PEORIA MAGAZINE August 2023

A PUBLICATION OF WT VP

MAGAZ INE

AUGUST 2023

Celebrating those who serve the community we share.

Communities are held together by volunteers whose only compensation is appreciation. We thank you for being generous with your time and talents, and for making a difference every day.

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AUGUST 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

COVER STORIES 46 Assessing Kindergarten- through-12th Grade Education in the Peoria area By ChatGPT 50 The 3 Rs and a B … for Bible By Denise Jackson 54 Safe and Sound By Amy Talcott 58 Social Media, its Promises and Perils By Linda Smith Brown

SPOTLIGHT 24 Call it Shark Tank-lite For Teens By Nick Vlahos 26 Stimulating All the Senses - Peoria Riverfront Museum By Lisa Coon 30 For Math and Science Whizzes, a Sport of Their Own By Steve Tarter 34 Not Your Grandpa’s Game By Steve Stein 38 A Pipeline to Prosperity By Bob Grimson

42 Honing the Skills of the Hill By Chris Kaergard 62 The Longest, Saddest, Most Hopeful of Journeys By Phil Luciano 66 One … Button … At … A … Time By Monica Vest Wheeler 102 Food for Thought By Steve Stein 106 Working In The Shadows By Katie Faley 108 ‘An Assembly Line of Rhyme’ By Pam Tomka

COVER ILLUSTRATION : “Hide and Seek” by Jonathon Romain

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FEATURES 8 Seed and Soil:

22 Mom and Pop:

82 Playing in Peoria: Commentary Keeping it Simple With Joe George By Phil Luciano 88 Playing in Peoria: ‘Making the Hard Work of Acting Look Easy By Phil Luciano 100 EconCorner

‘Our Food Speaks for Itself’ By Lisa Coon

Sodas Go The Craft Route By Phil Luciano

12 Seed and Soil:

70 Hometown:

Handing the Tractor Keys to The Next Generation By Rob Sharkey

‘West Bluff, Best Bluff’ By Scott Fishel

74 Wordcount:

16

Dish and Drink: Rolling With the Lunches -

‘A Rapper’s Approach’ By Laurie Pillman

Dr. David Cleeton, chairman of the Department of Economics at Illinois State University By Mike Bailey

One World Café By Steve Tarter

78 Twenty Something:

Enhance a Life, Be A Mentor By Katie Faley

19

Dish and Drink: What's Cookin' - Farmstand Peach Ice Cream By Mary DiSomma

20 Cocktail Class: Two for One:

Spicy Margarita, Paloma By Hugh Higgins

AUGUST 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY 96 The School of Athens John F. Gilligan 111 The Power of Niche Marketing Dee Brown 118 One More Thing: Lovers for Life By Phil Luciano

AND MORE

7 Letter from the Editor 92 ArtsPartners Calendar 112 Out & About 116 In Brief 120 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue

August 2023 contributors: Dee Brown, Linda Smith Brown, ChatGPT, Dr. David Cleeton, Lisa Coon, Mary DiSomma, Katie Faley, Scott Fishel, John F. Gilligan, Bob Grimson, Hugh Higgins, Denise Jackson, Chris Kaergard, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, Jonathon Romain, Rob Sharkey, Missy Shepler, Scott Shepler, Steve Stein, Amy Talcott, Steve Tarter, Pam Tomka, Nick Vlahos, Monica Vest Wheeler FOLLOW @PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/ subscribe.

4 AUGUST 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

MONTHLY ISSUE 082023 ISSN: 947

WELCOME CLASS OF 2027 ! WHATEVER YOU DO, BE YOU

PMAUG23

VISIT

AUGUST 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 5

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 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONTENT AND MARKETING Julie Sanders

julie.sanders@wtvp.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

ADVERTISING PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

LIVING AND LEARNING (LET’S HOPE)

W elcome back to Peoria Magazine ’s Education edition. It’s a provocative, don’t-you-dare-miss-it read, I must say. It arrives at a challenging time for schools and the children they serve. “The math and reading performance of 13-year-olds in the United States has hit the lowest level in decades, according to test scores released today from the National Assessment of Educational Progress,” the New York Times reported on June 21. Another Times story spoke to the “pandemic plunge in U.S. history” exam results. COVID-19 did a number on the nation’s schoolchildren, no doubt about it, but I’d be wary of under-assigning the potential causes. Indeed, it’s easy to overlook the next paragraph that addresses the “downward trend that began nearly a decade ago.” For too many students, things haven’t been clicking in the classroom for a while. When basic reading skills fall short, learning suffers in every subject. Meanwhile, some kids are struggling with emotional issues, in part because they’re spending too much time on social media. So says the U.S. Surgeon General, who warns of its “profound risk of harm to the … well-being of children and adolescents.” A Peoria counselor testifies that “conversations about the phone come up in every therapy session

