s a convenience, yes, but it’s also become a way to bring the camping community together.
“Back then, you had your own little group in whatever camping area that you were in, and we did for sure,” Jamie said. “Now, with the golf carts, everybody mingles around when they’re driving around and it’s a much larger social gathering.”
Along with family, friends, fun and fellowship, faith is also part of the camping community, and the Rogers’ lives. Mark and Sue began a bible study at the campground in 1990, which eventually grew into The Refuge Church in 2005, located in one of the campground’s buildings.
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“When we first started here, it was a special place to camp with our four kids,” Mark said. “After a few years, we started looking at other campgrounds and we went all over the place. But there’s just something special about this place, and after a couple of years we had realized that it was the spirit of God that touched this place.
“I can’t imagine being anywhere else. The church is the center of the campground. That’s the way we would like to keep it. The church is the most important part of it.”
John Kalebaugh is the church’s pastor, and his wife Glenda assists him. Services — open to everyone, campers or not — are at 10 a.m. every Sunday throughout the entire year, with some held outside when the weather allows. John, who also is chaplain of the Amboy Fire Department, has established many personal and spiritual relationships with campers who have come to enjoy the opportunity to share their faith.
There’s no shortage of things to do at Mendota Hills — bonfires, music, frog jumping races, Memorial Day services, hayrack rides and more. The camp also has themed weekend throughout the year. Just a few on the schedule for this year: Family Olympics, Water wars weekend, camp prom/disco weekend, RC car tourney weekend and trick-or-treat weekend.
“A lot of them probably couldn’t tell you who their neighbors are in the suburbs, but they pretty much know everyone at this campground,” John said. “I think a lot of people are here for the community aspect. Camping, for me, used to be sitting around a fire and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, but for a lot of people, it’s about the community that they experience out here.
“The church has become a part of that. I wouldn’t trade this for the greatest cathedral on Earth.”
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•
Glenda also enjoys seeing the campground be a place where memories are made, traditions passed on, and life lessons learned
“One of my favorite things is when I see people come back because their parents brought them when they were little, and they want to bring that same experience to their kids,” Glenda said. “We had a group come out here and they brought a bunch of kids from the city. When they came, they all had to give up their phones and they all just had camping time. The kids never experienced that, and they thought that was really cool. They could just play, and just have fun. It’s great when you just see them have a good time together and laugh.”
Drena Deets of Dixon works at the campground during the weekends and is known by many campers as the driver of the church’s taxi-themed golf cart, which provide rides around the complex. She’s come to know many of the families and hears from parents how spending time at the campground has proven to be a profound experience for their children.
“We had some inner-city people who came out and they thanked us afterward because they said their kids never had the freedom just to roam around,” Deets said. “They never felt safe with having their kids be out and about, and it was such a different experience for them.”
Mark and Susan have been a part of Mendota Hills for 40 years, and have enjoyed seeing their children and grandchildren experience the fun and camaraderie they’ve had with people from all walks of life who come to get away from it all for a while.
For them, camping is about more than just disconnecting from the daily grind, it’s about making connections with people. “We’ve raised our kids here, had our grandchildren here, and having friends come here has been wonderful,” Susan said. n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
Mendota Hills Campground is located at 642 U.S. Route 52 in Amboy. Find Mendota Hills Campground on Facebook and Instagram (@mendotahillscampground), go to mendotahillscampground.com, email mendotahillscamp@aol.com or call 815-849-5930 for rates, booking or more information. Services at The Refuge Church at Mendota Hills are open to the public and are at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Email info@refugechurchcamp. org, go to refugechurchcamp.org or call the campground for more information.
hen some people look for something to keep them busy as a bee, they put another iron in the fire.
Blair McCaffrey likes to do things his own way. He decided to add some fire to the iron instead, in the kitchen of his Amboy bar and grill, where he keeps as busy as a B.
McCaffrey is the uncle who wants his customers to feel like one big happy family at Uncle B’s Bar and Grill. It’s a change of pace for the Amboy native, who’s spent years as a union iron worker, but he’s more than happy to pick up the pace.
