Small Town Living West - Fall 2022

Prophetstown pop stars have a loyal fan club

Hungry for More? Head over to Erie

A place with space opens in Morrison

Find Everything, and more, at a Morrison shop

A FREE PUBLICATION OF

What’s all the buzz in rural Erie? It’s Yoga Bees, a studio run by a health and wellness adviser who helps students find the harmony between body and mind Page 14

*****ECRWSSEDDM***** Postal Customer

Yoga Bees owner Sheri Coate | Photo: Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@saukvalley.com

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 440 Sterling, IL 61081

CELEBRATING

50 YEARS! 1972-2022

2

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader For Advertising Contact Jill Reyna at 815-631-8774 or jreyna@saukvalley.com Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave., Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Small Town Living?

E-mail rschrader@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Small TownLiving may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media.

The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy.

Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

6

Small Town

inside Prophetstown’s pop stars

Family still offers the same fluffy snack it’s been serving up for more than 100 years — and that’s just how its faithful following likes it.

14

A better you is just around the bend What’s all the buzz in rural Erie? It’s Yoga Bees, a studio run by a health and wellness adviser who helps students find the harmony between body and mind.

20

Hungry for something More?

26

Need a place with some space?

30

Hers and his

You’ll find it at a family bakery/diner that keeps customers coming back to reap the Harvest of its home-cooked delights.

A Morrison business owner’s event venue makes room so customers can make memories — or grab a good night’s rest.

Morrison mom-and-pop shop offers something for moms and pops — and so far, Everything is going great.

Plus ... Where Is It? Page 4

This is us...

Morrison, IL • 815.772.4021 www.resthave.org S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 1

3

An occasional feature of Small Town Living highlighting local landmarks and locations off the beaten path. We’ll feature a photo and it’s up to you to guess where it was taken.

As the Space Age took off during the 1960s,

the designs of roadside attractions reflected the race for space. All signs pointed to a more exciting future. The future for the business advertised on this sign, however, only lasted a couple of decades. The sign, however, is still standing, even nearly 35 years after the business closed. Where is it?

Answer on page 35.

M&S MUDJACKING your concrete raising specialist

Don’t replace settled concrete.

We can raise it for less! driveways, sidewalks, patios, steps, garage & basement floors, grain bins & more Now offering beam systems

309.373.2919 Call Us Today!

FREE estimates and summer specials, references available

WWW.MSMUDJACKING.COM SM-ST1994009

4

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

FEATURING:

Saturdays & Sundays

DJ

Quality You Can Taste • FRESH BURGERS • CHICKEN • CHOPS • PHILLY’S • WINGS & MORE

for All You Care to Eat Breakfast s u n i o J SUNDAYS 9AM-NOON ***while the food lasts*** BAR HOURS

Mon-Sat 11am-1am Sun 9am-1am

GRILL HOURS

Mon-Sat 11am-8pm Sun 9am-8pm

5

FREE WINGS with any food purchase.

216 Locust St. Sterling • (815) 590-LISA (5472) S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

SM-ST2000056

Dine in only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Expires 12/31/22

5

6

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

CODY CUT TER/CCUTTER@SA UKVALLEY.COM

SARAH FORD/SHAW MEDIA

CODY CUT TER/CCUTTER@SA UKVALLEY.COM

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

just minutes before 6 o’clock on a Saturday night and the folks in a little red trailer in downtown Prophetstown are getting ready for business.

Pop! Pop pop! Pop pop pop pop!

Like clockwork, people make their way to the front of the stand to get their fix of a fluffy snack that’s been a Prophetstown tradition for more than 100 years. There’s something special in the air, and it’s the smell of popcorn bursting on the scene. Cars come and go, bags are filled, people pass the time chatting with friends and neighbors.

Yep, Thicksten’s Popcorn really knows how to get things poppin’ on a Saturday night.

With the distinctive kernels marching through time for more than a century, it’d be hard to imagine life in this town of 2,000 without a Thicksten’s popcorn stand. It’s become a tradition in a day when traditions are harder to come by — not many businesses can say that they’ve been around for as long as Thicksten’s has. To put it in perspective, the Prophetstown popper started serving popcorn before it was even first welcomed in movie theaters during the 1930s — for that matter, even before movies had sound.

You can’t spell Prophetstown without P, O, P, and you can’t have a Thicksten’s Popcorn without a member of the family at the wheels of the snack trailer. Top left: Leo Stewart, who own’s Thicksten’s with his wife, Joanie (née, Thicksten), brought seven of his nine grandchildren to get popcorn at the family stand last summer. On the tractor is Gavin, left, and Colton, and in the trailer are, from left: Mya, Holland, Ethan, Jordyn, and Brynlee. At right: Stacy Stewart and her daughter, Mya Marshall, carry on the family tradition of popping white kernel corn into a tasty treat.

Stacy represents the sixth generation of family and Mya the seventh.

POPCORN cont’d to page 8

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

7

Nissa Weber of Prophetstown grabs a bag of Thicksten’s Popcorn during a recent trip downtown.

POPCORN cont’d from page 7 Joanie Stewart is glad to keep that tradition alive. She’s owned the small stand with her husband, Leo, since they bought it from her uncle and aunt, Ronnie and Barbara Thicksten, in March 2003. The Stewarts represent the fifth generation of Joanie’s family to own the business, and have kept the Thicksten name attached to it. They also oversee the sixth and seventh generations of family who have a hand in scooping kernels and packing bags.

“My husband and I wouldn’t have been able to do this all by ourselves,” Joanie said. “It gives [our children] a job, which is extra income, and they do it the way we want it, and it seems to work well.

“We keep saying to their kids that they need to learn the ropes to be able to help their mom someday, and keep passing it on,” Joanie said.

When people come to the stand — and come they do, and not just locals but from all over the area — they’re asked “What size can I get for you?”

That’s because there’s only one kind of popcorn, and it’s pretty much been the same since Joanie’s greatgreat-grandmother, Ava Lawrence, first popped it in 1900. The recipe is simple: white popcorn, vegetable oil and lightly sprinkled salt. The kernels burst forth over a stove fire in an industrial popper, where the popped corn is constantly stirred to keep it from burning.

CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

POPCORN cont’d to page 9

105 W. Main St. Morrison, IL 815-772-8022 Facebook.com/brickblockpub Hours: Tuesday-Saturday open at 4pm Sundays & Mondays closed

Stop in today and try one of our specialty burgers and varying selections of draft/craft beers.

