PEORIA MAGAZINE April 2022

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APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

COVER STORY 42 New School, Meet Old School By Mike Bailey

SPOTLIGHTS 38 The Xman Behind Xbox By Phil Luciano 56 Are We Ready for Cyberwar? By Mike Bailey 68 Community Spotlight: Brimfield Beckons By Steve Tarter

ON THE COVER: The Ag Lab sits at 1815 N. University St. in Peoria.

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FEATURES 8 Seed and Soil: The Farm Report

22 Mom and Pop

60 WordCount

From Breadbasket to Breadbasket: How Will War in Ukraine Affect Cen tral Illinois? By Patrick Kirchhofer

A Sentimental Journey By Sally McKee 26 Arts and Entertainment

Peoria Native Explores True Crime Genre An Interview with Author Kathryn Miles

Finding the Right Work/Art Balance By Derel Monteith

10 Toon Town

72 EconCorner

By Daniel Ackley

An Interview with Dr. David Cleeton 74 People, Places & Parties

30 Arts and Entertainment A Play with a Purpose By Laurie Pillman 35 Arts and Entertainment ‘Artists Don’t Retire’ By Mike Bailey 52 Peoria Retro

14 Dish and Drink

Taking on the Chains By Frank Abdnour

HBCYou Recording at WTVP, Heart of Illinois United Way 100 Years, Junior Achievement Awards Ceremony, Peoria Riverfront Museum Uncovered Exhibition, Irish Fest at Holy Family School, St. Patricks Day Festivities, 33 Room

16 Dish and Drink Cocktail Class

By Dustin Crawford

18 Dish and Drink

From Peoria to Prominence By Phil Luciano

‘Dropping Mexico in Peoria Heights’ By Mike Bailey

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY 48 Distillery Labs, an Introduction By Nate Domenighini 82 Innovate, Implement, Change the World By Dee Brown 85 Kaizen is the Key By Amy Burkett 92 One More Thing: Where’s My Flying Car? By Phil Luciano

AND MORE 7 Letter from the Editor 64 Biz Bits 86 In Brief 89 Classifieds 91 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue

April 2022 contributors: Frank Abdnour, Daniel Ackley, Dee Brown, Amy Burkett, David Cleeton, Dustin Crawford, Nate Domenighini, Patrick Kirchhofer, Sally McKee, Kathryn Miles, Derel Monteith, Laurie Pillman, Steve Tarter FOLLOW@PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/subscribe.

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MONTHLY ISSUE 042022 ISSN: 947

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E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com PUBLISHER Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org

C R E A T I V E

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org WTVP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Sanders julie.sanders@wtvp.org

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson

A D V E R T I S I N G PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com

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L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

Welcome to the Innovation Edition Saluting the restless who endlessly search for better ways

T he Peoria area has long been a place of tinkerers and free thinkers, people known to sometimes reject the conventional wisdom and look for other, potentially better ways. Call it a rebellious streak. If the Duryea brothers were happy with getting around by horse and buggy, presumably they wouldn’t have gone to work on the first gasoline-powered automobile in a barn over by Bradley University. If Betty Friedan had been a content and unquestioning housewife, she wouldn’t have sat down to write The Feminine Mystique . If Richard Pryor had seen his life the same as many others did, perhaps he wouldn’t have pioneered a wholly different path in American comedy. If losing countless soldiers due to infection from their wounds in World War II had been an acceptable status quo, Andrew J. Moyers and his team at Peoria’s Ag Lab may not have felt the urgency they clearly did to come up with a way to mass produce penicillin. Your great-grandparents, and their children, and their children, and frankly those of us still standing today owe them a “thank you.” The April issue of Peoria Magazine is our annual Innovation edition, and in it we celebrate the congenitally restless folks who never stop striving to come up with a superior alternative. We may tend to think of innovators as people in white lab coats peering into a microscope, or in oil-stained overalls hovering with a wrench over some contraption, or as the wild-eyed, Einstein-haired Emmett Lathrop “Doc” Brown, Ph.D. in the Back to the Future movie franchise.