I’ve had with parents and their children.” Central Illinois school superintendents say that “student mental health” is what keeps them up at night in terms of building safety. I have grandchildren. I get it. And it really is OK for parents to be parents. On another front, many Americans are staggering under a mountain of college debt, causing some to question whether higher education is still worth the investment. (It is, though it’s advisable to seriously weigh your choices of college and major). And even those with degrees, good jobs and pay are worried about what technology, specifically the rise of Artificial Intelligence, has in store for them. (See the Hollywood writers/actors strike.) Whether AI is a modern miracle that will immeasurably improve our lives or Frankenstein’s monster depends upon your point of view, but in any case, we go where no Peoria Magazine has gone before with a little experiment: a story written by ChatGPT – dubbed CheatGPT by some – the chatbot developed by the company OpenAI. We asked the app to “assess the quality of kindergarten-through 12th grade education in the Peoria, Illinois metropolitan area relative to its school peers statewide,” and in seconds – literally — it spit out 650 words that I found to be formulaic and

monotonous but otherwise passably written. It interviewed no one, quoted no one, broke no new ground, pulling the information from existing data. And it will get better. Might there be a day when magazines like this one come with the motto, “Written by humans, for humans”? It does feel like AI is going to change everything . For better or worse remains to be seen. The challenge is to not become tools of the tool, otherwise it will be “NASA, we have a problem.” Our cover photo, by the inimitable Jonathon Romain and entitled “Hide and Seek,” depicts a young man sitting on a pile of books. They form a foundation beneath him. It’s hard to tell how happy he is about his seat in life. He seems to be withholding judgment about the world before him. It’s a complicated place, so he can be forgiven. Ultimately, we march forward, or fall behind. It’s not really a choice. We at Peoria Magazine will take the first path, celebrating the remarkable work happening all around us. Read – and think — about it in the pages to follow. Enjoy.

Mike Bailey

mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

AUGUST 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

SEED AND SOIL

legacy started by his late grandfather, Lowell Fiedler, for about eight years. He grows tomatoes, a variety of peppers, zucchini and herbs on five to six acres in the lower field of his parent’s farm at 152 Old Mink Farm Road. “My grandpa, until he passed away, had been doing it for 40 years on a much smaller scale and I would go down and help him,” Fiedler said. “He was doing dialysis and I basically took over the field for him. I got to know the people who came to our market, and it just became a lot of fun.” Like many kids, Fiedler didn’t much care for tomatoes, he admitted. “But ‘OUR FOOD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF’ There’s nothing like homegrown produce – ah, those tomatoes! — available at a farmstand or farmers market near you BY LISA COON PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

T he options Peoria-area res idents have to stock up on locally grown produce are as bountiful as the variety of vegetables and fruits grown. Whether it’s going to a u-pick farm, stopping by a farmstand, perusing a farmers market or subscribing to a home delivery service, there are plenty of ways to reap what others sow. IT’S THE FRESH TOMATOES, FOR SURE Patrick Fiedler of Fid’s Valley Produce in Washington has been carrying on the

as I got older, I realized how good the tomatoes we grow are and why they’re so good. What makes them so good is they’re truly home grown. I know that sounds silly, but there are a lot of markets that have hothouse tomatoes brought up from the south that are advertised as homegrown,” he said. “The texture is rock hard, not like ours. I think what makes them truly delicious is they are grown in the sunlight and in the soil.” He estimates that 98% of his cus tomers stop by the onsite farmstand because of those juicy tomatoes, a Big Beef hybrid this year. Occasion

8 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Anita Poeppel feeds chickens at the Broad Ranch Farm in Chillicothe

ally, Fiedler will do a pop-up stand at farmers’ markets in Morton and the East Peoria Levee District when he has excess produce. “I’d like to give a lot of credit to my grandpa,” said Fiedler. “He taught me how to farm, and his friend, John Schulzki, taught me how to grow from seed.” His wife, Mary Beth, also gets a pat on the back, as the couple juggles the farm, work and raising their family, which includes 10-month-old twins, Hunter and JoCe. A TEACHING FARM Randy “Farmer Randy” Starnes be gan operating Crooked Row Farm in Chillicothe about six years after the farm where his brother, Danny, grew watermelon, cantaloupe and peaches, had gone dormant for a couple years following Danny’s death. The 10-acre farm at 4623 Lakeland Lane had been in the family since 1981. Today, Starnes plants tomatoes, pep pers, cucumber, green beans, zucchini, bitter melon, red gourd, long beans, Indian okra, sweet and green onions, lettuce, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries, black and red raspberries and pumpkins on five acres. In memory of his brother, he put in

Randy Starnes of Crooked Row Farm in Chillicothe with his peppers, just one of the many varieties of produce he grows

laughing. “I have old tractors without four-wheel drive, so sometimes it’s tough to put in a straight row.” Customers can stop by the farm, where Starnes has a stand, or spend some time picking their own fruit and vegetables. Starnes does assist in the u-pick when something like lettuce or cauliflower needs to be cut with a knife. “As soon as we start getting produce, we’ll have stuff set up at the stand,” he said. “A lot of people say we’re old fashioned. I have more customers this year than I ever have.”

five peach trees last year, but the early frost this year killed the budding fruit. “When I started this farm, I wanted it to be more of an educational farm,” Starnes said. “When kids come out, I try to teach them. An onion, for example. Every leaf on an onion is a ring of the onion. I’ll teach them how to pick a ripe watermelon, just things like that.” Even the farm’s name, Crooked Row Farm, has a story. “My wife said I couldn’t put in a straight row if I tried,” Starnes said,

JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

Mary Beth and Patrick Fiedler of Fid's Valley Produce, Washington

ORGANIC AND FREE HOME DELIVERY The Poeppel family – Anita, Brian and daughters Lucy, Susannah and Laura – is passionate about growing food with no pesticides, improving the soil and respecting nature. “We try to do as little harm as possible to the land,” said Anita Poeppel, a Stark County farm girl. “We try to coexist and not dominate the land.” The Poeppels moved to Broad Branch Farm at 22000 Berchtold Road northwest of Chillicothe in 2016 after farming for more than a decade on a small farm near Wyoming. They started selling on a small scale at a farmers market in Naperville in the western suburbs of Chicago, where Brian had grown up. They expanded their operation, providing vegetables, salad greens, grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, pastured eggs, herbs and flowers, to members of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Today, they also offer free home delivery for orders over $25 to a wide area around Peoria and Chicago’s western suburbs. “CSA is a smaller part of our business,” Anita said. “We sell year-round, offering home delivery. The home delivery model is pretty nice.” Anita and Brian Poeppel of Broad Ranch Farm in Chillicothe

Customers can go to their website at broadbranchfarm.com and select what items they’d like to have delivered. “We firmly believe local organic agri culture can bring wellness to our lives, our communities and our environment,” Anita said. “We believe in knowing where our food is grown, who grew it and what growing practices were used.” The family’s vegetables and salad greens are grown without pesticides, GMOs and outside inputs. They focus on soil health to give the plants protection from disease and insects and to promote the biological activity that makes plants grow well. Even the flowers and herbs are pesticide-free. “We literally handpick your food just a day or two before it’s delivered,” Anita said. “You’ll taste the difference.” Their chickens, cattle and pigs are all treated with the same care and principles, with no growth hormones, antibiotics or GMOs. “There’s no way the grocery store can compare,” Anita said. “Our food speaks for itself.” Lucy Krider of Bradford picks fresh garlic at the Broad Ranch Farm

Patrick Fiedler of Fid's Valley Produce is starting his next generation farmer

He also sets up at farmers markets in Chillicothe and at Peoria’s Riverfront Market and Junction City. He’s considering adding the East Peoria Levee District. “People really like local food. They call us the hidden gem,” Starnes said. “We only sell what we grow. We’re on sand here so we don’t grow good sweet corn, but a friend of mine does. So I pick his and sell his corn for him.”

Lisa Coon is a Peoria native who had a long career in the newspaper industry before moving into marketing and communications

10 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Come check out the newest exhibit at the Caterpillar Visitors Center , honoring the role Caterpillar and thousands of employees played in supporting war efforts from right here at home. See artifacts, including a service flag, uniform, welder and much more. You will also learn about the 497th camp called “Little Peoria” and its ties to Caterpillar, and learn about the transformation of women in the workplace.

VisitCaterpillar.com for ticket pricing and hours of operation.

© 2023 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Corporate Yellow”, the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11

William and Rob Sharkey

SEED AND SOIL

HANDING THE TRACTOR KEYS TO THE NEXT GENERATION

BY ROB SHARKEY

12 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

I t’s not easy to hand things over to the next generation.” Usually this is followed up by conversations about succession planning and how to draw up a proper will. Those are the conversations that farmers are used to and somewhat comfortable with. What about handing over day-to-day operational duties on the farm? Rarely do you see a breakout seminar at any farm meeting about how to let the next generation run the combine, or how to let the next generation choose what hybrids to plant. Now, I know that there are countless exceptions, but having jobs on the farm that only the patriarch does is a fairly common situation. For instance, my dad was the only one that sold grain. It was his grain, so honestly, I never expected to have anything to do with it. I was his son, but at that point, I was a hired hand. Eventually, I was able to rent my own 80 acres, over which I had 100% control. It was fantastic, pretty much a dream come true. But it did bring to the sur face all the things I hadn’t done myself on our family farm. I was way too proud to ask Dad for marketing advice. I mean, honestly, how hard could it be? I didn’t really see a need to sell anything ahead of time because that would be dumb. It was a wet year, with flooding, so that obviously meant prices would go up once those knuckleheads in Chicago figured it out. Turned out that we had near-record yields instead. Still, I was optimistic because I could just wait until things trended ‘

upwards. I locked in my loan deficiency payments and just needed the markets to do the right thing. Now remember, these were my early days of farming. There was a lot of bor rowing. Actually, everything I farmed with was on borrowed money. Back then, I was so happy to be approved for loans, I did not think very far ahead. The seed and fertilizer companies — pretty much every input — wanted their money by November/December. That meant I had no choice but to sell my grain at the low prices to pay off my loans. It’s important to note that if I would have asked for advice, I would have known about being able to seal my crop. That would have been really nice to know. RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM Now that my son, William, has come back to the farm, I want to avoid making the same mistakes. My plan is to make steps every year that will put him in a situation where he is challenged to do something that has always been my job. This year, the plan was to have him take over the soybean planting, the spraying, and the deer plots. It didn’t seem like a lot when we came up with the plan. I was really looking forward to having someone else I trusted being able to completely understand these jobs. Right off the bat, I found out that I was going to be a problem. I was being a helicopter farmer, constantly hovering around him, constantly calling because he might do something wrong, bother ing him. He had to constantly stop the seeder and talk to me.

