Ogle County Living Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026

An Oregon bowler has an impressive claim to frame

Squirrels’ foster parents have helped hundreds of the furry little critters recover from a rocky start p.10

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10 Squirreling away for

their kits’ future

Squirrels’ foster parents have helped hundreds of the furry little critters recover from a rocky start.

4 His claim to frame

An Oregon bowler with an impressive record on the lanes has found that practice — and faith — makes perfect games.

18

The of the tigers

A Byron football player has worn a lot of shoes in sports; now he’ll wear a new pair, as a member of the Fighting Illini.

26

Turning over an old Leaf

A dedicated group of people give their time to times past, shedding a light on Leaf River’s story while ensuring that the village’s museum, and its mission, doesn’t fade away.

32 Making walls talk

A Polo artist likes to think big, combining art with architecture, to make buildings pop with culture and color, inside and out.

Josh Grove of Oregon has bowled in adult men's leagues for nearly 25 years, and currently is on a team at T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle. As of mid-March, he’s bowled perfect games (a score of 300) 73 times and rolled a series of 800 or greater 47 times. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

BY CODY CUTTER SAUK VALLEY MEDIA

here’s no mistaking the clattering sounds of a bowling alley, the distinctive din of pins getting clobbered when a ball punches through them — all 10 if the player is in his pocket.

Josh Grove knows how to pick his pocket.

The sound of pins dropping is like music to his ears, and it’s a song he hears a lot, 12 times during a game if he’s good — and he is.

How good? Well, he’s managed to catch that elusive “perfect game” that bowlers aim for — nine frames, nine strikes, and three in the final frame — and not just once.

Grove’s done it more than 70 times.

The Oregon bowler has made a name for himself in the local league bowling scene, getting a score of 300 an impressive 74 times (as of mid-March) and rolling a series of 800 more than 40 times — and he’s only getting better.

His bowling feats are rare among people who, like Grove, simply bowl for fun and not professionally. The 43-year-old has a day job at PNC, Inc. in Polo and has made Monday night stops at the bowling alleys a routine for around 25 years, currently at T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle. He’s also a substitute on Friday night leagues at Blackhawk Lanes in Sterling.

While the numbers are impressive, they don’t come without a mindset built on repetition, preparation and a steady approach under pressure. Even with dozens of perfect games to his name, the fundamentals never change for Grove, especially when the stakes rise late in a game and he’s three rolls in the 10th frame from perfection.

GROVE cont’d to page 7

“I visualize my pre-shot routine, following through, seeing where the ball goes, and I try to execute that to the best of my ability,” Grove said. “Some shots, you know when you let it go, it’s going to be good. I still get nervous. It doesn’t change.”

The balance between confidence and nerves is part of what has allowed Grove to sustain his success over the decades. It’s also what keeps him grounded in something deeper than the scoreboard. His faith is something he carries with him onto the lanes — and he wears it with pride. Among the shirts he sometimes dons while competing is one bearing the phrase “Faith over fear,” which is a reminder of the importance of perspective and purpose each time he steps up to bowl.

“I enjoy being blessed with having this gift,” Grove said. “It means everything. I wouldn’t be here doing what I would like if it wasn’t for [God].”

Long before the accolades, Grove’s connection to the sport began in childhood, influenced by family and a house full of bowling. The sport was a constant presence growing up, with his parents and grandparents involved in local leagues. His father Dennis still bowls at Town and Country Lanes in Mount Morris, while his mother Debbie stepped away from competition two years ago after rolling for years in both Mount Morris and Rochelle.

He’s been bowling “pretty much since I could walk,” he said, with one of his favorite childhood toys being a plastic bowling set.

One memory from those early years still sticks with him — not because of what he did, but because of what he missed. He would always tag along with his dad each week during leagues at Town and Country, except one particular week.

“I was like, ‘No, I want to go to my girlfriend’s house,’ and then he shoots a 300,” Grove said. “That figures.”

As a student at Oregon High School he competed on a cooperative bowling team with Winnebago High School and would later go on to carve out his own milestones. His first perfect game came in 2006 at Plum Hollow in Dixon. It was a breakthrough that remains unmatched in emotion.

“It was like a weight lifted off of my shoulders,” Grove recalled. “I’ve been with people bowling who have shot them before me, and I was like, ‘Man, when’s that going to happen for me?’ I was getting closer and closer, and it finally broke through. It was a relief. The next two games were not good after that.”

