Illinois Valley Living_June 2026_Boomers

PAWS & REFLECT

Keep your animals safe this summer

Loch Countryside Kennel Celebrates 15 Years

Ottawa Visitors Center Guides Newcomers Beat the Heat with Sisler’s Ice Cream

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4 DOGGED DETERMINATION

Loch Countryside Kennel celebrates 15 years in business.

8 ANIMAL SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER

Many 4-H and FFA members will be out in the elements working with their animals.

12 SHOWCASING OTTAWA’S STRENGTHS

Ottawa Visitors Center celebrates 30 years.

15 THE CHERRY ON TOP

Sisler’s Premium Ice Cream Shop celebrates five years.

Illinois Valley Living

426 Second Street

La Salle, Illinois 61301

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shawlocal.com/illinois-valley-living/

Regional Market Manager Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Writers Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette

Photographers Katlyn Sanden Shannon Serpette

Designer Liz Klein

On the cover: Alyssa Leffelman (left), a certified vet tech, and Beth Sondgeroth (right), an associate veterinarian, work together to perform a blood draw on a rescue pup named Arrow at Bureau Valley Veterinary Service in Princeton.

PHOTO BY KATLYN SANDEN

Dogged Determination

Loch Countryside Kennel celebrates 15 years in business

Story by Shannon Serpette

Laura Loch knew the odds were stacked against her when she first opened Loch Countryside Kennel in Peru. She had no prior experience running a kennel and was new to the Illinois Valley, with no local ties or a recognizable family name to help her land clients.

Facing those early obstacles has made her success over the last 15 years even sweeter. From Loch’s opening day in May of 2011 to now, Loch Countryside Kennel has won multiple awards and has undergone several expansions.

“It’s shocking that this amount of time has passed,” Loch said.

In the early days of Loch Countryside Kennel, there were eight kennels. Now, the business has 22 kennels in one location.

“I’m very content with how many I have,” Loch said.

Clients come from all over to drop off their beloved dogs, and Loch is grateful for the word-ofmouth referrals that have contributed greatly to her success. She treasures the word-of-mouth referrals because it means customers trust her and the care she gives.

“That means more to me than anything,” she said. “Loyalty means everything to me.”

That loyalty is reciprocated. Loch welcomes new

customers but gives preferential consideration to her returning clients. In addition to loyalty, Loch has built her brand by factoring in empathy, honesty, grati -

tude, and generosity to everything she does.

“I am a natural-born caretaker,” Loch said.

When a dog comes into her kennel, Loch always keeps in mind that these pets mean everything to their owners. For safety purposes, she’ll only allow fully vaccinated, non-aggressive dogs to stay at her kennel.

Loch said her deep empathy allows her to understand how dogs and their owners feel when the dogs are dropped off at her kennel. Since she had separation anxiety as a child, she understands how dogs feel when they are in new settings and around new people, away from the people they love.

“It’s very common,” she said, when talking about the separation anxiety pets go through.

Loch said she is honored to take care of her clients’ pets, and she knows she is making her customers’ lives better by providing a safe place for their dogs when they can’t be home with them.

“They’ve told me, ‘Because of you, I can get a cancer treatment or see my grandchildren,’” Loch said. “I have people who can’t have children and their dogs are everything to them.”

If owners wonder how their pets are doing at the kennel, they can expect complete honesty from Loch.

“I do not sugarcoat anything with my clients. I have too much respect for them,” she said.

Generosity is also part of who Loch is – she likes to help others reach their goals.

At her kennel, she sells homemade dog treats made by a local business called Neen’s Num Nums Barkery. She loves the products, but also likes to give a hand to other local business owners. Loch knows all about having a dream for a business and working hard to realize it, and she said that if she can play a part in someone else’s success, she is happy to do so.

Laura Loch treats other people’s dogs as if they were her own at Loch Countryside Kennel.

Laura Loch loves seeing dogs thriving at her kennel – and is rewarded for her excellent caretaking by having a large base of repeat clients.

FROM PAGE 5

In addition, Loch donates a lot to good causes – not because it makes her business look good, but because she believes in supporting others.

“It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “You help people out.”

Fifteen years ago, Loch wasn’t too familiar with the Illinois Valley, but now she can’t envision being

anywhere else. While clients will travel for hours to reach her kennel, Loch has many customers who live in the Illinois Valley. She cherishes the relationships she’s made and loves living in the area because of the strong sense of community.