Certainly, that is a part of the picture. But innovation comes in every size and shape and flavor. It’s also Yeni Rodriguez drawing upon her immigrant experience to work her ice cream magic with a taste not previously imagined at Palarte in Peoria Heights. It’s gifted artist Lonnie Stewart starting with these lumps of clay and fashioning them into an utterly realistic model ready to jump out into a larger-than-life-size sculpture of the nation’s 26th president, or a saint, or a world-famous poet. It’s Dustin Crawford mixing cocktails like a chemist. It’s Kate Miles taking a new and different look at a quarter-century-old crime in her latest book. All of them are featured in this issue. Of course, it can be very high tech, too. It’s Peoria native Robbie Bach, decades down the road, having a significant hand in the development of Xbox at Microsoft. It’s Luke Haverhals taking his knowledge of chemistry from Bradley University and applying it to what’s grown in the fields around here with his Natural Fiber Welding, Inc., which promises to revolutionize an entire industry. It’s the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center shepherding companies like Midwest Bioprocessing Center. It’s the remarkable work in artificial intelligence and virtual reality coming out of Jump Simulation Center. And it’s the granddaddy of them all, the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research – aka Peoria’s Ag Lab – hitting one R&D home run after another over the last 80 years, including its penicillin grand slam right out of the gate. It’s our cover story. In fact, Peoria has long been an inventive place. In 2018, the publication 24/7 Wall Street put the Peoria area in

its top 25 most innovative American cities, sandwiched between Boise, Idaho and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., home to the famed Research Triangle. It did so based on data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the year 2015, which saw 3,321 patents coming out of this part of central Illinois, many of them fromCaterpillar and the aforementioned Ag Lab. What Peoria may have lacked, once upon a time, was an entrepreneurial culture, willing to take the necessary next steps of raising venture capital, getting research to market, and doing it here. Fortunately, that has begun to change, thanks to entities such as BU’s Turner Center for Entrepreneurship, Peoria NEXT, OSF HealthCare and Peoria’s relatively new Distillery Lab “distilling ideas” and “launching companies.” For that reason, it is fair to be optimistic about central Il l inois’ economic future, and it’s why we’re excited to share this innovation themed edition of Peoria Magazine.

Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

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S E E D A N D S O I L G U E S T C O M M E N T A R Y FROM BREADBASKET TO BREADBASKET How will war in Ukraine affect central Illinois?

BY PATRICK KIRCHHOFER

T he agriculture sector of our economy has been on a wild ride since the first of the year. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February fanned the fire even more. There have been many questions as to how this world event will impact the American energy sector, farm fertilizer supply, and the production and export of grain. The country of Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe, similar to the Corn Belt being the breadbasket of the United States. In fact, Ukraine and the U.S. Midwest both have some of the best soils and climate in the world for growing grains. In a typical year, farmers throughout the U.S. will grow nearly 100 million acres of corn, 100 million acres of soybeans, and 50 million acres of wheat. Compare this to the Ukraine, which has just over 100 million acres of agricultural land. They are a significant player in world grain production. Geographically, Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe (behind Russia), similar in size to the eastern United States from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean. It is located along a similar latitude as the state of Minnesota. A latitude of 0 is at the Equator (going east to west around the earth) and a latitude of 90 is at the north pole (northern Canada). Ukraine’s latitude falls between 46 and 52, Minnesota’s between 44 and 49. Even though Ukraine is further north

than Illinois, farmers there can still grow great crops. Keep in mind that as you travel north, the number of growing days is fewer, but the length of the days is much longer during the growing season. So, with each additional daylight hour, plants are able to grow during a longer period of time each day. That explains why heads of cabbage grown in Alaska are huge, given that state’s many hours of daylight in June and July.

exporter of natural gas, nitrogen and potash, producing between 15 percent and 20 percent of the world’s supply of each of these products. Natural gas is used to make nitrogen fertilizer such as anhydrous ammonia and urea. Nitrogen is themost important fertilizer in producing corn, which is a grass. Although the U.S. may not receive large quantities of these energy and fertilizer products from the Ukraine and Russia,

U k r a i n i a n f a r me r s experience a similar growing season to farmers in theupper Midwest. They plantedwinter wheat last fall, intending to harvest this summer, and

UKRAINE IS THE BREADBASKET OF EUROPE, SIMILAR TO THE CORN BELT

Europe does depend on them. So does South America’s largest crop-producing country, Brazil. It sounds as though local supplies of fertilizer to Peoria area farmers are adequate for this spring. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium will be applied primarily to fields being planted in corn, and to a lesser extent on fields being planted to soybeans. Much of the nitrogen, in the anhydrous ammonia form, was applied last fall, so many of our area farmers should be in good shape heading into the spring planting season.