109 W. Main St., Morrison 815-772-7840

Book our party room for one of your special occasions.

8

S m a l l

To w n

Mon-Thurs 11am - 9pm Fri & Sat 11am - 10pm • Sun 4 - 9pm

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

Meeting and Banquet Room Available

POPCORN cont’d from page 8

Thicksten’s Popcorn comes in a variety of sizes — in paper or plastic — from a small bag for two bits, to this heapin’ helping: a two-foot tall serving big enough for the whole family. The big bags are among Thicksten’s best sellers.

That’s it, nothing else added and nothing else sold. Only one change has been made in 122 years of popping: Lard gave way to vegetable oil when Joanie and Leo took over, due to both the rising cost of hogs and because vegetable oil is healthier, she said.

A variety of sizes are available, from a small 50-cent paper bag to larger sizes, like one of their top sellers: a plastic bag about 2 feet tall and about 5 inches in diameter — and the bag says it all: “A heap of popcorn.”

Stacy Stewart, Joanie and Leo’s daughter, works most nights the stand is open, as does her sister, Sarah Gruhn. Like their family before them, the sisters started working in the small trailer as youngsters, and Stacy now is guiding her daughter, Mya, 7, on some of the basics of bagging popcorn.

“A lot of times I know a lot of people’s orders,” Stacy said, but sometimes the regulars will keep them on their toes. “As soon as I see them and they come up, they’re like, ‘Actually I’m going to change it up.’ Some people, I may not know their name, but I know what size they get. You definitely get to know people here.”

Ava Lawrence passed on the family business to her son, Harry Lawrence, who represented the second generation, in 1924. Harry, in 1944, passed it to his daughter Vora Lawrence, who married Earl Thicksten in 1929 – and it became Thicksten’s at that point. Earl and Vora ran it until 1974 when their son, Ronnie, became the fourth-generation owner. Joanie and Leo became the next generation — but with one stipulation: that the Thicksten name be kept, which they happily obliged.

CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@ SAUKVALLEY. COM

POPCORN cont’d to pages 10 & 11

PROUDLY SERVING YOU SINCE 1902 www.FarmersNationalBank.bank

x

Celebrating our Communities with 120 acts of kindness

FARMERS NATIONAL BANK

Geneseo — Prophetstown — Morrison

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

9

Despite its age, the Thicksten’s trailer isn’t ready to retire yet. The family business has been in the same trailer for nearly 70 years. In recent years, the family has done some work on it — a new roof, linoleum, and countertops — and last year, the trailer flipped colors, going from white with red lettering to red with white lettering. “It kind of makes it pop,” Joanie said.

It’s been located at different spots in the town throughout the years — the Eureka Inn, the post office, and the Subway parking lot — but it’s found a more permanent home, in the Shaw’s Marketplace parking lot, thanks to an arrangement with Bob Shaw. “It’s a good arrangement,” he said. “We hope it brings them business because they’re great people.” The only challenge with owning a business in a trailer? The weather. It can get pretty warm inside in the summer, and chilly in the winter, but for the family in command of the kernels, it’s a small price to pay to bring a lip-smacking smile to customers’ faces.

Specialty Magazines These magazines are totally free and will be sent to you in the mail.

Sauk Valley Media Above this cover: Page 4

SVM_Health_081721_.indd 1

8/9/21 12:00 PM

SVM_The Taste_113021.indd 1

To request your FREE copy, simply call us at (815) 632-2566 or email your requests and address to: knull@saukvalley.com

10

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

11/19/21 3:37 PM

POPCORN cont’d from page 9 Several family members have helped out over the years, especially during downtown special events. Kids Day was an annual event in town, and in August 1952, Ronnie’s brother Roger, Joanie’s father, manned the stand for the event with his thengirlfriend Millie. That day would be a memorable one for the family.

As Joanie recalled: “My mom and dad were in the popcorn stand, and my dad said to my mom, ‘Could you hold down the fort? I need to run an errand,’” Joanie said. “He ran down to the drug store that had some jewelry, he bought her a diamond ring and came back and proposed to her in the popcorn stand.”

POPCORN cont’d to page 12

Chrissy Barton-Howard of Prophetstown gets a heaping’ handful of Thicksten’s Popcorn.

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

Redefine Comfort as You Know it You can count on us for fast and reliable installation, maintenance and repair of your cooling systems, home’s heating all year round.

Heating Air Conditioning

FREE ESTIMATES Licensed & Insured SERVING THE

SAUK VALLEY AREA SINCE 1949!

WORKMAN HEATING & COOLING SM-ST1994056

(815)772-2010 • 15825 Lincoln Rd., Morrison www.workmanhc.com S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

11

POPCORN cont’d from page 11 With a moment like that, it’s no wonder the family doesn’t want to give it up, or move to something brick-and-mortar.

“It’s stories like that which make it special,” Joanie said.

The stand has been at various points along Washington Avenue, but has been a fixture at the parking lot of Shaw’s Market since the Stewarts owned it. The nearly 70-year-old trailer used to be hauled to other functions throughout the county, such as the Whiteside County Fair.

Like the conversion from lard to vegetable oil, another big change to the business happened before their summer season in 2021: What used to be a white stand with red lettering became a red stand with white lettering.

Joanie felt that it needed a paint job, and her brother, Steve, came over to help give it a new look.

“It was looking like it needed a face lift,” Joanie said. “I wanted to make it different so that it turns people’s heads and people really notice. It kind of makes it pop, so to speak, and makes it a little more ‘showy.’”

Want to learn more about one of America’s favorite snacks?

Pop on over to the Chicago-based Popcorn Board’s website, at popcorn.org, where you can learn about its history, nutritional information, recipes, fun facts and more.

POPCORN cont’d to page 13

RECOGNIZE IT. REPORT IT. 24/7 ELDER ABUSE HOTLINE

1-866-800-1409 Only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse are reported, while 1 in 6 adults 60 or older experienced abuse in the past year.

12

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

POPCORN cont’d from page 12 Stacy and Sarah spend more time at the stand these days than their parents do, but they’re never far from family in their tight quarters by way of photos inside. In one frame are pictures of the many generations who’ve popped Prophetstown’s precious kernels over the years, and another photo shows Joanie, Leo and their children and grandchildren all wearing colorful Thicksten’s Popcorn T-shirts.

When Stacy and Sarah’s kids aren’t up to helping out, Grandma and Grandpa get to spend quality time with them at home.