GROVE cont’d to page 8

Since then, the accomplishments have only piled up. Grove recorded his 74th 300 game at Blackhawk Lanes in March. He’s also notched 47 career 800 series during that time, and his highest mark is 848 — accomplished twice during the first three months of this year.

Grove finds a deeper appreciation in the sustained excellence required for high series scores. “It involves more consistency, and you’re shooting higher games,” Grove said.

That consistency has been built not only through repetition, but through a deeper understanding of the game itself. Grove spends time studying ball layouts and lane conditions, and learning the pro shop side of bowling to better interpret how each roll reacts.

“It means a lot,” Grove said. “It’s showing me that my hard work is paying off because I practice a ton. I’ve also been learning the pro shop side of the business with layouts, and that’s changed everything. The more you know, the better you can deduce things like reading the lanes and the ball reactions, and that all plays into it.”

CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

is insane,” Grove said. “I always want to get better, and they all see something different, so it helps.”

Grove’s game is also shaped by preference and feel. A left-handed bowler, he often faces fewer lane breakdown challenges on the left side, but still values adaptability, especially when bowling on wood lanes. T-Byrd’s lanes are wood, while nearly all of the other bowling alleys in northwest Illinois feature synthetic surfaces. Wood lanes have shots that tend to break down sooner with absorption, and on those surfaces, bowlers have to make more adjustments to get the ball rolling the way they need to.

He’s also continued to evolve with age, something he admits still surprises him. Part of that growth comes from a willingness to learn from others.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better the older I’ve gotten, which

“I like the old school wood lanes,” he said. “It’s just a nostalgia thing for me. Everyone’s going synthetic, and you don’t see many wood houses anymore. I love bowling in them. I grew up bowling on wood lanes during junior leagues.”

His appreciation for tradition extends to some of his favorite bowling alleys. Among them is Potter’s Alley in Morton, a classic wood-lane facility; and he fondly remembers competing among the 50 lanes at Landmark Lanes in Peoria before its closure. Those trips have not only expanded his competitive circle, but also introduced him to high-caliber bowlers and close friends alike.

Byrds of a feather bowl together

when a perfect game is within reach. Facebook posts on both the T-Byrd Lanes and Rochelle USBC chapter pages also keep the community up-todate whenever Grove rolls a perfect game, noting the current number of 300s and/or 800s on each post.

Grove shares many of those moments online, not for recognition, but as a personal reflection, he said. For him, at its core, bowling has always been about more than numbers or milestones.

Want to bowl where Grove bowls? T-Byrd Lanes, 1172 Lincoln Highway, in Rochelle, is open 3:30 to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Find it on Facebook or call 815-562-4822 for more information. Also find Rochelle United States Bowling Congress Association on Facebook to learn more about bowling in Rochelle.

Beyond tournaments and league nights, Grove keeps track of his journey in different ways. Official records on the United States Bowling Congress website (bowl.com) only go back about a decade and are limited to its members, but Grove’s moments are often captured by those around him — especially his best friend and teammate, Jim Lyles, who records the 10th frame on video

“It’s luck,” Grove said. “As soon as you let it go, you have no control over it. All you’re hoping for is that you’re doing everything behind the foul line right, and you’re hoping everything goes your way afterward. It’s not like hitting a baseball or anything like that.”

Who knows, perhaps the extremely rare 900 series is still within reach for Grove, which is three straight 300s.

While the scores and achievements continue to grow, it’s the people, friends both past and present, who remain at the center of it all to support him as he adds more 300 games and 800s in the future.

“The people I’ve met, that’s been the best thing,” Grove said. “I’ve met a lot of great people and continue to bowl all over with them. The bowling community is pretty tight. They’ll band together if anyone needs anything. I’ve met a lot of great people through it. The relationships I’ve formed are going to never be ending.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Joe and Kris Bajko have helped rescue and rehab hundreds of squirrels. Here, blankets and stuffed animals help keep a kit warm.

ny parent who raises a child knows that their little one will eventually leave the nest.

Joe and Kris Bajko are no different, except that when the little ones they raise leave their nest, they just go to another one — in a tree.

The Lost Lake couple have been the foster parents of a whole scurry of squirrels through the years, nurturing the little nut-gatherers from tiny, furless creatures to the fleet-footed tree climbers that skitter to and fro in backyards everywhere.