As usual, it was my wife who gently reminded me to knock it off. I truly was not trying to nitpick, I just didn’t want him to make mistakes. However, you truly learn by making those mistakes. I saw him learning without me even saying anything. He asked how he could make the corners cleaner next year. He wants to know how he can improve the stand. (I told him rain). Did he make mistakes? Of course, but so did I. I do have to remind myself that I have a few skips in the crops when planting. I have to realize that things break no matter who is running the tractor. It has been fun working with my son. I realize that, in order for that fun to continue, I need to trust him more every year with new responsibilities. I hope he becomes a better farmer than me. I hope he realizes what a gift it is to be a farmer. So, if you’re a farmer and haven’t already, hand off that thing on your farm that only you know how to do. Let the kid run the combine, or choose what chemicals to spray. It might not be perfect, but it will help your farm’s next generation. I am looking forward to my son tak ing over the deer plots. It’s the driest year we’ve ever planted them.

Rob Sharkey , aka “The Shark Farmer,” tills the land at his fifth-generation farm in the Bradford area, where he lives with wife Emily. He hosts “A Shot of Ag” on WTVP PBS and a podcast heard by millions, among other media endeavors

JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

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14 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

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JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 15

DISH AND DRINK

ROLLING WITH THE LUNCHES

Bob and Amy Eid, owners of One World Cafe

Thirty years in, One World Café is a mainstay at University

coffee and couches to the Bradley University neighborhood in 1993. Speaking with Bob and wife Amy Eid at a table on the restaurant’s second floor recently was a chance to reflect on some history with the present co owners. “This was the theater,” said Eid, pointing to a part of the room that served as the stage for live acts that in cluded improv comedy and music back in the late 1990s. “There was a little ticket booth here,” he said, laughing. “It’s hard to believe the theater only lasted four years.” But change is part of the One World story. Bob Eid defined three eras, the first as a coffeehouse that accommodated late-night studying and smoking. He had always thought of the operation as a gathering place more than anything else, but it wasn’t long before customers wanted more than soup and

bagels, setting up phase two, said Eid. Amy, who joined the family business in 2011, interjected that the one thing One World has always done is listen to its customers. ‘WE HAD GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS BEFORE IT WAS COOL’ — 0wner, Bob Eid The third act in the One World play came with the arrival of Joel Brooks as executive chef 19 years ago, said Eid. Brooks was soon joined by another chef, Todd Spurgeon. Both had worked previously at Mt. Hawley Country Club. A TRENDSETTER One World is a place that leads rath er than follows. “We had gluten-free options before it was cool,” said Eid, adding that hummus was a One World

and Main, and not just for the college kids next door

BY STEVE TARTER PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON O ne World Café, 1245 W. Main St., has stayed with a good thing even as changes have been made along the way. The corner of Main and University served as a drugstore and an outlet for comic books before Bob Eid and his brothers George and Sam brought

16 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Artwork is featured everywhere you look

A selection of dinner favorites, including an appetizer sampler and a psychedelic salad

staple long before it caught on nation ally. A psychedelic salad has been part of the One World menu since the ‘90s. The pandemic brought changes across the board but One World responded, said Amy Eid. “We switched to carryout and curbside,” she recalled. “We were always able to stay open. We opened the patio just before COVID hit. That gave us some outdoor dining space.” But dealing with the pandemic wasn’t easy for a gathering place. Mask use had to be enforced. “We followed the rules,” said Amy, crediting One World’s staff with making the necessary adjustments without complaint. The place suffered more when the city made changes to the corner at Main and University in 2014, said Bob. “We had a hard time. For six weeks, nobody was coming in here,” he said. ADJUSTMENTS Today, One World closes earlier than it used to. Amy Eid noted that business had fallen off noticeably in the late eve ning. Hours are now Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Friday/ Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sun day, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Another change is the volume of takeout at the restaurant. It used to be about 10%, said Bob. Now it’s about 40%.

That adjustment required seeing to it that some One World staples — like the Elvis waffle or gyro platter — travel properly, said Bob Eid. Again, it’s what customers wanted, said Amy. “We embrace it,” she said. One World presently deals with three delivery services: Door Dash, Grub Hub and Uber. “Sometimes there might be 50 deliveries in a single day,” said Bob. Busy times don’t bother the One World kitchen, said Spurgeon, recalling that, while working at Peoria’s River Station restaurant in Downtown Peoria in the 1980s, as many as 1,000 meals were sometimes served on a Saturday night. Amy Eid said she’s thankful to work in such a positive atmosphere. “People generally are happy to be here,” she said. “It’s a good environment to work in.” CUSTOMER SATISFACTION For Jacob White, a resident of the nearby Uplands neighborhood and a regular customer, one of the most noteworthy changes One World made was to offer the Cuban pork sandwich as a wrap. “It’s one of the best things in all of Peoria,” he said. Debbie Fifield lives in Washington with husband Carl. They consider One World their breakfast place. “The food’s

awesome. I think I’ve tried everything on the menu,” she said. Speaking of change, some things may be coming full circle, said Amy Eid. “Bradley students have become a more important part of our business lately. We’re noticing more students coming in for iced coffee and a salad.” With a management team now in place to handle the restaurant, Bob Eid said his focus tends to be on maintenance issues, something that’s important in a building over 100 years old. The Eid brothers are a little more spread out than before. George now spends time between Paris and New York, while Sam lives in Orland Park near Chicago, still close enough to drop in on the Peoria bistro he helped develop. Looking at a menu from the early days, Bob Eid reflected on his time on the corner: “The 30 years went fast. I’m so grateful to our customers.”