“Usually it’s me and my sister who work here, and my mom is glad she has dependable employees,” Stacy said. “A lot of times you’ll have people calling off or not showing up, but it definitely works because of us.”

While the family likes to keep their product in Prophetstown as much as they can, they do market elsewhere, such as at the Sterling Farmer’s Market on select weekends from May to October. Their popcorn even has made the rounds at Whiteside Area Career Center’s Taste of CEO Show, and wherever else the family spends a lot of time.

“It’s known in a lot of places and it comes from a small town,” Stacy said. “Usually everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve made it a goal to take some in for a snack day and get people hooked.”

Joanie and her family could have traded in the trailer for a brick-and-mortar business, but there’s something about having a stand right in the heart of downtown, out in the open, where people can hear the pops and smell the aroma of the popcorn as it it makes its way through downtown, Joanie said.

Generations have popped it, and generations have popped it in their mouth. It’s the stuff that memories are made of, and the family looks forward to making more popcorn, and more memories.

“It’s been in the family for so long that it’s not just about popcorn, it’s the being there and family connections,” Joanie said. n

More info Thicksten's Popcorn, 214 Washington St., Prophetstown, is open 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The stand is open Friday and Saturday during the same hours in the fall and spring months, and on select weekends during the winter months. Find it on Facebook or call 815537-5704 to place an order or for more information.

Your Voice Has POWER We Believe You. We are Here to Help.

We Offer FREE and CONFIDENTIAL Services for All Genders and Ages.

• Sexual Assault Counseling • 24-Hour Crisis Intervention

• Legal Advocacy • Medical Advocacy

• Services available in Spanish ywsauk.org Funding provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

24-Hour Hotline: 815.626.7277 & 815.288.1011

SM-ST2002762

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

13

Sheri Coate, owner of Yoga Bees studio in rural Erie | PHOTO: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEY.COM

14

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

What’s all the buzz in rural Erie?

wouldn’t be a stretch to say Sheri Coate doesn’t look her age, but it was a stretch that helped her maintain that youthful appearance.

Coate turns 70 years young this year, and the longtime rural Erie native takes great pride in keeping her body limber, her mind sharp, and her spirit strong, and she’s helping others find that same sense of pride.

She shares her mindful methods in classes at her Yoga Bees studio.

Whether they want to find an inner peace, work on their outer self, or just put a little pep in their step, she works to help students inside and out, and she’s got a swarm of followers.

The students are the “bees” in Yoga Bees. Yoga classes are offered in beginner (“easy bees”) and advanced (“worker bees”) levels; “early bees” sessions, which are a combination of the two skill levels; and “therapy

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media bees” sessions for those who have a certain mechanical or rehabilitation need, such as recovering from surgery.

It’s Yoga Bees, a studio run by a health and wellness adviser who helps students find the harmony between body and mind — and when they do, it’s like music to her ears

YOGA BEES cont’d to page 16

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

15

A ALE X T. P

YOGA BEES cont’d from page 15 When Coate decided to conduct her yoga One problem that her teachings especially aim to combat is sleep deprivation, a growing classes closer to home, issue in recent years. She says relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can help address she found an unlikely the problem. spot for them: a barn.

“If you can’t focus and relax, you’ll never get to sleep,” Coate said. “You can take all of the Her husband tore out pills you want, and still wake up at 3-o’clock in the morning. You can’t do it, you can’t mediseveral stalls and contate yourself through it.” verted the space into a Teaching has long been a part of Coate’s life, from when she assisted with swimming yoga studio. The wood lessons at 8 years old to a 34-year teaching career at Erie Elementary School. Now retired posts from the razed stalls from teaching at the school, these days she does her teaching at her own barn, helping remain and are used to help people of all ages with their physical, social and emotional health. students with balancing exerYoga is Coate’s primary way of proving that age is just a number — she’s been cises, so “there’s a little touch teaching it for nearly 50 years — but she also employs other techniques. of barn in here, still,” Coate said.

A L/AP SCHA

SAU AL@ SCH

OM Y.C LE AL KV

YOGA BEES cont’d to page 17

Service You Can Count On

SM-ST1959067

16

S m a l l

Serving the Sauk Valley Area for 40 Years!

815-626-8911 www.sterlingdoor.net To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

YOGA BEES cont’d from page 18 She does Reiki therapy, which is a Japanese stress-reduction technique that involves the laying on of hands to promote healing and relaxation. Aroma therapy sessions also are offered, as well as sound therapy, using special drums. Her Reiki training was done in Peru, where her daughter, Nicole, owns the Pachānanda retreat center in the Andes Mountains. In addition to training, Coate also sells healing crystals — quartz is believed to be especially powerful — makes healing soaps and oils, and sells items from the VibesUp line of therapeutic energy equipment.

That’s not all: Coate also incorporates some ballet lessons, using a barre (a type of bar used for ballet exercises) and several mirrors to help people understand the importance of posture.

“It’s all about making people as healthy as they can be,” Coate said. “You’d be surprised how poor our postures are as a whole, but if you don’t even have a chance to look at yourself, you may think you’re standing up straight.”

Coate’s journey to becoming a “beekeeper” didn’t happen overnight, but it took some dark days to galvanize her commitment to caring for body and soul. She survived a breast cancer diagnosis 21 years ago, and that helped set the stage for the next act in her story: concentrating on taking better care of her life, and eventually sharing what she learned along that journey.

“It made me reevaluate my whole life,” Coate said. “I changed how I felt about everything. Everything. I was essentially stressing myself to the point of giving myself breast cancer. I don’t have anyone [with it] that’s related to me, I was the

only one. I totally stressed myself. I had two little kids, I was teaching, and I was also racing horses.”

During recovery, she had lymph nodes taken out from above her right arm, and was told that she wasn’t going to be able to do any significant lifting with that arm again — but she didn’t let that stop her. She regained strength in it after about 4 weeks and today she’s helping others find their own inner strength. Coate said she’s seen several of her students beat the odds and prove tough diagnoses wrong through the methods she teaches.

“It’s been a real long journey for me,” Coate said. “It’s given me a whole outlook on people who have had cancer.

I’ve had people in my classes that have had cancer. One lady had brain surgery. One person had stage four colon cancer. I’ve had people that are recovering from knee surgery, shoulder surgery, back surgery, you name it.

“It gives you a broader outlook on humanity, and you have empathy for everybody.”