normally they would be preparing to plant their spring crops, such as corn, around the first of April. Ru s s i a a nd Uk r a i ne g r ow approximately one-third of the world’s exported wheat. Much of that wheat goes to countries such as Egypt and China. Ports on the Black Sea bordering Ukrainearewheremost of theshipments originate. If these seaports are closed due to the war, howwill these countries get their shipments of wheat? This may have been factored into the price of U.S. wheat, as this commodity has seen the highest uptick in prices, compared to corn and soybeans. Will countries normally dependent on Ukrainian and Russian wheat now seek other sources of the grain? Time will tell how this scenario plays out. Another factor to look at is energy and fertilizer. Russia is a large global

Patrick Kirchhofer is manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau, a position he has held since 1995.

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

TOON

TOWN

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APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11

Two Voices. OneMission.

MOVING GREATER PEORIA FORWARD, TOGETHER. The Board of Directors of Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation fully supports and endorses Peoria Magazine as an integral part of its mission to “enhance our community in engaging and relevant ways using public media and outreach efforts.” Chairman of the Board: Andrew Rand

WTVP PBS Trusted. Valued. Essential. 101 State Street Peoria wtvp.org 309.677.4747

12 APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

DVI is honored to be ranked No. 21 in CNBC’s 2021 Top 100 Financial Advisory Firms in the nation.

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APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

D I S H A N D D R I N K G U E S T C O M M E N T A R Y TAKING ON THE CHAINS What separates independents from the big boys? Passion

BY FRANK ABDNOUR

O wning an independent restaurant is a laborious task in any environment, but particularly challenging in a global pandemic. I am a former restaurant owner, and while I sold my business prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have quite a few colleagues who still own and operate local restaurants. It ’s no secret that virtually all businesses have experienced hardships during the past two years, independent restaurants being no exception. While I may be a bit biased, I believe these small businesses were able to endure the shutdowns and quarantines because of some advantages that large corporations do not have. For starters, independent restaurant Frank’s famous sundae.

From transforming parking lots into sit-down service areas to running carryout business via online delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, local restaurants persevered. They were able to successfully continue business, oftenmore quickly than larger chain restaurants, because decisions could be made quickly without having to rely on corporate approval. The smal l “mom-and-pop” shops that survived were able to do so because they did not dwell on the situation, but rather did what was necessary. As we move forward in a post pandemic wor ld , i ndependent restaurant owners will continue to face challenges. With the cost of Left to right: For Frank, Sydney, Donna and Noah Abdnour, the Spotted Cow was truly a family business.

Going anywhere to scoop a few.

operators can be more creative and maneuver more quickly than their larger competitors. Truly successful independent operators have survived during the COVID-19 pandemic because they have been motivated by the love of what they do. The spi r i t of the independent operator is truly like no other, nomatter how hard things get. They’ve had to install plexiglass shields, made their menus accessible by QR code, and rearranged seating to allow for social distancing. They’ve installed pick up windows and transformed indoor restaurants into outdoor facilities. Many eateries, notably fine-dining establishments, had never had to implement carry-out or temporary outdoor seating.

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Spotted Cow at 718 W Glen Ave, Peoria.

goods rising and the struggle to find employees ongoing, our beloved local restaurants will have a much harder time competing with the chain restaurants. I feel, however, that our local favorites will take it in stride – the trademark of the independent restaurateur. In a small market such as Peoria, an independent restaurant trying to stay profitable must prioritize a few key elements: • Sell a quality product. While it may sound cliché, it is more critical now than ever. Independents cannot compete with the chain restaurants dollar for dollar, nor should they. • Service must be quick and excellent.

Happy employees typically translate to happy customers. I firmly believe that there is an exorbitant amount of opportunity in the restaurant field, but business owners must have a passion for it. Passion is primary reason that independent operators enjoy an advantage over large corporations. Local owners who are in the building every day can create meaningful relationships with customers, somuch so that the latter feel like a part of the business. While chain restaurants may have the money to spend on large marketing campaigns, those will never replace the feeling a customer gets walking into a shop where the owner greets them by name and makes them feel like they are the most important person there. As someonewho owned and operated an independent business for close to 30 years, the best piece of advice I can offer small restaurant owners is this: Never open your own restaurant for the money. Do it for the love of it, and the money will follow.

enjoy eating at home but do not want to cook. • Keep overhead costs as low as possible. While prices are rising, it is

“ I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE RESTAURANT FIELD, BUT BUSINESS OWNERS MUST HAVE A PASSION FOR IT.”