Lately, the iron man has been spending less time at construction sites and more time building his business on the north side of town, bringing his own twist to bar and grill fare. Not only does he get to combine his love of cooking, he gets to share it with another love in his life: his girlfriend, and Uncle B’s bar manager, Simber Zuend.
McCaffrey likes to bring his own take to popular menu staples, along with custom items for holidays and special occasions. He likes to provide people with the kind of meals that get them talking, and coming back for more. He opened the business in the town’s former Subway, first as just a bar, in September 2023, opening the kitchen 9 months later. His approach to the menu? It’s simple — with a little something extra.
“We put a little razzle dazzle on things, but still try to keep them simple at the same time,” McCaffrey said. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know this place was going to take off like it has.”
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Uncle B's owner Blair McCaffrey and bar manager Simber Zuend like to keep things buzzing at the Amboy the bar and grill, serving food with some “razzle dazzle” and making the place a favorite hang in the town — and speaking of a place to hang, that’s were the money is. The bucks stop at the bar shelf at B’s, courtesy of customers who leave the loot, ranging from ones to twenties and some signed or adorned with doodles.
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The place has already generated some buzz, and even a few nicknames — “The Beehive” and “The hive” — courtesy of customers.
Another ingredient on his menu: consistency.
McCaffrey and his staff turn out a simple but well-rounded menu that includes Philly cheesesteak and Cuban sandwiches, wings, quesadillas, gyros, house salads and appetizers, and no matter whose cooking, he wants customs who come back for more to be able to expect more of the same.
Consistent quality is a methodical point he preaches to his cooks.
“I tell them from day one: I don’t care if it takes a little bit longer to put the same product out, as long as its the same exact thing every time,” McCaffrey said. “It has to be consistent. We’ve all been to, or know a place, where we’ll ask, ‘Is so-and-so cooking tonight?’, and if they’re not cooking they’re not coming in. I don’t want it like that. I want it, whether it’s me back there or any member of our team, that it will be the same thing.”
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Does he know what he’s talking about when it comes to food? Well, the proof is in the tummy. He’ll be the first tell you: “I always say, ‘You don’t get a body like this without liking to eat,” and as someone who’s spent time working the iron and gridiron, it’s safe to say he likes to eat.
McCaffrey comes from a family of iron workers and was a threeyear starter on the Amboy High School varsity football team in the mid-2000s. He still works in the family trade, and jokes about maybe having a sign at the business that reads something like, “if the tool belt’s here, he’s in the back cooking; if it’s gone, he’s iron working,” he said.
a place of his for a few years before opening Uncle B’s, and when the Subway building went up for sale, he decided that the former sandwich shop would be a good place to make some extra bread while indulging his longtime love of cooking.
Uncle B’s likes to keep spirits high, and flags, too, which hang from the ceiling of the former Subway — military flags, sports flags, college flags. “I’m an LSU fan, and I put one up just as some decor,” owner Blair McCaffrey said. “I had some friends ask me, ‘Can I bring this in?’ ... It’s a neat thing that makes people feel included and welcome.”
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McCaffrey had been thinking about having
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Part of meeting customers’ expectations is making sure they know what to expect. That’s why McCaffrey makes sure his crew gives a repeat performance every time they fire up the grill. “I tell them from day one: I don’t care if it takes a little bit longer to put the same product out, as long as its the same exact thing every time,” he said. “It has to be consistent,” whether it’s wings, burgers or Uncle B’s signature Bayou Balls.
“This has been one of my favorite interests since I was a little kid,” McCaffrey said. “It’s strange for being a rough, hard-nosed kid, but at the same time I enjoyed cooking and the elegance of the finer side of things, as opposed to being in construction and beating the crap out of something with a sledgehammer all day.” When certain holidays roll around, McCaffrey gets creative in the kitchen.
During a Mardi Gras weekend in early March, he temporarily put aside the usual menu and drew up a Cajun-style selection of dishes appropriate for the Louisiana-themed holiday: a blackened grouper sandwich, crawfish roll sliders, beignets, Cajun Alfredo, deep-fried alligator, jambayla and Cajun nachos among the selections.
The Mardi Gras idea ended up being the place’s biggest weekend in the kitchen’s first nine months of operation. The feedback from the blackened grouper was so good that it became a reoccurring special.