Coate has had students as young as 3 and as old as those in their early 90s. Currently, her oldest student is 83. Two of those students in their 90s were Coate’s own parents, Allen and Mary Wilson. She wants to get younger people interested in yoga, especially in a world dominated by technology, where most people don’t realize the physical ramifications it has on their mental development.

YOGA BEES cont’d to page 18

Delicious is Served

Wed, Thurs & Sat 4pm-9pm Fri 11am-1:30pm, 4pm -9pm Sun 4pm-9pm 1667 Hoover Rd., Deer Grove (815) 438-5282

FREE

Onion Ring Appetizer with the Purchase of 2 Dinners Cannot be combined with any other offers. Expires 12/31/22

SM-ST2002325

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

17

YOGA BEES cont’d from page 17

A horse is a horse, of course ... and this one, named Tater, keeps an eye on things inside the Yoga Bees studio. Horses have long been a part of Coate’s family, and this one is enjoying a life of retirement after putting its time in on the race track. Elsewhere in the barn, the family’s history with horses is proudly on display, showing some of their accomplishments through the years.

“Yoga really helps you to focus,” Coate said. “One thing teeny kids have trouble doing is focusing, especially nowadays with TV and phones and all of that stuff. They have all of this stuff going on and they think they constantly have to be moving and entertained; and yeah, they’re little and need to be moving a lot, but there’s also a time to be quiet. They don’t get that.”

Yoga isn’t just about stretching and bending, Coate said; it helps people find a balance and promotes flexibility, stability and focus — and it can help maintain that well into their senior years.

“Little kids are very bendy. They always think yoga is about being flexible, but that’s not true. I always tell my students, ‘When you’re 95, would you want to be able to do the splits or would you want to be able to [simply] walk to your car without falling down?’”

Coate is all too aware of yoga’s naysayers. When she started in education in the mid-1980s, she would incorporate some exercises into physical activity time with her students, but without calling it yoga; but despire that, a couple of parents still pulled their children from class after their church pastors warned them about yoga turning someone “into a Hindu,” she said.

YOGA BEES cont’d to page 19

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SAUKVALLEY.COM

the break room pub-n-grub

SM-ST2001670

• APPETIZERS • WINGS • PIZZA • NACHOS • SANDWICHES • BURGERS • CHICKEN SANDWICHES • SALADS • BLOODY MARYS

18

½ PRICE APPETIZER the break room pub-n-grub

Dine in only. Cannot be combined with any other offers.

122 S Main St. • Tampico • (815) 982-0014 S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

More info

YOGA cont’d from page 18 EX AL

“They ask lots of Yoga Bees is at 6270 Thome questions and I try Road in rural Erie. to set them at ease.

Find Yoga Bees LLC on I teach the physiFacebook, Queen Yoga cal part of it, the Bee on YouTube, emotional part of email shericoate@ letting all that stuff yahoo.com or call go, and teach the or text 309-945mental part of it, 5232 for class and that part of it is times or more being able to focus information. and empty your your mind for an hour. That’s so you don’t always have to be thinking, ‘I have to do this, maybe I should do this.’ We multi-task ourselves into a cord and then we can’t undo that and go to sleep at night because we’ve really lost the ability to really relax.”

People who enter Coate’s barn are greeted by Tater, a retired race horse that she acquired a few years ago from a neighbor. The farm goes back to when Coate’s’ great-grandparents were young, and horses have always been a part of it. Coate’s father ran one of the first harness horses at the former Quad City Downs horse track in East Moline in the 1970s; several of her family’s racing accomplishments are prominently on display in the barn. The family also used to have a private half-mile track across the road from their farm, which has since been turned back into farmland.

When Coate decided to bring her yoga classes close to home, her husband of almost 50 years, Loren, tore down six stalls and converted it into a yoga studio. The wood posts from the razed stalls remain and are used to help students with balancing exercises, so “there’s still a little touch of barn in here,” she said.

Don’t bring your shoes into her studio, and don’t bring plastic water bottles either — “It’s not good for you,” she said. For those who need to quench their thirst after working up a sweat, Coate has her own bottled water, prepared her own way. It comes in recycled green glass bottles, filled with water from her own well and displayed around quartz crystals on a table inside the studio.

“We have a well that goes deep into the Earth, and the well is at the top of a hill, surrounded by forests,” she said, where the trees’ roots act as a natural filter to remove chemical runoff from the nearby farmland. “I’ve had it tested,” she said, and it’s “incredibly clean.”

Details like that are just one way this health and wellness adviser helps promote a healthier lifestyle. What we put into our body — be it water or time — determines what we’ll get out of it, and Coate is determined to get the most out of hers. After all, we only get one shot at this life, and she wants to make hers — and her students’ — the best it can bee. n @S AL CH AS AP L/ HA SC PA T.

M Y.CO LLE KVA AU

• Tee Shirts • Sweatshirts • Custom Design • Screen Printing • Provide your own design

Mon-Thurs 8am-7pm Fri 8am-6pm 123 W. Main St., Morrison Sat 8am-noon 815-772-4653

Uniquely Made Gifts

DANCEWEAR SHOES ACCESSORIES

Handcrafted Jewelry, Scarves, Home Decor, Original Art 123 W. Main St., Morrison 815-772-4653

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

815.772.4653 • www.morrisonspecialtyshop.com Mon-Thurs 8am-7pm, Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-12pm

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

19

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

ennifer Temple thought she was going have a nice little cafe and bakery, but it turned out to be a whole lot more.

Harvest Bakery and More started as simple enough concept — a place where family and friends could get great food — but grew into a testament not only to Temple’s faith and family, and her determination to help revitalize Erie, but a celebration of community spirit. Today, that simple concept has taken off in a way that would have been hard to imagine just a few short years ago when it began serving customers in Erie’s downtown triangle.

“This place has morphed and changed so much since our original plans,” Temple said. “It’s much bigger than we could have dreamed that it was going to be.”

No matter what someone is hungry for, there’s something for everyone, Temple said.

Bakery offerings include treats such as cupcakes, brownies, rolls, scones, muffins, cookies and cookie sandwiches — all sold as singles or in batches — and cakes and cheesecakes. If you like to start your day with coffee and pastry, Temple and her staff have it ready when the doors open Tuesday through Saturday at 7 a.m.

HARVEST cont’d to page 24

20

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

21

HARVEST cont’d from page 20 Looking for more than something from the bakery? Like the name says — there’s more.

People can pull up a chair and enjoy appetizers such as chips with hot spinach and artichoke dip, loaded nachos or French fries, quesadillas, house-cut potato chips with a choice of dipping sauces, or fried pickles.