Steve Tarter is a Peoria Magazine contributor who was born in England, raised in Boston, moved to Peoria to attend Bradley University and decided to stay. He has spent a career in journalism and public relations

JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

VIDEO GAMES IN CONCERT Sept 23, 2023 7:30 PM, Five Points Washington An immersive concert combining the best symphonic music synchronized with video clips from the most popular video games of all time. THE ORIGINAL PHANTOM OF THE OPERA FILM WITH ORCHESTRA Oct 28, 2023 7:30 PM, Five Points Washington Experience the original 1925 Lon Chaney silent film that inspired the hit Broadway musical, screened with live orchestra and Soprano soloist Miracle Amah. ARETHA, A TRIBUTE Feb 3, 2024 3:00 PM, St. Paul Baptist Church, Peoria This high-energy tribute to the Queen of Soul features Drama Desk Award nominee Capathia Jenkins and three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Ryan Shaw. MUSICAL FABLES Mar 2, 2024 3:00 PM, ICC Performing Arts Center A program to delight the imagination of all ages, including the tales of Peter & the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals and Concerto for Two Pianos, narrated by local radio celebrity Greg Batton. BEETHOVEN’S 5TH IN SURROUND SOUND Apr 6, 2024 7:30 PM, Venue Chisca, Peoria Imagine the sound of Beethoven’s Fifth, his greatest work, coming to life all around you, as you sit among the musicians and experience the magic of the ensemble process. RED, WHITE & RHAPSODY IN BLUE! May 25, 2024 7:30 PM, Five Points Washington A patriotic All-American concert to celebrate your Memorial Day Weekend, featuring the impressive rising star pianist Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and Sousa’s Stars & Stripes.

For more details, visit our website!

15 SEASON 15th Anniversary Season Join us in celebrating 15 years of innovative music from a truly modern orchestra

18 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE

DISH AND DRINK

FARMSTAND PEACH ICE CREAM

WHAT’S Cookin’

T here’s nothing better on a hot August day than a scoop (or two!) of homemade ice cream. For me, you can’t beat fresh peach ice cream, espe cially when I can get my hands on those gorgeous Michigan peaches at my local farmers market. Homemade ice cream is super easy to make but does require three things: fresh peaches, an ice cream maker, and time. You don’t have to break the bank to purchase an ice cream maker. Several types are available under $75, from electric to hand-crank versions. Though my peach ice cream is great solo, I sometimes add a few fresh raspberries. My take on a peach melba sundae! Makes : 3 quarts Prep time: 35 minutes, plus eight hours to chill mixture

INGREDIENTS : • 2½ cups finely diced fresh peaches, divided • 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.) • 6 large egg yolks • ½ cup granulated sugar • 2 cups whole milk • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • Optional garnish, fresh raspberries or peach slices INSTRUCTIONS : 1. In a blender, combine two cups of diced peaches with the evaporated milk. Reserve the remaining half cup of peaches. Pulse to combine. Try to get it fairly smooth. 2. In a medium heavy pot, whisk to gether the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Whisk in the evaporated milk mixture, followed by whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Place pot over medi um-low heat, whisking constantly for about 15 minutes until the mix ture coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to boil.

3. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl. If you have some curdles in the bottom of the pan, don’t panic! Just pour the mixture through a sieve. Let the custard cool to room temperature, then cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well-chilled, about 12 hours. 4. Prepare your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's direction. I transfer the custard into a pitcher to make it easier to pour into the ice cream maker. Let the mixture process for 5 minutes, then add the reserved peaches. Allowing the ice cream to begin setting up makes it easier to disperse the peach pieces evenly. 5. When the ice cream has fully churned, it’s ready! The ice cream will be the consistency of soft churn right out of the ice cream maker. If you prefer a firmer ice cream, transfer it to a freezer container and freeze for up to two weeks. Serve with additional sliced peaches or a few fresh raspberries. Enjoy!

About our chef: Mary DiSomma lives in Oak Park and Cuba, Illinois. She is an author, publisher, philanthropist, podiatrist, entrepreneur, wife to Bill and mom to four adult children

JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19

DISH AND DRINK

COCKTAIL CLASS Welcome back to Mixology 101

TWO FOR ONE: SPICY MARGARITA, PALOMA Paloma

B ack in the day, tequila was slugged back as a shot after a beer. Once you grew up a bit, that shot ended up in a mar garita. For decades, it has been the #1 call drink in America. The Eagles helped popularize the official spirit of Mexico in their ‘70s an them Tequila Sunrise , and the song still wafts across the airwaves on soft-music stations. Later, Steely Dan would espouse the tranquil effects of Cuervo Gold, which along with a “fine Columbian” helped “make tonight a wonderful thing” in their 1980 hit Hey Nineteen . But it’s a new century, and professional actors and musicians have become the new social influencers, particularly in the world of tequila. Sammy Hagar is the first one I remember with Cabo Wabo back in the ‘90s. Since then, there has been an unending list of celebrities surfing the wave of agave juice, including George Clooney, Michael Jordan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Justin Timberlake, Nick Jonas, Eva Longoria, Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Hart … Some of these tequila brands are pretty darn good, made for sipping and savoring. There are two indicators to look for when searching for the good stuff. One is the word “Reposado,” the other “Anejo.”