Restaurateurs must design menus that are small and efficient. Sit down dining in casual restaurants will likely look different. Fewer seating options and more focus on carryout will continue to trend, as that’s what this generation of diners wants. They

Frank Abdnour is the former owner of The Spotted Cow restaurant and ice cream parlor.

still important to source high-quality ingredients. Building and adhering to a budget is incredibly important. • Successful restaurateurswill listen to customers and make staff a priority. Competitivepay, respect and inclusion are key to employee satisfaction.

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 15

D I S H A N D D R I N K

COCKTAIL CLASS Welcome back to Mixology 101

THE GIN SHIMMER FIRST, THE TOOLS . You will need a cocktail shaker, measuring jigger, a hawthorne strainer, and a martini glass of your choice. A gain, our cocktail chemist Dustin Crawford has formulated a refreshment that is just the right fit for the month at hand: A cocktail coming out of the dreary months

A slight prep to the glass requires a decent sprig of mint. Hold the mint in one open hand and give it a sharp clap with your other hand. This will bring the oils to the surface of the leaves without the acrid bitterness that muddling can cause. Wipe the leaves around the interior of your martini glass and discard. NOW, THE INGREDIENTS . To the shaker add: • 1 dash grapefruit bitters • 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters • .5 oz. simple syrup • .75 oz. fresh lime juice • 1 oz. Aperol • 1.5 oz. Hendrick’s gin THE PROCESS : • Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds . You will want to feel your fingers chill as the shaker frosts up. This is your cue that you are shaking well enough. • Place your hawthorne strainer on your shaker and strain into your prepped martini glass. • Garnish by floating a mint leaf on the surface of your cocktail and enjoy!

with fresh rain and fresh flavors, this one sparkles off the tongue. Bright flavors of lime, mint, orange, grapefruit and cucumber bring this martini to mind as the sun peeks out from the clouds after a spring shower.

About our mixologist: Dustin Crawford is co-owner – with partner Kip Rodier – of the 33 Room in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran traveled the world before returning home to work his magic behind the bar at various central Illinois establishments, including 2 Chez.

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All passengers ride FREE on CityLink , CityLift , & CountyLink services for Jerome Lilly Passenger Appreciation Day Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Thank You to All of Our Passengers!

Wewant to take this opportunity to thank our passengers for your patience & support while we endeavor to make improvements to the services we provide & continue to navigate through these challenging times.

(309) 676-4040 • www.ridecitylink.org

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

D I S H A N D D R I N K

‘DROPPING MEXICO IN PEORIA HEIGHTS’ An immigrant entrepreneur’s tale of toil and triumph

(Left to Right) Co-owners of Palarte Yeni Rodriguez and Peoria attorney Chris McCall.

BY MIKE BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE BAILEY

S ome people are entrepreneurial by nature. Some people are entrepreneurial by necessity. For some people, just getting to a place is an act of entrepreneurship, in and of itself. Meet Yeni Rodriguez, co-owner and operator of the ice creamparlor Palarte. With business partner and Peoria attorney Chris McCall, Rodriguez recently relocated her frozen treats shop to Peoria Heights. Hers is an inspiring tale of personal and professional risk-taking, from her immigration to Illinois from her native Mexico to her roll of the dice on her own business. Her story starts inMichoacán, a state onMexico’s west coast more than 1,900 miles and a 31-hour drive from Peoria. “I started my own business when I was six years old,” said Rodriguez, who

grew up in a family of 10 children in La Soledad, a village of fewer than 700 residents. She remembers the women of her community taking their corn to make masa tortillas and sell them, and she would set up shop close by to move her mother’s gelatin, of every imaginable flavor and color, which “sold out every single day.” Her days began early, at 6:30 a.m., work before school. She was smart but restless, and formal education ended for her at the age of 12. Rodriguez learned to sew and thought clothing designmight be her future. For a while she flirted with cosmetology, but found it “too girlie.” Culinary school beckoned for a time. Themilitary piqued her interest, but her father quashed that idea. At 15, she opened her own grocery store, which she operated in Mexico for five years. Along the way,

she was learning English by listening to American rap music. By then theworldwas turning a corner on a new century, and Rodriguez got the travel bug. Her father had started coming to central Illinois to work at the Nestle pumpkin plant in Morton. “I came here to visit and ended up staying with my sister,” said Rodriguez. From 2000 to 2005, she lived in Chicago, but Peoria pulled her back “for better job opportunities” and “the opportunity to buy my first house.” She worked at a food canning operation in Princeville, then went to Illinois Central College to learn how to drive a semi truck. Then came another career turn, as a personal assistant. A new decade was knocking and the door opened in 2019 to becoming a partner at an ice cream shop, Palarte – “pal,” the first three letters in the Spanish