The lunch and dinner menus offer sandwiches aplenty — fish, chicken, pulled pork, and a grilled one with peanut butter and strawberry jam; there’s also chicken strips, grilled ham and cheese (lots of cheese … “Ooey, gooey goodness that people just love,” Temple said), and a build-your-own Harvest Burger.

After 4 p.m., the menu expands to include a ribeye steak, marinated pork loin chop, pan-seared Atlantic salmon, and — on Friday and Saturday only — prime rib.

There are items for the kids, too : chicken strips, grilled cheese, a slider burger or the House mac-n-cheese.

Each salad — chef, garden, spinach, classic Caesar or strawberry and spinach — includes a choice of dressing, and for a few bucks more customers can add flaked fresh salmon, grilled chicken breast or fried chicken strips; there’s even a taco salad for fans of south-of-the-border flavors.

HARVEST cont’d to page 23

SUBMITTED

Harvest Bakery and More is a family affair, with three generations serving food to diners in downtown Erie. Owner Jennifer Temple (center, holding grandson Brior) is glad to have daughter Katelyn McConnell (left) decorate cakes and cookies, and mother Linda VanZuiden (holding great-granddaughter Wrenlee) help with the salad bar on Wednesdays. “Harvest is truly about my family, and wouldn’t be successful without them,” said Jennifer.

Quality Flowers – Inspired Designs Full Service Florist Fresh & Artificial Botanicals Rentals • Gifts Monday-Friday 9am-4pm Saturday 9am-Noon SM-ST1996018

22

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

HARVEST cont’d from page 22 Sides include soup, salad, cottage cheese, House Mac-ncheese, homemade applesauce and more; and you can wash it all down with a coffee (both hot and iced), energy-infused drinks or a soda. People can also grab a mixed drink or a beer at the bar.

Getting to this point wouldn’t have been imaginable for Temple before the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused major changes around the world, including in the education field, where Temple had worked for decades. After 20 years of teaching at Riverdale Middle School in Port Byron, the whirlwind of changes the pandemic brought to her job were enough to make Temple think of making a change in her life.

“I’ve always had this in the back of my head that in some point in time I was going to be doing something different,” Temple said. “The climate of teaching has changed, and I got out right as COVID hit. I believe that God has a plan, and thought that was the easiest way to get around it was to walk away from it.”

Armed with a family background in the food business, an inspiration from a recent vacation, and enough money to strike out on her own, Temple and her husband, Drew, bought the former Bulldog’s Doghouse bar. That was the easy part. The real work was about the begin. The building had been vacant for a while and had started to go to the dogs. It needed some TLC — tender-loving cleanup — and a lot of it.

Using ideas gleaned from a restaurant she visited in Waco,

Texas, Jennifer put her designs in place: put big windows in the front, build tables from wood from the former bar, repurpose barn doors and use an old cooler door. Rehabbing the more-than-100-year-old building was going to take a lot of time and toil, so the Temples started to ask around to see whether a few people around town would lend a hand. They were happy to help, and so were others. Pretty soon the Temples had hundreds of hands helping out — nearly 100 different people helped out in some capacity over the course of two Saturdays.

It was like the little town that could — people coming together for a common cause to breathe new life into the old building. That unwavering support for bringing something special to Erie has continued to be a touching moment for Jennifer well after she opened her doors on Nov. 11, 2020.

“We just put it out there through Facebook and through text messages just to tell people, and see if the churches can announce it,” Temple said. “When we bought the building, people were like, ‘Something’s happening here in Erie,’ that smalltown feel that people have and they want to know what’s going on. ... We let people walk through the building after we bought it, and they were just like, ‘Oh my,’ because the building had been closed for 4 years.

Over 80 people showed up to help in whatever way they could for the first Saturday, and more than 65 showed up the second Saturday.

HARVEST cont’d to page 24

MORRISON

Community is More than Part of Our Name • Community Involvement • Community Support • Community Growth

Mon.-Fri. 8-5:30 • Sat. 8-5 • Sun 10-3

FRAMING BY LINDA Custom Matte and Framing

10 OFF

$

Custom Framing Job

OVER 170 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

With a $100 or more purchase.

Locally Owned and Managed

104 S. Genesee • 815-772-4810 SM-ST2001195

S m a l l

SM-ST1994011

220 E. Main, Morrison

To w n

FDIC

815-772-4011 www.commstbk.com

Other locations to serve you in Fulton, Rock Falls, Sterling, and Dixon

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

23

HARVEST cont’d from page 23 “It was like ants, people were working everywhere, taping down ceilings, floors — it still brings tears to my eyes because it was such a blessing,” Temple said. “We bought this and thought we were going to do this in little, small shifts. If it was just my husband and I, we probably couldn’t have afforded to do all of that.

“It makes you feel great to know that many people care about restoring buildings in our downtown and making something good. We want to take care of the community — and they’ve supported us — whatever we can do,” she said.

Many of the folks who helped the Temples with renovations remembered Jennifer’s parents owning Charlie Brown’s bar and restaurant on Seventh Avenue in Erie, where she worked during her school days. Like that bar, named after Jennifer’s father, Harvest is also a family operation. Jennifer’s mother, Linda VanZuiden, helps out with the Wednesday salad bar, and daughter, Katelyn McConnell, designs cakes and runs its Facebook page.

One of the people on Temple’s team, Addi Wiersema, enjoys seeing first-hand the vision Temple has for the restaurant.

HARVEST cont’d to page 25

PHOTO: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

Save the Dates!