Reposado means “rested.” It allows the spirit a little more time in the barrel to help take the rough edges off and provide additional flavor. Anejo means “aged.” It’s the same fermentation pro cess but with a little more barrel time, which improves the quality. Of course, when creating cocktails, most folks rely on the less expensive tequilas, com monly known as “Blanco.” Technology marches on, and science has found new ways to charm our palates with excellent expressions of tequila that are clean, clear as water, and exceptionally smooth. The new kid on the block is “Cristalino,” an oak aged tequila that has been charcoal filtered to remove some of the color and is usually a little sweeter and smoother. In any case, here are a couple of te quila cocktail recipes we enjoy serving at Hearth restaurant in Peoria Heights. SPICY MARGARITA INGREDIENTS : • 2 oz. tequila • 1 oz. Triple Sec • 3 small slices fresh jalapeno • 1.5 oz. simple syrup • .5 oz. lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS : Muddle jalapeno slices with sim ple syrup. Add a generous scoop of ice and all other ingredients. Shake vigorously and strain into tall glass, previously rimmed with lime and salt and filled with fresh ice. Garnish with fresh jalapeno slice and lime. (You may also substitute Tres Agave Organic Margarita mix for the simple syrup and lime juice. It is a high-quality mix.) BONUS: PALOMA INGREDIENTS : • 2 oz. tequila • .5 oz. lime juice • .1 oz. grapefruit juice INSTRUCTIONS : Instructions: Pour over ice, top with a splash of Squirt soda, garnish with lime. All the best in your summer cocktailing!

Hugh Higgins is the owner/operator of the restaurant Hearth in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, he spent 30 years in the wine and spirits industry, many of those at Pernod Ricard

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Here For You When Life Changes

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JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE 21 12/9/2020 3:09:22 PM

MOM AND POP

SODAS GO THE CRAFT ROUTE At Utica’s Little Soda Shop, just about any flavor goes, including Barf and Bloody Nose

BY PHIL LUCIANO

More than 350 sodas are in stock at the Little Soda Pop Shop in Utica. It’s the only shop in central Illinois with a soda-only focus

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T hirsty for Barf?

Utica, they found an ideal slot between a candy shop and cupcake bakery, “a great combination,” said Jean Blair. Village President David Stewart said the shop suits a tourist town like Utica, located next to Starved Rock State Park. “It's a neat place,” he said. “It's not like any shop you'll find anyplace else. Busi nesses like that make Utica unique. It’s a welcome addition to the community.” Especially on weekends, visitors to Utica roam about, looking for something eye-catching. And they get an eyeful at the Little Soda Pop Shop, row after row after row of colorful bottles and labels. “They’re like, ‘Omigosh, look at all these sodas! I’ve not seen all these sodas before!’” Blair said. Sodas run from $2.95 for most bottles to $7.99 for some of the half-gallon jugs. Young customers tend toward the most outrageous labels, those from disgusting (Slime Licker) to quizzical (Fungal Fruit) to intimidating (Reaper Roulette). And the aforementioned Barf soda? It sounds scary because the label gives no indication as to what lurks inside. “It is made of beets,” Blair said. “But that is the only soda that doesn’t have a flavor listed. It says it’s a ‘great, chunky flavor.’” Actually, the taste is citrusy. But “citrus” won’t grab kids’ attention like “Barf.” Otherwise, the clientele includes a good number of grown-ups. Some regulars come in for mass-produced brands like Squirt and Dr. Pepper. Why? Like all sodas at the shop, they’re sold in a glass bottle. “The glass bottle just tastes better,” Blair said. Other adults thrive on connoisseur like selections. Some flavors (like honey pear) are specialized, while others (like berries and cream) seem like dessert. “Those soda people like the variety of different flavors, something they can try different than what they’ve had before,” Blair said. Some like flights. You might have heard of flights at breweries, where craft-beer fans try small samples of

Or maybe you’re hankering for a delicious Bloody Nose? Or a Pimple Pop?

Then head to Utica’s Little Soda Pop Shop, home of labels weird and wild. Some might tickle your funny bone, while others might turn your stomach. “We have turkey and gravy, we have barf, we have coffee, we have enchilada, bacon, bacon with chocolate, bacon with maple …,” said co-owner Jean Blair. “We have a variety,” ‘SOME OF THEM ARE VERY GOOD … BLOODY NOSE IS A WILD CHERRY. PIMPLE POP IS A MARSHMALLOW SODA’ — Owner, Jean Blair But don’t judge a book by its cover – or a soda by its label. Just ask Blair, who has tried almost every one of the 350-plus flavors in her shop. “There aren’t really any that I have totally disliked,” Blair said. “Even our gross sodas, some of them are very good. … Bloody Nose is a wild cherry. Pimple Pop is a marshmallow soda.” Such are the treasures found amid the burgeoning world of craft soda. You’ve heard of the craft beer craze? Craft sodas – made in small batches and intended for niche tastes — are a similar, growing trend. Globally, the craft-soda market hit $651 million in 2021, according to Grand View Research. That’s a small fraction of the total worldwide soda market of $416 billion. However, craft-soda sales are rising at about the same rate, 5%. In other words, more and more people are getting a taste for sodas you probably won’t find on the mega-grocery shelves next to Coke and Pepsi. That’s the appeal of the Little Soda Pop Shop, 723 S. Clark St. in Utica. It’s the only shop in central Illinois with a sole focus on soda. Blair and her husband, Scott, first got into retail treats with their Little Land of Candy -N- More in Chillicothe, which sold some quirky sodas. In 2019, they decided to branch out with soda only. In