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“Whatever I have available, I turn into ice cream,” said Rodriguez. “If you bring me a lemon cake, I’ll make lemon cake ice cream … I never hear anybody say, ‘I don’t like it.’ Palarte is open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, with extended hours during community celebrations. Don’t be surprised to see a Palarte bicycle with freezer in towworking the Downtown area during street festivals, Tower Park events and summer concerts. It has been a long, long road for the 42-year-old Rodriquez, who all the while was working toward becoming a U.S. citizen, which she accomplished in 2021. Where exactly did she pick up this entrepreneurial spirit, and what has she learned along the way? “I got the business side frommy mom and dad,” Maria Delores Ortega and Cristobal Rodriguez, she said. And at every step of the way in that nearly 2,000 miles between La Soledad, Michoacán, Mexico and Peoria, Illinois, U.S.A., she has picked up one important

Co-owner Yeni Rodriguez scoops a big dip of delicious.

Purple Rain: The Prince-inspired Purple Rain is a popular flavor.

word for popsicle (palata de hielo), and “arte” for artistry – in Peoria’s Metro Centre. Within a year, she would be the sole owner. And then COVID-19 hit. Her doors closed by government mandate, it brought her to the breaking point. “She was alone on a sinking ship,” said McCall, who had made her acquaintance during his 2020 political run for Peoria County state’s attorney. “She was talking about selling her equipment. I told her, ‘Don’t do it. Let me help.’” Thus began a professional partnership that has brought them to 4301 N. Prospect Road in Peoria Heights, where Palarte shares a building with a State Farm Insurance office at the corner of Lake and Prospect. “Peoria Heights is one of the most happening areas in central Illinois,” said McCall. “We are literally dropping Mexico here in Peoria Heights.” All of the small-batch ice cream is made on site with fresh ingredients. Up to 70 flavors may be trotted out in any given year, some of them created around holidays and other themes, with half of those on tap at any given time. “On tap” may be the appropriate phrase, as Palarte has a liquor license and offers something of a unique product in central Illinois: an array of alcohol infused ice creams and slushies and agua frescas that come in cocktail and spirit flavors such as mojito, amaretto

stone sour, Long Island ice tea and Fireball whiskey. On St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness- and Irish Cream-flavored frozen concoctions were on the menu. Champagne-and wine-f lavored ice creams are available, as well.

Line up the agua frescas.

Mexican-inspired regular ice cream favorites, meanwhile, include blackberry queso, jalapeno andHabanero chocolate. Rodriguez may be the chief ice cream maker, but McCall is no passive partner, happy to fashion a recipe or jump in and churn a little cream himself. The musician Prince inspired the popular Purple Rain flavor, for example. Can Raspberry Beret be far behind? Her innovations can be spur of the moment, with her customers being the ultimate judges.

nugget of knowledge after another. “I have learned a lot of things from a lot of people,” Rodriguez said. She may pedal a soft – and delicious – product today, but “I learned business the hard way. I was very independent.”

Mike Bailey is editor in chief of Peoria Magazine

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19

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OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois is honored to be named one of the top three best children’s hospitals in the state for 2021-2022! Our pediatric nephrology program was also ranked as one of the best in the country for the second year in a row!

OSF Children’s Hospital is the only full-service children’s hospital in downstate Illinois. Learn more at osfchildrenshospital.org.

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APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 21

M O M A N D P O P

A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY Three generations of sisters have run the store of the same name on Washington’s historic Square

BY SALLY MCKEE PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON JOHNSON

F orty years ago, two sisters — Karen Ganz and Darlene Feser — bought the empty CILCO bui lding on the square in Washington to open a boutique. That decision began a journey that has spanned generations. Today the business, Sentimental Journey, is owned and operated by one of their daughters, Kris Hasten of Washington, who initially partneredwith her sister, Shelly Hines. Hasten’s two daughters, Katelyn Arnold and Lauren Joop, plan to carry on the family legacy.