Upcoming Events at Deja Vu

415 Locust St. Suite B, Sterling | 815-213-7401

Lee Bardier, Managing Broker, ABR 815-716-3604 Lee@BardierTeam.com

Korinna Ramirez, Broker 815-441-0230 Korinna@BardierTeam.com

Jill Ramirez, Broker

Bobbie Bardier, Team Assistant

(Hablo Espanol)

815-716-7379 Jill@BardierTeam.com

August 18th-31st: 13th Annual Deja Vu Anniversary Sale September 30th-October 5th: Deja Vu CLOSED October 6th-8th: Christmas Preview Sale Date to be Announced: Adult Halloween Wine Walk October 28th: Deja Vu / Downtown Trick or Treat 3pm-5pm November 7th: Deja Vu Christmas Village is up November 17th-20th: Deja Vu Holiday Open House November 20th: Open 11am-4pm November 23rd: Deja Vu CLOSES at 2pm Thanksgiving: CLOSED

815-716-3235 Bobbie@BardierTeam.com

November 25th: Black Friday Hours 9am-6pm - Special guest to be announced November 26th: Shop Small Hours 9am-5pm -Special guest to be announced November 27th: Open 11am-4pm Date to be Announced: Downtown Tree Lighting December 4th: Open 11am-4pm December 11th: Open 11am-4pm December 15th-23rd: Desperate Dudes and Dudettes December 18th: Open 11am-4pm Christmas Eve: CLOSED Christmas Day: CLOSED New Year’s Eve: Deja Vu CLOSES at 2pm January 1st-2nd: CLOSED

Deja Vu Furniture & Accessories 101 Fifth Ave. S., Clinton, IA 52732 563-242-3356

Korinna Ramirez

www.dejavuclinton.com • Find us on

See all homes at www.Bardier-Ramirez.com

24

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

SM-ST2005207

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

HARVEST cont’d from page 24 “It’s nice to see her heart and her actions in the way she treats everybody,” Wiersema said. “She just really cares about all of her customers and wants to do a good thing for our town.”

Isabelle VanOosten, who has been with Harvest since its opening, enjoys the variety — both in the creations from the kitchen and the customers coming through the door.

“We do a wide variety of everything, from decorating cakes to having a more fancier dinner,” VanOosten said, “Every day it’s something different here, but I like that there’s something here for everyone and there’s something everyone can like.”

Though there’s ample seating for diners — at tables, at the bar, or in a large room off to the side of the bar that can also be reserved for parties or large gatherings — Temple would like to welcome even more people to share in her vision. She plans to add outdoor seating in a patio area in the fall.

Temple and her staff can’t wait to see their space fill up with people again, especially after the height of the pandemic.

“I love seeing the community here,” Temple said. “I love seeing family and friends spending time together, especially after COVID when we were locked away for so long. That was one of the things that people thanked me most about was that, as soon as we could open, we had this big space where people could come in and be OK, and they were just thankful to get together.”

Charlie Browns, Temple said, was a place where people in the community could hang out after school sporting events and other local happenings, and she’s making her own place somewhere than people can do the same.

“That’s what I want to have here, a place where family and friends can meet and talk with lots of people to hang out and spend time together,” Temple said. n

Memory Care Long Term Care

More info

Harvest Bakery and More, 916 Albany St., Erie, is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Find it on Facebook, go to harvestbakeryandmore.com or call 309-515-9025 to place an order, to see menus or for more information.

815-537-5175

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

Independent Living

Please call and ask about our state of the art rehabilitation, skilled care and independent living communities.

We provide inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programming.

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

25

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

Sidonna Mahaffey took a vacant downtown storefront and turned it into an event venue. The Morrison alderwoman takes pride in being a woman in business on Main Street. “Something that I would like people to think about more is that, it’s not 1950 anymore, and the moms are the one’s maintaining and keeping up Main Street America now,” she said. “It’s just being able to empower women — that they can do this, especially in a small town.”

26

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

idonna Mahaffey wears a lot of hats. She’s a mom, an alderwoman, and a business owner — and while this hat trick of roles may not seem like they have a lot in common, they do.

As a mom of five, Mahaffey knows the importance of creating lasting family memories, from birthday parties to get-togethers. As a Morrison alderwoman, she wants to see her community have a vibrant business community, offering the kinds of shops and services that will keep dollars in her hometown. As a business owner, she’s able to accomplish both those things.

Mahaffey runs Mahaffey’s on Main Street in downtown Morrison, a place where there’s space to make memories on the main floor event venue, and where the dollars spent there support her hometown.

MAHAFFEY’S cont’d to page 28

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

27

MAHAFFEY’S cont’d from page 27 The venue, which opened in early 2020, can be rented for parties, business gatherings, even as a pop-up location for aspiring businesses. There’s also a newly renovated three-bedroom, one bathroom rental suite upstairs that can be rented for as long as visitors need to stay in town — a day, a week, a month or more.

Both ideas fill a need she saw in Morrison, and Mahaffey said she’s proud to do her part to make a difference in her community. Another benefit of being a businesswoman? She can help inspire other like-minded women to accomplish their goals and dreams. She’s one of several women own businesses on Main Street going west from Cherry Street.

“Something that I would like people to think about more is that, it’s not 1950 anymore, and the moms are the one’s maintaining and keeping up Main Street America now,” Mahaffey said. “It’s just being able to empower women that they can do this, especially in a small town.” Even the business name is a reminder of why she does what she does — Mahaffey’s On Main Street works out to MOMS. Mahaffey and her husband, Kenneth, a lawyer, live in Morrison with their five children: Madilyn, Abigail, Kaitlyn, Kenny and Emily. She’s put on plenty of parties for her children over the years and hosted several family functions, helping her get a handle on what it takes to make sure all of the pieces are in place to make any event a smooth one.

Mahaffey was a stay-at-home mom for years before she decided to start a business. She bought the downtown building at 121 E. Main St., and her first idea was to open a coffee shop, but someone else beat her to it. Undeterred, she went back to the drawing board and came up with Mahaffey’s on Main Street.

“Sometimes we just have to pivot in our business plans,” Mahaffey said. “My original business plan was to open a coffee shop here for the community. A few months after I purchased the building and started doing stuff, another coffee shop opened in Morrison, and I felt that we could not support two coffee shops in a community this size. I just had to pivot my business plan and thought, we don’t have anywhere in town — or really the surrounding area — for small parties, baby showers, birthday parties, bridal showers and that kind of thing, that doesn’t cost people an arm and a leg.”

The venue provides tables and chairs as well as the use of a small kitchen area with a stove, refrigerator, microwave and a coffee pot. A pair of comfortable chairs and a sectional sofa sit at one corner of the room, near a TV. The event venue is ADA-compliant, and can hold about 75 people, or a few more depending on how someone wants to arrange the tables and chairs.

“It’s just so nice to bring your stuff: You can bring your food in from the outside and bring whatever you want,” Mahaffey said. “I have tables and chairs, and you can set it up and decorate however it’s going to suit your needs, for an economical price, and then not have to deal with any headache.”

Through the years, the downstairs had been home to Brown’s Shoe Store, a restaurant, and initially, a dry goods store when the building was constructed in the 1880s. Mahaffey tried to restore the tin ceiling to its original state, but it had been painted over so many times that that just wasn’t feasible. The

28

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SAUKVALLEY.COM

Mahaffey’s on Main Street is at 121 E. Main St. in downtown Morrison. ceiling is still there, but painted black. When it comes to the events, Mahaffey typically is hands-off, unless the renter needs help with something.