multiple beers. At Little Soda Pop Shop, tourists often create custom flights to take to their hotels. ADULTS TEND TOWARD NOSTALGIA … ‘BRANDS NOT FOUND EVERYWHERE ANYMORE, LIKE GREEN RIVER’ “People will get a (mixed) four-pack or six-pack and go, ‘Let’s go back to the room and try these,’” Blair said. Meanwhile, some adults tend toward nostalgia. Sometimes, that means the label, such as that for Farrah Fawcett Cream Soda, which mirrors her famous 1970s poster. They also go for brands not found everywhere anymore, like Green River, Moxie and Frostie. “It’s like bringing back their child hood,” Blair said. “They’ll take that first sip and it’s like, ‘I remember that!’” Nostalgia is a big appeal for some of the beverages at the Little Soda Pop Shop, such as this brand and label that mirrors Farrah Fawcett’s famous 1970s poster

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP. He can be reached at phil.luciano@wtvp.org

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S P O T L I G H T

CALL IT SHARK TANK-LITE FOR TEENS Pontiac High School teacher and coach Paul Ritter is channeling the inner entrepreneur in his students

BY NICK VLAHOS PHOTO BY RON JOHNSON

P aul Ritter is in his 50s, but he might be one of the biggest cheerleaders in central Illinois. Much of Ritter’s energy – and Ritter seems to have a lot of it – is invested in helping to identify, nurture and salute students who aspire to be innovators and entrepreneurs. That’s true whether they’re trying to develop a new product or help solve some social ill. “I love it when people come up to me and say, ‘Well, kids aren’t like they used to be.’ Well, no, they’re not,” said Ritter, a science teacher at Pontiac Township High School. “They’re able to do so many things that we could only dream of.” Dreamers and others are welcome to participate in the Celebrating High School Innovators (CHSI) program Ritter helped establish about a decade ago. Personnel from Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan universities and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association bolster the not-for-profit group. Interested high school students, individually or in teams, submit essays and videos about their proposed projects to CHSI. There are five cat egories – arts, media and literature; business entrepreneurship; health and nutrition; social entrepreneurship; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Annual competition begins in late winter, when students present their ideas to professionals who serve as judges. Top teams are invited to the finals, which in 2024 are scheduled for April 6 at Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington. Sales pitches and questions and answers with judges are part of it, akin to a kinder and-gentler student version of the TV show Shark Tank . “They have to have presentation skills. The ability to write. The ability to put yourself out there and sell yourself to a point where people believe in you,” Ritter said about the students. The top five finishers receive a $1,000 grant, college-scholarship opportu nities and chances through manufac turers to acquire additional funding. Money for CHSI comes from donations Ritter solicits from universities, indus try and other private donors. THE ‘OPRAH OF PONTIAC’ “Essentially, we’re creating a pipeline for these kids that will push them into warp drive,” Ritter said. “I want to be like the Oprah of Pontiac: ‘You get a thousand dollars, and you get a thousand dollars.’ I want to funnel … needed, well-used money and networking and knowledge to these kids.”

In 2023, more than 50 teams and 150 students participated, according to Ritter. Participants have come from throughout the U.S. and from as far away as Germany and Turkey. International involvement became more prevalent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the competition became virtual. MAKING COMMUNITIES ‘SUCK LESS’ IS ‘WORTH EVERY SECOND’ Closer to home, a 2018 graduate of Metamora Township High School found the CHSI program invaluable. Spring Bay native Jackson Nannie was part of a 2015 group that organized the First Annual Peoria Project. It was inspired by the national DoSomething organization, a not-for-profit that helps young people create positive change in the world. Among other things, the project collected peanut-butter donations for Peoria Friendship House to make more than 3,000 sandwiches for those in need. Nannie and friends partnered with high school Key Clubs to make blankets for children lodged at Family House Peoria. The group’s slogan certainly was memorable: “Make Peoria Suck Less.”

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Pontiac Township High School science teacher Paul Ritter

A PROUD PAPA Ritter takes a personal pride in such accomplishments and plans to expand CHSI with more partners in academia, business and industry, domestic and international. Not that there isn’t enough to keep him busy in Pontiac. He teaches a full load of science classes, coaches the Pontiac boys golf team and serves on the Livingston County Board. But CHSI appears to be a higher calling. “The reality is I get to do and be a part of something so amazing that could have a vast impact not only on the lives of these kids but for the rest of society. How do you not say that’s cool?” Ritter said. “This whole program is nothing more than coaching, right? It’s just at a higher level of stakes other than a score at the end of the game. It’s coaching for basically the rest of your life.”

“I’m not sure I would use the same slogan today,” said the 23-year-old Nannie, who works locally for a medical software company. “Since then, I’ve spent time in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and Peoria definitely sucks the least. That’s how 14-year-old me wanted to approach the situation. I thought it was a good way to grab peoples’ attention.” It must have grabbed the attention of the CHSI judges, too. Eight years later, Nannie still waxes rhapsodic about the experience. “It helped me put ideas into action,” he said. “Everyone can come up with an idea. The program itself helped me to implement my idea and to speak on it. “I can’t emphasize enough how much the program did for me. … It was worth every second.” SOLVING REAL PROBLEMS Madeline Yoon might be discovering that now. The 17-year-old Yoon is an incoming senior at Barrington High School, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. She and three classmates – Nishka Kolhe, Aidan Marchese and Grahme Valskis — had a top-five CHSI finish this year with a brush that can clean various types of cooking grills.