“It seems like everyone has each other’s backs,” Loch said. “People have embraced what I do. We all want to help each other and support local businesses. I am a huge fan of this area.”

For those who show livestock during the summer months, associate veterinarian Beth Sondgeroth said, “Comfortable animals perform better.”

Animal Safety Throughout The Summer

With summer officially gearing up, many 4-H and FFA members will be out in the elements working with their animals. Summer is the time when many young people get the opportunity to show off the hard work they’ve put in throughout the year. It’s also prime time for beef, swine, equine, dairy, poultry, and even dog and cat shows.

The bond between a show animal and showperson often runs deep, and it’s important to remember a few safety tips while working with animals in extreme heat.

“Plenty of fresh, clean water always,” said associate veterinarian Beth Sondgeroth of Bureau Valley Veterinary Service, located at 820 Backbone Road East in Princeton.

Sondgeroth works alongside other vet-

erinarians at Bureau Valley Veterinary Service to offer personal, individualized care to cattle, horses, sheep, goats, alpacas, swine, camels, dogs, cats, and more.

“Shade is big. For some animals, fans blowing, not just for cooling purposes, but for disrupting the tiny fliers that are very irritating. Having a fan discourages the gnats that make some animals miserable,” Sondgeroth said.

As a fellow show-kid, and now show-mom and veterinarian, Sondgeroth also advises spreading chores out to cooler parts of the day – not feeding or working in the heat of the day. By doing that, she said animals can use that time to rest so they don’t overheat.

Throughout her 25-year veterinary career at Bureau Valley Veterinary Service, Sondgeroth has enjoyed working with young show people to ensure their animals remain healthy throughout the summer show season and beyond.

“Don’t forget veterinary exams and health papers,” Sondgeroth said. These need to be done within 30 days of most shows.

“Don’t wait until the week before the fair,” said Sondgeroth. “Everybody will appreciate you if you’re timely. Ask questions ahead of time to be prepared.”

It’s okay for animals to be outside in their natural element, but associate veterinarian Beth Sondgeroth said they need a shade option and plenty of fresh, clean water in the summer.

When working with show animals, Sondgeroth recommends practicing with them first thing in the morning or later in the evening, when the temperature has dropped a bit. And rewards, she said, are huge.

“Pigs love baths,” Sond-

geroth said. “Show cattle like baths. One of the great benefits of a 4-H animal experience is learning to take really good care of your animals.”

Flea and tick prevention is another thing Sondgeroth recommends staying on top of this summer.

“Ticks are abundant this year,” said Sondgeroth. “There are a lot of good prevention options – orals, topicals, and injectables. The new injectable flea and tick prevention is great for those dogs that don’t take oral medication well.”

Beth Hubbard (815) 539-1526 • bhubbard@firststatebank.biz

Marc Cheffer (309) 663-6300 x 50541 • mcheffer@firststatebank.biz

Amy Spears (708) 967-1486 • aspears@firststatebank.biz

The Lincoln-Douglas debate statues in Washington Square in downtown Ottawa are a tribute to this chapter in Ottawa’s rich history.

Showcasing Ottawa’s Strengths

Ottawa Visitors Center celebrates 30 years

Story by Shannon Serpette

For 30 years, Ottawa Visitors Center has been in the heart of Ottawa, promoting its events and businesses, while welcoming newcomers and offering guidance and advice. The center celebrated its three decades in action with an open house in April, but don’t expect Donna Reynolds, tourism operations manager for the Ottawa Visitors Center, to focus too long on the past – she’s busy moving full steam ahead while working on

Ottawa’s future.

“We promote all the events for the city,” Reynolds said. “We want to make sure the events are strong.”

Ottawa has plenty of shorter and multiday annual events that draw people to the city.

One of the biggest annual events the Ottawa Visitors Center works on is the Tom Nauman Memorial Midwest Morel Fest and Burger Bash. The event features

BY

SHANNON SERPETTE

a mushroom hunt, morel market, and more, Reynolds said.

Kites in Flight, a family-friendly event for kids, has also been a popular event for several years. Chicago Kite comes to Ottawa and flies huge kites that are mesmerizing to watch because of the display of color and motion in the sky. This two-day festival in May features kite demonstrations and kite flying as well as live entertainment, food vendors, family activities, and more. With activities that kids love, like face painting, a magic show, and bouncy houses, it’s a must-see event for families.