“My thing is to have your party your way,” Mahaffey said.

“When you see the little kids blowing up the birthday balloons and stuff, it’s just a good feeling, saying ‘Happy birthday!’ and sharing people’s joy.”

MAHAFFEY’S cont’d to page 29

YOUR GRASSHOPPER

SERVICE DESTINATION.

Grasshopper zero-turn mowersare built to last, but when service is needed, we can help. With a full lineof repair and tune-up services, OEM parts and more, we’re standing by to help keep your mower in peak condition.

PEABUDY’S 2900 Polo Rd Sterling, IL 61081 www.peabudysinc.com 815-626-4600 © The Grasshopper Company

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

MAHAFFEY’S cont’d from page 28 Rentals can be blocked out in 4-hour sessions, for a full day, or multiple days.

Events rarely happen after 8 p.m., giving any potential upstair renters a quiet and restful night.

When the venue isn’t being rented out, it’s still put to good use, as Mahaffey’s makeshift studio. An avid crafter, she enjoys making signs, holiday wreaths and even painting a few pictures once in a while. She’ll use the event space to host occasional craft workshops, and has partnered with other local artisans to display their creations and demonstrate their methods as well.

Tools are on hand for crafters, and free snacks and wine are provided, to get the creative juices flowing. As many as 30 people have shown up to those events, Mahaffey said; the next one is planned for sometime this winter.

“I love crafting, and I’m pretty avid about it,” she said. “I thought, why not teach other people to create these things? Sometimes you want something, but you don’t have the tools at your disposal to create them, and I just thought it was nice, especially when

everyone was getting out of COVID-fatigue from the pandemic, to have a place to go. I prep all the material and teach them how to do whatever sign or craft we’re making.”

It took Mahaffey the better part of 6 months to completely gut and redo the 1,250-square-foot upstairs area to make it presentable once more after years of neglect. She wasn’t alone in the transformation process: She recruited her children to help out, and they were happy to help Mom out. She didn’t just dive in, though. She learned some tricks of the trade by watching a lot of online how-to videos — becoming a “YouTube contractor” of sorts, she said.

It was a labor of love.

“It was great to give them a hammer, a pair of goggles, and let them go to town,” Mahaffey said. “I spent so many hours here, myself and my children, so there were a lot of teaching moments here.”

“When I was spending so much time here, I almost felt like I bonded with this building,” Mahaffey said. “This building brings a sense of peace. It’s unbelievable.

It’s calming to me. I feel nothing but love

Reserve your space Mahaffey’s on Main Street is at 121 E. Main St. in downtown Morrison.

Find it on Facebook, or call 815-768-7996 to reserve event space or its upstairs rental suite, or for more information.

How suite it is ...

Go to vrbo.com/2012714 and airbnb.com/rooms/45381118 to find more information and see pictures of the rental suite.

In your corner & around the corner.

That’s the real deal.

Angie VanderVinne S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

815-772-2101 |

F a l l

2 0 2 2

29

Partners in life and partners in business have

found a home for their hobbies at a mom-and-pop shop in Morrison that offers something for moms and pops — and so far, Everything is going great

30

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

ubrey Fisher loves making crafts. She enjoys it so much that she’s been able to turn her creations into cash at her own shop.

Tim Fisher loves sports and toys. He enjoys them so much that he, too, has been able to turn a profit from his passions at his own shop.

And both are under the same roof.

Everything Prim and More — Aubrey’s part of the store is the “prim” and Tim’s is the “more” — is a Morrison shop that showcases Aubrey’s talents for turning ideas and inspirations into crafts and decor, and gives Tim a place to peddle sports cards and

Aubrey and Tim Fisher turned a former flower shop in Morrison into a business of their own, Everything Prim and More.

CODY CUTTER/ SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

memorabilia, breweriana, toys and more.

“We wanted a shop for everybody,” Tim said, and that’s what customers get when the walk through the doors.

“With the guys and gals who come in here together, she’ll shop over on my side and he goes and looks through the stuff over on Tim’s side,” Aubrey said. “We’ll have guys who will come in and look for a certain baseball card and then go over and pick something up for his girlfriend.”

Either way, someone is likely to come out of the store with something.

The Fishers each have their own interests, but they both enjoy sharing them with customers. Before opening Everything Prim and More, they sold items online for years — Aubrey on Etsy and Tim on eBay — so having a storefront was a natural fit, and they opened their shop in July 2021, in a spot that Wilson’s Greenhouse called home for decades.

EVERYTHING cont’d to page 32

By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

31

EVERYTHING cont’d from page 31

CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

Just like the first half of the shop’s name says, there’s a little bit of everything in the Fishers’ store — candles, custom crafts, collectables, decor, breweriana, and — just like the last half of the name says more. “We wanted a shop for everybody,” Tim Fisher said.

Some of the former greenhouse’s features remain, even after the Fishers renovated the building: a built-in refrigeration case where flowers once kept their cool now houses Aubrey’s decor. Drawers once filled with flower and gift accessories in the back room are now filled with the tools and materials of Aubrey’s trade. When there’s not a customer in the store or an online order to take care of, Aubrey can be found firing up her Glowforge laser cutter, which can cut and engrave the designs she has in mind. Tim helps Aubrey with her creations as well, cutting and staining pieces of wood, and even trying his hand with the laser once in a while.

“I like being creative and making stuff,” Aubrey said. “Every time someone purchases something that I’ve made, it’s exciting, whether it’s on Etsy or here in the store, because they are one-of-a-kind type of things. You just get that exciting feeling that someone else likes something that you’re doing, that’s my biggest love about doing this.”

TIRED OF

OVERPAYING? OUR PRICE VS. AREA AVERAGE Thyroid Panel: ...... $111 vs. $409 Lipid: ...... $45 vs. $200 CBC:....... $21 vs. $135

BYRON LOCATION NOW OPEN!

Offering thousands of tests at prices you can afford. Give us a call.

We are here to help Mon-Fri 7am-4pm WE ACCEPT 832 N Galena Ave. Dixon | 404 W Blackhawk Ste. Byron MEDICARE & MEDICAID 815-677-9384 | www.valuelab-dixon.com

32

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

EVERYTHING cont’d to page 33

EVERYTHING cont’d from page 32 When customers walk through the front door, it’s Aubrey’s items they see first. After all, the idea of having a store started with her, and Tim was happy to come along for the ride.