“It was real Cajun-type, real bold flavored stuff that I thought might not be for everybody, but it turned out to be our best food day ever,” McCaffrey said. “Whenever we do that kind of stuff, it always goes over so good.”
Just a couple of weekends later, the St. Patrick’s holiday saw Reuben and pastrami sandwiches, and an Irish pizza with sauerkraut, corned beef, pickles, mustard and thousand island dressing.
Other items on the McCaffrey menu: a cubed cheese curd appetizer and chicken strips made with panko breading and Romano cheese. Other appetizers include a shiitake potsticker wrap of mushrooms, bok choi, carrots, garlic and sesame; as well as bayou balls, made from chicken and sausage jambalya balled up and deep-fried, something on the menu long before the Mardi Gras weekend and what McCaffrey calls “the crown jewel” of the appetizers.
As far as the crown jewel of the rest of the menu? McCaffrey turned to his customers — and a bracket — for the answer. Inspired by basketball’s March Madness tournament, a contest on Uncle B’s Facebook page asked people to pick a favorite from 16 pairs of items. As the bracket wrapped up, the final two came down to the cheeseburger and the Philly cheesesteak.
The winner — and a clear one at that: Philly cheesesteak.
“It was great, and our Facebook page had a lot of great interaction with the community. We got a ton of votes and comments, and the Philly Cheesesteak was, bar none, the favorite and crushed it in the vote.”
As for why Philly took the lead? “I don’t know, honestly,” he said. “I wouldn’t consider us Philadelphia-like, but it was just something I came up with and put a little twist on it and it took off.”
One of the restaurant’s features that customers will notice right when they walk through the door is a wood Cape Cod ceiling with many colorful flags of colleges, professional sports teams and military organizations. What began as a single flag for Louisiana State University sports turned into a collection that keeps customers looking up. While not quite full yet, McCaffrey hopes it will be.
“I’m an LSU fan, and I put that one up just as some decor,” he said. “I had some friends ask me, ‘Can I bring this in?’ Now, if you bring a flag in, I’ll hang it up; certain people went to certain colleges. It’s starting to take off pretty good, and it’s a neat thing that makes people feel included and welcome.”
Just want to grab a drink? The bar offers plenty of beer choices, as well as bourbons, seltzers and a few craft beers, and there’s a special on old fashioneds on Friday evenings. The alcohol choices vary by the season, and in Amboy, there are two seasons — camping season and not camping season, During the former, the stock is more plentiful to cater to campers who flock to the area’s many camp sites. Packaged beer also is sold.
Customers can also try their luck on five gambling machines, as well as tossing bags. Uncle B’s and Walton Tap, just a few miles west of town, organize a Tuesday evening bags league. Fourteen teams played last year and McCaffrey hopes to see around 20 this year.
McCaffrey is always thinking of new ways to set his bar and grill apart from the rest, and make everyone in the community feel as welcome as they’ve made him feel.
Uncle B’s Bar and Grill, 310 East Joe Drive in Amboy, is open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. The kitchen is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Find it on Facebook or call 815-857-7097 for more information.
“The community, they’ve been so great since day one,” McCaffrey said. “They’ve been behind this place 100 percent. It wouldn’t have worked without the community, and the girls working here.” n Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
A Fresh Start for Your Home...
When Duane Dickison first signed on as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Amboy nearly 35 years ago, he knew he’d be answering people’s calls for help. He just didn’t know that he’d someday be answering people calling
Dickison took over as chief of the Amboy Fire Department in November, and he’s had some pretty big fireboots to fill. He’s following in the footsteps of Jeff Bryant, who retired after more than 30 years on the job, the past decade as chief.
The new role has brought not only greater responsibilities — with Dickison in command of around 35 firefighters and but new ones too, as the department adjusts to having taken over Harmon’s fire department late last year.
“As the chief, you’re responsible for everybody on the scene,” Dickison said.
“If it’s a car accident, you’re responsible for the people injured. If it’s a house fire, you’re responsible for getting them to Red Cross and responsible to your firemen, you’re responsible for other towns that come in because you’ve called them. It’s a lot more responsibility and a lot more than on scene just being there.”