It’s been a natural progression for the pair, who’ve spent their lives loving animals, and for the past decade they’ve channeled their passion for Mother Nature’s children into operating a squirrel rescue from their home that’s helped hundreds of fluffy-tailed foster children who need a helping paw to make their way into the wild.

The Bajkos are the faces of Squirrels Gone Wild, a licensed nonprofit wildlife rescue dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing native Illinois squirrels, across several counties in northern Illinois.

What started with a single rescue in their basement about a decade ago has grown into a full-time, year-round commitment to helping orphaned and injured squirrels that peaks in the warmer months when calls for help come in at all hours. For Kris, her connection to animals stretches back further than that first rescue, rooted in a belief that every life has a value and developed from a squirrel she admired as a child.

SQUIRREL cont’d to page 12

“I grew up absolutely loving animals,” Kris said. “We had a squirrel when I was a child that used to climb up on our deck, and for years we would feed her. We used to call her Mama Squirrel.”

Kris’ love for animals eventually led her to volunteer work that would lay the foundation for what was to come.

While living in the Chicago suburbs, and even after moving to Lost Lake, a private lake community in southern Ogle County, 22 years ago for its wooded surroundings, Kris volunteered at the Fox Valley Wildlife Center in Elburn, where she learned to care for a variety of animals. She later continued that work with Oaken Acres Wildlife Center in Sycamore.

“The rehabbing network is an interesting group — everybody tries to help everybody out,” Kris said. “We know who specializes in what. We got a raccoon call one morning, and we don’t do raccoons, but I sent them to the right people. It’s great to work with all of the rehabbers.”

SQUIRREL cont’d to page 13

Kris and Joe Bajko of Lost Lake have helped a lot of squirrels return to the wild, courtesy of their nonprofit rehabilitation and rescue operation, Squirrels Gone Wild. “Phone calls are coming in all day and all night pretty much,” says Joe, of the need for their service.

SQUIRREL cont’d from page 12

About 10 years ago, the couple took their first step into running a rescue of their own. It started with a single squirrel in their basement, cared for in a fish tank atop a heating pad. Since then, they’ve cared for around 500 squirrels, now averaging about 100 rescues each year.

The growth comes with a demanding routine, especially during the busiest months between April and November.

“During the spring and summer, we have a full house and are feeding every three hours,” Kris said. “It’s very hands-on. Baby squirrels cannot regulate their own body temperature. Even if you find a baby squirrel and put it on a towel, it’s not going to help that animal because they actually need a heat source. Now we have several incubators with all professional equipment.”

On any given day, their schedule revolves entirely around the needs of the animals, and with Joe being retired and Kris semi-retired, they have the flexibility to care for the squirrels. The animals’ diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as nutritious “squirrel blocks.” Trips to the grocery store for fresh produce average at about every other day.

“Phone calls are coming in all day and all night pretty much,” Joe said. “We get a lot of babies orphaned during storms. In a typical day, the first thing we do when we get up in the morning is make plates of food for the squirrels. It’s not just lots of seeds and moving on; [the food is] all fresh and cut up.”

SQUIRREL cont’d to page 14

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYKRISBAJKO

Inside their home, the smallest squirrels, known as “pinkies,” require the most intensive care, including feedings every three hours, even through the night.

“Pinkies are challenging because they have tiny mouths and tiny stomachs,” Kris said. “You have to feed them slowly and carefully because if food goes in the wrong way, it can asphyxiate and they get pneumonia.”

As the squirrels grow, so does their independence. They move from incubators to small indoor enclosures, where they begin eating on their own and learning to climb. The early stages are a shift from constant, hands-on care to preparing them for the outside world.

It takes patience, devotion, a watchful eye and a tender touch to raise baby squirrels (called kits).

The Bajkos spend much of their time caring for the squirrels. The couple uses incubators and professional equipment to keep the little ones alive. Feeding begins with a small syringe — the kits have to be fed slowly and carefully — before they transition to solids: fruits and veggies and nutritious squirrel blocks. They’re eventually moved to a cage, then into a transitional area outside, where they become acclimated to nature before they’re sent scampering on their way.

Eventually, they transition outdoors into what the Bajkos call their “villas,” large release enclosures built by Joe, who has a background in home construction. Squirrels spend around six weeks adjusting to the natural environment, building strength and awareness before reaching the wild. The entire process takes about 4 months, from infancy to release.