home décor and antique reproduction furniture from Arcola. The pair renovated the building, adding a staircase and loft to access the upstairs. They went to market to acquire merchandise. What they didn’t have, initially, was a name. A friend suggested their parents’ favorite song, and “Sentimental Journey,” it was. They laughed about opening on April Fool’s Day, said Hines, who would become a teacher. Hasten, a recent college graduate at the time, started working at the store that year and never left. In 1995, Ganz and Feser decided to retire. Hasten convinced Hines to join her in buying the store from their mother and aunt. And so it was that the sisters succeeded the original sisters. “It has always been a good job,” Hasten emphasized. “We have had such good employees. We could get our kids off to school in the morning and one of us would leave at 3. We took care of each other’s kids.” Throughout the years, the other stores left. The upstairs was converted to apartments. The popcorn shop was sold, leaving the remaining building for Sentimental Journey. The business suffered during the 2008 recession. In 2010, Hines left to pursue a different career path. Hasten became the sole owner. “I wanted to go in a new direction,”

from customers to keep the creaks in the floor, if at all possible. The business hit those milestones despite obstacles. They have survived economic downturns, a devastating tornado and a pandemic. As Hasten said, “We’ve been through it.” Their success is the result of hardwork, close family ties and a commitment to community. It all began April, 1982, when Ganz and Feser, both of Washington, both of Washington, both former nurses, purchased the building onWashington’s

Theyaremarking the40thanniversary of the store with a celebration on April 2 with prizes, raffles and refreshments. Earlier this year, they were named the 2022 Outstanding Business by the Washington Chamber of Commerce. In January and February, they completed a major remodel – with marching orders This third generation of sisters hopes to carry on the retail legacy.

historic Square and filled it with businesses owned and operated by women including a tearoom, bridal shop, florist, clothing store and quilt shop. Not many women owned their own businesses at that time, Hasten said. Their own boutique featured children’s clothing, dolls, penny candy, A wide array of home decor is on display at Sentimental Journey.

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Kris Hasten with daughters Lauren Joop and Katelyn Arnold outside their store on Washington’s Square.

she said. Changes included adding specialty lines such as Vera Bradley, a luggage and handbag design company, Alex and Ani jewelry, home décor and a spiritual section featuring gifts for baptisms, confirmations and other religious ceremonies. “That really changed our customer demographic, bringing in people that had never been here before,” Hasten noted. Hasten’s daughters began working at the store during high school and college, and both still work there. Her husband, Tim, retired and took over payroll and bookkeeping. When COVID-19 hit, Hasten said she had a “come to Jesus” meeting with her daughters. “I told themI couldwalk away and be done. Have a big sale and be done. It was up to the girls.” “We didn’t believe her for one second,” Arnold said. “She is like the Energizer Bunny,” Joop added. Her daughters set up a website and expanded the store’s social media reach. “They took it to a whole new level,” Hasten said. Meanwhile, “the relationship my daughters have is like the one I have with my sister,” her “best friend” who continues to help out, when needed.

THEIR SUCCESS IS THE RESULT OF HARD WORK, CLOSE FAMILY TIES AND A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY.

Hasten also is a leader among the specialty shop owners on the Square, who are working collaboratively to make it a regional destination. That effort got a big boost recently with the announcement that Ottawa based Tangled Roots will soon be breaking ground on a new brewery and restaurant there. Withher daughters onboard andother community activities to keep her busy – she served on the board of FivePoints Washington and volunteers with the Washington Food Pantry garden and her church –Hasten is pulling back from the store somewhat. Still, it remains “my happy place,” she said. Indeed, the store is much more than a job for family members, who shared some of their favorite memories. Katelyn Arnold recalledwatching the Beanie Baby craze through a kid’s eyes. “We were one of the retailers that had them. People would track the trucks and camp outside our stores,” she said. “It was a thrill to have something the masses wanted. It was a wild time.” Lauren Joop always loved the annual candlelight stroll around the Square at

Christmastime. “My grandfather started the tradition in 1984,” she recalled. “It was like a Hallmark movie. The whole town was here.” The annual event continues and now the daughters take their own children on the carriage rides. Shelly remembers going to market with Kris, the lake house the two families shared, the six kids the sisters had between them all growing up together. “There are too many memories to count.” And now Hasten is eying a potential fourth generation for the family business. “We got a shipment in and my granddaughters, ages 5 and 3, began unpacking it and lining items up,” she said. “They could not read the labels so they went by the colors. They love to play store and pile items on the counter.” From sisters to sisters to sisters, it has been a long and sentimental journey, indeed.