“Grilling was a hobby that we all shared,” said Yoon, who resides in Hoffman Estates. “We saw a problem in the industry, and we just wanted to solve it.” The DotekiBrush – “doteki” means “dynamic” in Japanese – consists of a durable handle and interchangeable heads. A standard brush is tailored for grated grills, according to Yoon, while a pumice head is geared for flattop grills. The interchangeable array includes a spatula and a carving fork. Yoon and her colleagues contacted a company in China to make a prototype. The CHSI presentation was more nerve wracking, Yoon suggested, but became easier as they received feedback from other students and potential investors. “By the end of it, it was a really fun experience,” Yoon said. “It helps with your public-speaking skills. So many people came around and asked what we were selling and wanted to buy right then and there.” That opportunity might happen relatively soon. In May, Yoon and friends received $20,000 from the Barrington business-incubator program. They competed in a national event in July in Chicago. Over the next year, mass manufacture and sales of the DotekiBrush might commence.

Nick Vlahos is a longtime Peoria print journalist and regular contributor to Peoria Magazine

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S P O T L I G H T

STIMULATING ALL THE SENSES

Peoria Riverfront Museum is an extension of central Illinois’ educational system, on a mission to ‘unlock the full talent’ of thousands of schoolchildren

BY LISA COON PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

J ohn Morris is like a proud dad, grandpa or uncle. He’s quick to show off cellphone photos of schoolchildren with big smiles on their faces, holding up their fingers to show the number of times they’ve visited the Peoria Riverfront Museum. One, two, three – sometimes more – the kids display their digits. He loves telling the story about the young boy, maybe fourth or fifth grade, who proudly showed up on a free family pass day with some 10 members of his family. The young man acted as the guide, pointing out the displays, answering questions, leading his family on a tour. He was proud and beaming. That, Morris said, is what it’s all about – seeing young schoolchildren embrace what they’ve learned during visits to the museum – to their museum, he stresses. “The first thing we do is build con fidence. The second: Spark learning,” said Morris, who is in his seventh year serving as the museum’s president and CEO. “Confidence plus sparking learn ing, we think, unlocks the full talent of every individual.” It all points to the museum’s mission: to inspire lifelong learning for all, connecting art, history, science and achievement through collections, exhibitions and programs.

Children explore the Body Worlds Rx exhibit at Peoria Riverfront Museum

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Everley Davis directs a class of students taking part in the Art and Music Camp at the Peoria Riverfront Museum

THE CHALLENGE As a finalist for the museum position, Morris recalled that during an inter view, Sally Snyder, a founding museum board member and former president of the Peoria Public Schools Board of Education, spoke of her vision. ‘THEY GET TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT THEY — Everley Davis “Sally said, ‘I want every Peoria Public Schools student to come to the museum every year and it must be connected to the curriculum,’” Morris said. Snyder, now an emeritus museum board member and one of its most ardent volunteers, recalled the challenge: “I thought it would be one of the greatest gifts we could give back to Peoria. We built a museum Downtown for a reason. If we were going to be a community museum, it needed to be Downtown.” Morris took the challenge to heart. Even at the April 2017 news conference to announce his appointment, he was late for the TV cameras and crowd, as DON’T NECESSARILY GET ANSWERS TO IN THEIR TEXTBOOKS’

he had stepped away to hold open the door and greet members of a school group coming in for a field trip to see the Titanic exhibit. THE EVERY STUDENT INITIATIVE The museum’s Every Student Initiative (ESI) was launched within a year of Morris becoming CEO. Philanthropist Polly Barton committed the $50,000 startup funding. Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin Kherat then agreed to send every kindergarten through eighth-grade student to the museum each year. ESI aims to provide curriculum-based visits to the facility for central Illinois students. Now in its sixth year, ESI serves schoolchildren from 46 schools in nine public and private school districts. ESI has sponsored more than 60,000 stu dents in total, with 16,000 visits this past school year, said Everley Davis, educator and student engagement coordinator. “We have a program bigger and better than anything I could dream,” Snyder said. Desmoulin-Kherat calls the initiative “a forward-thinking idea.” “Hopefully, we are nurturing future going museum enthusiasts, thanks to

the vision of Sally Snyder, John Morris and the Barton family,” she said. COLLABORATIONS Part of what Davis does is partner with curriculum directors to understand what is being taught in classrooms. “We can feed into what they’re learn ing and fill in the gaps,” Davis said. There’s always something on display there that can enhance a student’s classroom experience. Davis tells about how the Peoria Jewish Federation assisted in bringing in the children of Holocaust survivors to speak to eighth-grade students. “They get to ask questions that they don’t necessarily get answers to in their textbooks,” she said. “I know for a few teachers, it made their classroom discussion more fruitful.” In addition, the museum connects educators to outside resources for distance-learning opportunities to supplement classroom work. CURATING TO MEET THE NEEDS The educational and curatorial compo nents of the museum work well together, said Bill Conger, curator of collections and exhibits.

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