“They learn about sounds of outdoors, and get acclimated to weather changes,” Kris said. “Downstairs it’s pretty much a contained environment, but out there, there’s wind and rain. They’re still in a covered thing, but there’s sounds of hawks, and squirrels and learn about being outside.”

Watching a squirrel eventually return to the wild comes with great satisfaction to the couple. Those moments can even be emotional.

“We had some that were three days old when we got them, and successfully got them through everything,” Kris said. “The first time they climbed a tree, I just started crying. They come out the of cage and start hopping around, and then it finds a tree. We have climbing stuff for them in the cages, but once they start climbing that tree, and continue going up and up and up. ... There are some that you work so hard on, and so many hours on, like those little guys, and to get to see them get to be a squirrel and to do the things that they are supposed to do, that’s the whole thing. It’s freedom and nature how it should be.”

Not every story ends that way though.

“The hardest part is the heartbreak,” Kris said. “Not all of them make it. You get attached. I cry over each one of them I lose. It’s heartbreaking. I pour so much energy and love into them, and when one of them doesn’t make it, it kills me.”

Orphaned squirrels often emerge from nests in search of food, linger on the ground, or even approach people directly, sometimes climbing up a pant leg in a desperate attempt to find care.

“A lot of times it can be storms that take down trees, and people find babies out of the nest and the mom is nowhere around,” Kris said. “We’ve had instances where people are cutting down trees, and for some reason or another they can’t reunite with the mother. That’s always the first thing you do, is to try and reunite. When the mother doesn’t come back, then we get the babies.”

SQUIRREL cont’d to page 16

Through it all, the Bajkos not only provide care, but also work to educate the public on how to respond in those situations. They have educational posts on Facebook that share information about squirrels, what they can and can’t eat, and how people can aid in their longevity. Though their natural lifespan can be longer, a typical squirrel in the wild usually only lives about three years because of predators, starvation and lack of proper food.

When people do encounter an injured or orphaned squirrel, the Bajkos emphasize that the first step is not intervention, but patience. In many cases, the best outcome is reuniting the animal with its mother. If that’s not possible, they advise against giving food or water, which can do more harm than good, especially for young squirrels. Instead, the animal should be placed in a small box with a soft cloth and a gentle

heat source, then brought directly to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Unlike some rescues, animals are not picked up; the responsibility to transport them often falls on the person who found them.

Offering guidance is part of a broader effort to help people better understand how their actions impact wildlife.

“We also try to educate the general population regarding small mammals and rescuing, and about taking care of animals in your yard,” Joe said. “When people are feeding animals in their back yard, it’s okay to give them a peanut once in a while, but doing so every day creates bone diseases and they don’t have calcium.”

Coming to the rescue

Operating as a nonprofit, that mission is sustained largely through personal sacrifice and community support. Money is used for vet bills, food, medicine, formula; the average rehab cost per squirrel is about $35 a week. Even with the financial and physical demands, the couple remains committed to the work they’ve built together, one rescue at a time.

“Every life has value,” Kris said. “My whole existence is to try and not hurt things, but to make things better. If we can help some little life, we’re doing something good. Every creature has a mom. Every creature has value. Everybody has worth.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

If you have a squirrel in need of help, call Squirrels Gone Wild at 815440-9104 and await further instructions and where to take them. Find it on Facebook for more information. Want to donate? Go to the Facebook page, call, or email squirrelsgonewildrescueandrehab@yahoo.com.

Gaffey has been a trusted home health care provider in the Sauk Valley Area for 35 years

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The of the Tigers

Being the oldest son of a former professional football player, the athletic shoes that Caden Considine felt the need to fill were big ones.

But you know what they say to do if the shoe fits — and Caden has worn his pretty well.

The cleats have carried him through a successful high school football career as a Byron Tiger, and now they’re taking him into college play, as a member of the Fighting Illini.

The 18-year-old senior has committed to continue his football playing at the University of Illinois, where he will study finance at the Gies College of Business. There’s not much to worry about financially, though, as he goes forward with his studies. A standout football career — and two state championships on the gridiron — paved the way to a full ride scholarship with the Fighting Illini, who beat out Iowa and Western Illinois for his services.