Sally McKee is a journalist and former managing editor of the Journal Star.

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 23

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Monteith behind the keys.

A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T G U E S T C O M M E N T A R Y

FINDING THE RIGHT WORK/ART BALANCE This central Illinois musician has found his happy place on stage

BY DEREL MONTEITH PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GRINDSTONE GROUP

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M any artists — and I am using that term broadly to refer to all performing and visual artists — are financially unable to devote all their working hours to practicing their art. Some use their artistic skills to teach others or to market others’ products, and some — like me — work in fields completely unrelated to their art. In short, they must balance their art with other work. Of course, the notion of balance is relevant to full-time artists, too, and in a more general sense to people outside the arts, especially those who bring a creative spirit to their work. I believe there are at least three balances that, if carefully monitored, can help artists and other creatives function at higher levels and interface better with the world around them. COMFORT AND CHALLENGE We often hear that we need to “step out of our comfort zone” to grow. I think this concept is true, to a point. If we constantly stay in familiar territory, we risk stagnation. And sure, if we experiment with new styles, tools or media, or if we strive for higher skill levels, obviously we can grow. But we can also grow when our perspectives on familiar territory evolve. As a musician, maybe you glean new meaning from the melody or lyric of a song you have been performing for years, and a new freshness emerges. That’s growth. Returning to the core issue of balance, if we challenge ourselves too frequently, we risk becoming hardened or even strident — a cold practitioner of self-discipline. Our work may lose its emotional impact and become merely technically impressive. Similarly, if we wallowinourwell-wornspaces toomuch of the time, we risk eroding our artistic essence — the sense of exploration that is core to creative endeavor — and we collapse into self-indulgence. HEART AND MIND Building on the contrast of indulgence and discipline, we also balance emotion and intellect, or the visceral and the cerebral. While it is true that music

theory is inherentlymathematical —and that musical andmathematical aptitude commonly coexist in people — most of us don’t want music to sound like math. We want music to soothe, energize, or at least entertain us. And yet, if it is too simplistic or too obvious in its attempts to play our heart strings, wemight dismiss it. Complexity and subtlety bring intrigue; they can evokemystery and anticipation, sometimes even wonder. They keep us interested while we wait for the next wallop to our emotions. A side note: We generally form these reactions to music with great speed and passivity. We don’t pick our favorite music, it picks us. If you don’t believe me, try picking your favorite song on a new album using only the song titles. You are likely to change your pick after you listen, and you may come away feeling as if your favorite song happened to you rather than you picking it. Now for the big kahuna, the mother of all balances — and maybe a more fundamental way of thinking about the first two. Freedom and responsibility must stay in balance. If we have more freedom than respons ibi l i t y, we r i sk s lowly disintegrating into a self-indulgent or even self-destructive mess. The visual evidence of this problem can get pretty twisted. Imagine a trust fund 20-something pretending to be homeless (yes, unfortunately I’ve seen that). On the other end of the spectrum, if we have more responsibility than freedom, we risk becoming deeply bitter and cynical, or perhaps feeling trapped in our own lives, all of which, again, can lead to self-destructive behavior. On a practical level, this balance translates nicely to our artistic choices and howothers react to them. If you take no responsibility for trying to soothe, FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

energize, or at least entertain people, don’t be surprised if they lose interest in your work. But if youmeet themhalfway — for instance, by occasionally playing a more accessible or familiar song— they will give youmore leeway to try out your new, original work on them. In conclusion, how does one manage these balances?

Album Cover of ‘Trio Early Reflections’, released on December 14, 2021.

Above all, by living with attention and intention. Be self-reflective and self analytical, and be honest about it. See what a close friend thinks about your observations. And commit to achievable paths without beating yourself up too hard when you stray from them. Besides, there might be some cool stuff over there.

Derel Monteith is an intellectual property attorney at Caterpillar who went to music school before he went to law school. He is an accomplished jazz pianist and composer whose Derel Monteith Trio

is a familiar presence on the central Illinois stage. The group’s latest release is called “Early Reflections.”

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 27

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Cast members (Left to Right) Paul Arbisi, Helen Englebrecht, and Blake Stubbs rehearse their roles before a show at the Shore Acres Clubhouse.