Dickison’s firefighting journey has come full circle since he first started volunteering. After his first stint at Amboy, he traded turnout gear with Rock Falls, where he served for 15 years before returning to Amboy, where
he’s spent the past 17 years, with a couple of years out of the profession. Once back at his hometown department, he became an assistant chief in 2017, and served as an interim chief in the two months before Bryant’s retire-
One of the most important pieces of advice he offers to junior firefighters is to trust in the experience of those who’ve been in the heat of the battle longer than they have. It’s advice
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CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
The Amboy Fire Department took over the duties of the one in Harmon last year, which was finalized by a referendum in the November 2024 general election. Harmon’s station now serves as a substation for Amboy.
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When he started as a volunteer, he didn’t have to look far for that experience. He found it in his uncle, Gene Koehler, who served on the department at the time.
“I read this once, and it’s so true: Listen to your older firefighters,” Dickison said. “They’ve been around and they know a lot of insights. Like when to ventilate a building — there’s a right time and a wrong time — listen to them; they know, they’ve been there, and probably when someone did it
wrong. Experience really does matter in this service. Listen to them, and ask questions. Ask, ask, ask. There are no dumb questions.”
Like many fire departments across the nation, one of the chief issues is the ongoing efforts to recruit and retain staff. Finding volunteers to be on call for what can be life-or-death duty is a challenge. Amboy could use about 15 more people on staff, Dickison said, and if someone has questions about answering call, he and his fellow firefighters are more than happy to help answer them, no matter what role the person might want to take on.
Training classes for prospective firefighters are paid for by the department, the gear is brand new — and as an added bonus: “You’re part of the family right here as soon as you walk through the door,” Dickison said.
“For anyone new coming in, we pay for it all,” Dickison said. “If you don’t like going interior on a fire, but you want to be a fireman, you can come and be a driver and we teach you how to pump. If you only want to come down and help clean the station, or roll a hose, you’re more than welcome to do anything. If you want to be an EMT and want nothing to do with fire, you’re more than welcome. We try to make it painless as possible. It’s a lot of commitment, but once you get that part, we try to make it enjoyable and a learning experience as much as we can.”
While trusting others’ experience is an important part of the job, becoming a person that others can trust is another — and once you’ve earned it? Well, there’s no better feeling, Dickison said.
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DICKISON
“When you go in with your partner, you have to trust each other. That trust is huge. It makes you feel good and proud. Once you get that, there’s nothing better. You’re looking forward to the next exam, or the next fire to keep that bond going.”
Even in the chief’s role, Dickison is still hands on. He’s on the job, in the cab, and at the scene, just like any other firefighter on call. He can sometimes be found behind the wheel of the rig, manning a hose, or attacking a fire. But when he gets a chance to stand back and supervise on a scene and see the things he was taught and that he’s taught others all play out, it’s rewarding, he said. It makes all those long days and middle-of-the-night calls worth it.
Wanted: Firefighters
Want to help the Amboy Fire Department as a firefighter on its staff, or in other capacities? Contact fire chief Duane Dickison at 815-857-2325. The Amboy Fire Department serves Amboy and Harmon, with stations at 25 N. East Avenue in Amboy and 102 W. Main St. in Harmon. Find the department on Facebook, go to amboyfd.com or call the number above for more information.
“The people here, I can’t say enough about how good they are, which is a wonderful thing,” Dickison said. “We get along. We help each other. That’s very big in the fire service. If you’re pulling a hose and you need help, someone will jump right in and help. Everybody works together, and as a chief when you’re standing back and watching — when you get to — it’s good to see.” n
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
LUNCH & LEARN
Interested in volunteering? How about volunteering with AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program? All are welcome to join us for a Lunch & Learn with Lifescape AmeriCorps Seniors and The Dixon Historic Theatre staff to gain an understanding of how our program supports local organizations, including the new, exciting volunteer opportunities available at the beautiful, historic and recently renovated Dixon Historic Theatre.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10 11:30 AM IN THE AUDITORIUM
Dixon Historic Theatre
Lunch will be provided Sponsored by AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP June 10 @ 11:30-1:00 pm RSVP to Katie Haak @ (815) 490-1124