“She wanted to open a shop, and it was more of a storage idea for me,” Tim said. “Could you imagine all of this stuff in one house?”

Much of what Tim has in his part of the store are items he’s collected through the years, including sports cards; autographed football helmets, balls and pylons; and neon beer signs — a roundup of decor for the man cave.

During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, online buying exploded and kept Tim busy on eBay. Aubrey saw a bump, too, on her Etsy store — but that pandemic pastime also gave her an opportunity to expand her creative interests and try new styles.

EVERYTHING cont’d to page 34

CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

If you’re into sports cards, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of peeling open a pack and seeing if you’ve hit a home run, and Everything Prim and More has stacks and stacks of packs waiting for collectors. More into breweriana than baseball? Tim’s got you covered, with tapper handles, signs, advertising and more.

H a r h d a i r n a g S

WE ARE READY FOR ANOTHER 70 YEARS

INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING • 308 S BLUFF BLVD., Clinton, IA • 563-243-1341 • www.sarahardingofclinton.com S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

33

EVERYTHING cont’d from page 33

CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

Aubrey shows off some of the items featuring photos burned into wood that they make at the shop. They’ve been quite popular lately, Aubrey said, especially during Christmas when customers brought in a lot of photos and turned them into gifts.

The pandemic “pushed me to try new things that I had never done before,” Aubrey said. “I had more time to learn different things. I learned some new different crafts and stuff like that.”

She followed that learning curve right on to her shop’s shelves, where people will find handmade primitive country items, home and seasonal decor, wreaths, signs, and designs embroidered on T-shirts.

Aubrey and Tim recently have also been learning about the process of transferring photos to different surfaces, specifically wood, using a process that creates a photo-like image on wood. They’ve been quite popular lately, Aubrey said, especially during Christmas when customers brought in a lot of photos and turned them into gifts.

EVERYTHING cont’d to page 35

815-580-3011 statelinesolar.net

310 W Main St Lena, IL 61048 $

0

OWN

D

Do you you yo ou drive dri dr riv ive a hybrid hyb hy ybbrri rid id or o EV? EV? EV V?

SOLAR

Stateline Solar installs EV charging stations for homes & businesses. These charging stations can be installed alone or paired with a solar array.

FINANCING AVAILABLE

Scan Sca can ca an to t learn lea le ear arn rn more! mor mo ore re! e!

with

*Loans subject to approval. Offer subject to change without notice. See a German American State Bank representative for details. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

Already A Alllrrreea ead ady dy have hav ha ave solar? sol so ola lar ar?

Stateline Solar provides solar maintenance and repairs for existing solar panel systems. Our team of technicians are highly trained and skilled in ensuring every solar panel system can perform to it's fulll capabilities for the entire life of the system &b beyond! ey yond!

34

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

EVERYTHING cont’d from page 34

N

t i s i E e r e Wh

S

aNsweR

Eri-Lyn was Whiteside County’s only drive-in movie theater. Opened in 1968, it was a single-screen

drive-in that closed sometime around 1987. Today, the nearest drive-in is the Midway Drive-In, just outside of Prairieville on Old Route 2 east of Sterling. Other ones within 100 miles from the county that are still in operation are in Earlville; Galesburg; Blue Grass, Iowa; Maquoketa, Iowa; and Monroe, Wisconsin.

We invite you to stop by and enjoy a multi-level shopping experience

People shopping in Tim’s part of the store can get the picture, too — but not on wood. His photographic memories are more like memorabilia: professional shots of athletes, many them autographed. One is a picture of the 1957 Washington Redskins football team, which includes future NFL Hall of Fame coach Don Shula and a defensive end sporting a No. 88 jersey, Chet Ostrowski, who later went on to be the local Oscar Mayer salesman in the region. Tim acquired the photo from someone in rural Rock Falls who knew Ostrowski.

“Everything for me, it’s all unique,” Tim said. “Everything’s got a different story.”

Vintage toys also are big sellers on Tim’s side, with Hot Wheels leading the way. As with any collectible, certain ones bring bigger bucks than others. Sometimes he’ll buy collections sight-unseen and while not all the cars turn out to be wheels of fortune, he has managed to discover some treasures among the toys.

“I reprice everything and research everything,” Tim said. “I was going through a box of cars and most of them were a couple-of-dollar cars, but there were some $40 cars in there. That’s the fun part: ‘Dollar, dollar ... $40?

Wow! OK.’ That’s the fun thing.”

The Fishers are happy that they cast their lot with a storefront. Online sales were fine, but things could get a little cramped around home with all those crafts and collectibles. Having a store where people can come in and browse has been a joy for them. “[The men] come in, pull out a chair and just dig through,” Aubrey said. “While they’re doing that, their wives are over on the other side looking there. It’s a perfect mix.” n

More info Everything Prim and More, 103 N. Heaton St. in Morrison, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Go to etsy.com/shop/livelaughloveprim to view its Etsy online store, or ebay.com/usr/cashoutyourattic3 for its eBay page.

Find Everything Prim and More on Facebook and TikTok, email everythingprim@gmail.com or call 815-772-7575 for more information.

307 First Ave., Sterling Monday-Sunday 10am-4pm

CODY CUTTER/SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t

|

F a l l

2 0 2 2

35

You can’t predict when you will need us. But we’re here when you do.

Accepting New Patients

Dr. George Georgiev Family Practice with Dermatology

Dr. Nicky Eustace Family Practice Physician

Dr. David Lopez Psychiatry

Dr. D. Thane Cody ENT

Dr. Robb Rydzynski, Urogynecology

Dr. Mathew C. Mathew Urologist

Dr. James Olney.

General Surgery Specialist

Dr. Amrit Anand Rheumatologist

Dr. Priyanka Gauravi Endocrinologist

Dr. Ricky Maddox General Surgeon

Dr. David Yeager Podiatric Surgeon

Dr. Abdul Foad Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr. Waseem Ahmad Neurologist

Dr Mudappa Kalaiah Rheumatologist

Dr. Faraz Manazir Cardiologist

Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Open 361 days a year for your convenience!

815-772-5511 or 815-772-5590

Family Practice Clinic/Specialty Clinic

www.morrisonhospital.com 36

S m a l l

To w n

L i v i n g

W e s t | F a l l

2 0 2 2

Medicare and Medicaid welcome