A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T

A PLAY WITH A PURPOSE Performance of ‘The Tin Woman’ sends a life-saving message on organ donation

BY LAURIE PILLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON JOHNSON

I t’s a cool evening in March when a woman named Joy receives a second chance at life. After waiting on a donor list, Joy is getting a new heart. Nearly 60 people have gathered to be part of this moment. Before it’s done, 240 will have shared Joy’s journey via the Chillicothe Players Theatre’s intimate andmoving production of The Tin Woman by Sean Grennan. The play, a dramedy based on a true story, uses humor andpathos toexamine human connection, grief and self-worth.

With these messages, the Chillicothe based cast and crew of 13 could improve the lives of 18,000 people through their partnership with Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network. Gift of Hope is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. That means eva luat ing donors for medica l suitability and connecting recovered organs with recipients, but it also means providing support for donors’ families, working with doctors and

30 APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

“If your wish is to be a donor, your job is to register and to talk to your family,” Dodson said. “The worst thing is for your family to hear about this on the day of a tragedy. Our job is to assess. Don’t try to figure that out yourself. We’ll take folks down that path.” Dodson attends a dozen or more Illinois High School Association events each year to share this message with the 16- and 17-year-olds now allowed to register for organ donation through the “Drive for Life” Law passed in Illinois in 2017. She and her co-workers travel to speak at Peoria Rivermen hockey games, health fairs, leadership luncheons, anywhere there’s a chance to reach people with the message. April is especially busy with events for National Donate Life Month.

Denise Beattie, director

Mary Ellen Miles, assistant director

hospitals throughout their roles in the process, and educating the public about registering for donation. Across the country, different regions are focused on improving the organ donation process in different ways. New England is testing pilot programs to connect electronic patient records with registration records in organ donation databases to save valuable time in the transplant process. In Wisconsin, researchers are working on extending organ preservation time and increasing viable donor pools. Nat i ona l l y, dece a sed-donor transplants are up 22 percent over just five years ago, thanks to a unified transplant network. In Illinois, the focus is on finding innovative ways – such as this play — to connect audiences with information to increase donor registration. Such outreachmay be the best hope for the 26,000 Illinoisans awaiting organs to extend their lives. “I immediately saw the connection,” says Helen Engelbrecht, the Chillicothe Players Board member who was instrumental in putting the theater and Gift of Hope together. She was looking for a way to “reach the community beyond entertainment. We contactedGift of Hope and they said there are just times you need a venue to let people know.” After each performance of The Tin Woman, a volunteer ambassador from Gift of Hope spoke to the audience about the local impact of organ donation. Ambassadors are organ recipients or donor family members. Rod McDonald, a double-lung recipient, was one. After 10 years on medication, McDonald’s doctors told him a hereditary lung disease that had gone undiagnosed in his mother and grandfather had left him in need of a transplant. The disease left

him unable to walk more than three steps without an oxygen tank. Five years post-transplant, McDonald now honors the memory of his donor, Tristen Scholly, by attending as many Gift of Hope events as possible. He still carries a picture of the 21-year old Chicagoan who gave him a new life. “Donors select their recipients, in my opinion,” McDonald says. “You never know who is going to receive your organs. It could be your waiter, a police officer, or a member of your family.” According to Organdonor.gov, one donor can save up to eight people and enhance the health of 75 more. It’s not just about receiving lungs, as McDonald did, or a heart like Joy does in The Tin Woman. Each registered donor also is offering to help someone in need of tissue for a skin graft, or a cornea to help them see. As a result, Chillicothe Players’ four sold-out shows could impact an impressive number of people. Mary Ellen Milem’s father wasn’t so lucky. Milem, the play’s assistant director, said her father was initially on a heart transplant list but was determined too ill for the procedure. He died without receiving the organ he needed. For Milem, that made it even more important to be part of the outreach in both the theater and donor communities. “My hope is (that) by seeing the show, maybe folks will donate or change their mind about donating,” she said. “Folks who hadn’t considered it before will see what it does for people.” LisaDodson, Gift ofHope’s community outreach specialist, agreed that this approach can be very effective in dispelling myths and misconceptions about who is eligible to register for donation.

Chillicothe-based cast members (Left to Right) Lindsey Griffith, and Tonya Wake, rehearse their roles at the Shore Acres Clubhouse.

“It’s really an ensemble,” cast member Lindsey Griffith said both of the play and themission. “There is no small part.” For more information about National DonateLifeMontheventsorbecomingan organ donor, visit www.GiftofHope.org.

Laurie Pillman is an author and freelance writer/editor, based in Peoria.

APRIL 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 31

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Lonnie Stewart with his scorpion.