History buffs won’t want to miss Debate Days, which is scheduled for August 15-23 in 2026. This event pays tribute to one of Ottawa’s most renowned historical events – the LincolnDouglas Debate, which took place in 1858.

The Lincoln-Douglas debates – in all, there were seven – occurred when Abraham Lincoln was challenging Democratic incumbent Stephen Douglas for his Illinois Senate seat, before Lincoln cemented his place in history as a U.S. president in 1861. The debates were held in Ottawa, Jonesboro, Freeport, Galesburg, Charleston, Alton, and Quincy, and were well attended and received significant media coverage.

During Debate Days, onlookers can see a reenactment of the famous debate at Washington Park in downtown Ot -

tawa, where it happened. This multi-day festival also includes a Debate Days Parade, food vendors, historic tours, live entertainment, and more.

Reynolds said the Ottawa Visitors Center likes to see longer events that will inspire people to spend the night in Ottawa and continue exploring all the city has to offer.

“We want to put heads in bed,” Reynolds said.

In addition to promoting specific events, Reynolds wants to bring a children’s museum called Exploreum Children’s Museum to Ottawa and has been working on fundraising and grants to reach that goal.

“I’ve been wanting to bring in a children’s museum ever since my children were little,” Reynolds said. “We really need something like this in LaSalle County.”

Reynolds encourages visitors to the city to stop by and visit the Ottawa Visitors Center. They have plenty of brochures for must-see spots and events taking place in the city, and they have menus for many restaurants. She highly recommends checking out the dining scene in Ottawa because she said they have incredible food.

“Ottawa is so rich in history, rich in dining,” Reynolds said, adding that the city also has a vibrant art scene and outstanding scenic wonders at the nearby state parks.

The Cherry on Top

Sisler’s Premium Ice Cream Shop celebrates five years

Story by Katlyn Sanden

Sisler’s Premium Ice Cream Shop will be celebrating five years in business this summer. Owned and operated by a brother and sister duo, Lucas Sisler and Tieg Carpenter, the shop, located at 421 S. Main St. in Princeton, has evolved into more than just ice cream.

“People travel one to two hours just to have our ice cream,” said Carpenter. “I think it’s the quality of our ice cream, honestly, that keeps them coming back. We make all our ice cream in our shop now. We weren’t doing that when we first opened. Now that we make it here, it’s fresher, premium, and higher quality. We’re able to experiment with new flavors, so people are always intrigued.”

Along with their popular hand-dipped ice cream, their menu also includes root beer floats, cookie sandwiches, specialty sundaes, ice cream cake, take-home ice cream (by the half gallon or pint), specialty milkshakes, popcorn, allergyfriendly options (including dairy-free and gluten-free), and much more.

“I try to keep things exciting for people,” Carpenter said about their current menu. “We did a collaboration with Rossy’s BBQ and came up with Rossy’s Razzle Dazzle ice cream. It’s an almond ice cream base with Biscoff cookies and raspberry swirl. It’s been our most popular flavor, and we’ll be adding it to our

SISLER’S, Page 17

The owners of Sisler’s enjoy collaborating with other local businesses to create new flavors everyone enjoys.

Sisler’s

FROM PAGE 15

permanent ice cream menu because people keep asking for it.”

The addition of a mobile ice cream cart has also been popular with customers.

“That’s been pretty huge for us,” Carpenter said. “We’re pretty much booked every weekend in the summer.”

They travel within a 40mile radius of Princeton and specialize in corporate events, weddings, and employee appreciation events. Customers can pick any of the eight flavors to be handdipped out of the mobile cart.

Continuing the ice cream business from their late fa-

ther, Lucas and Tieg are the fourth-generation to carry on the Sisler business. Sisler’s has been a family-owned business since 1908 and has evolved from making ice and butter to now exclusively making ice cream.

“It was my dad’s dream,” Carpenter said of their brickand-mortar shop. “We named the first milkshake (The Billy) after our dad because that was the shake he made us when we were little.”

‘The Billy’ is a chocolate peanut butter banana shake with chocolate drizzle, whip cream, and a cherry.

Continuing their dad’s legacy has been extremely special for the duo, especially as the fifth generation made their debut earlier this year.

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