Byron High School senior, and future Illini football player, Caden Considine

Caden leaves his mark on the most successful era of Byron Tigers football history, being part of Class 2A state title teams in 2023 and 2025 as a fullback and linebacker under head coach Jeff Boyer. As a sophomore, Caden was part of one of the most dominant teams in Illinois high school history, which scored a state record 823 points and 122 touchdowns. That team defeated Mount Carmel 69-7 in the Class 3A title game, and he concluded his high school career back at the state championship two years later with a 56-50 nail biting win over Tolono Unity.

Not bad for a kid who played soccer as a young child and began his football playing days as a large lineman.

Caden has one more high school state championship than his father, Sean, who was part of the Tigers’ 1999 title team. Sean, who played eight seasons as a safety for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens, has a Super Bowl ring as a member of the Ravens’ winning team in Super Bowl XVLII.

Being a safety, like his dad, will be a role Caden anticipates being in for the Fighting Illini this fall. Along with having led his teammates in the field of sports, he also leads the family siblings as the oldest of five in Sean and wife Nicole’s family: himself; triplets Cohen, Corben and Hadley; and Caiven.

Shaw Media recently caught up with Caden to talk with him about his experiences as a multi-sport athlete, success as a Tiger, and his future with the Fighting Illini. See what he had to say on the following pages ...

What do you like and enjoy about football?

Football is a very action-packed game. There’s so much preparation that goes into it, and I’m big on that kind of side of things when I’m preparing to do something. I love that aspect of football that you can put yourself ahead of game and put yourself in a better position than the guy across from you, just with that preparation.

What are some of your earliest memories playing football, as a young child?

I was actually an offensive and defensive lineman because I was so big, bigger than everyone else because I grew faster than everyone else. I was playing O-line and D-line back then, and I think that it helped me in the offenses that I run when I became a running back. I’ve played basically every football position there is because I’ve had different body types growing up. I think putting your body in those different positions has really helped me as an athlete, and that goes along with the multiple sports I play, being put in different positions and having to compete in different ways, and that ultimately helps overall as an athlete.

CONSIDINE cont’d to page 20

Left:

Caden Considine runs for yards against Tolono Unity on Nov. 28, 2025, at Hancock Stadium in Normal.

Above: Considine (37) heads to the end zone against Immaculate Conception Catholic of Elmhurst at Byron High School on Nov. 15, 2025.

SHAW MEDIA PHOTOS

Above:

Caden Considine fires to first for an out against Oregon on May 24, 2025, in Stillman Valley. Right: Considine (33) draws the foul as he passes out of an Oregon

CONSIDINE cont’d from page 21

There are some kids who like to focus on a single sport, and others, like you, who want to be involved in multiple ones. Do you have an opinion on what is best?

I think everybody should play as many sports as they can. Once you get done with football, you don’t get to play it again and get those years back; basketball and baseball, you probably will be able to play them. The high school experience is something that you can’t get back, and I encourage all young athletes to do as many sports as they can, find what they’re good at, and put their body in different positions. You got to love to compete. If I’m not constantly doing something and competing, it doesn’t feel right to me. There’s a time when someone should focus on a single sport, but I do think that there’s a time when you’re in a development stage and find out what you’re really good at.

Fast forward to your high school years and being a fullback. The big guys up front, what have they meant to you?

I’ve grown up with the best O-linemen in Byron. They’re all phenomenal. We’ve had some real big boys come through, and they’ve averaged probably 270, 280 pounds. You can’t ask much more from your linemen, not just with physicals, but in being smart. Guys like Nolan Brass, Josh Harris, Sam Gentz, Maverick Gallister, Jared Claunch — I could go on and on. These are all guys who I’m friends with to this day. I’ve had great connections with them, and that’s a big reason why we’ve won so many football games.

Having once been in the linemen’s shoes before, has it helped you with doing what you do when you’re carrying the ball?

CONSIDINE cont’d to page 23

A big thing with me, especially on the defensive side, is that I love to note what everyone’s doing. When you can understand every aspect of the game, it just makes your job easier and you can help them out. Being in their shoes before, it really gives you an understanding of what it’s like to be there and make the holes that you run through, so I know how they’re going to happen, when they’re going to happen and how quick I’m supposed to hit the hole, because I’ve been in their shoes before.

What was it like playing in your freshman year for the Byron Tigers, and with its history in mind?

I weighed more than what I do now (210), and being a 215-pound freshman they knew they could plug me in a lot of different positions. I ended up playing D-line and a little bit of fullback, and having that size as a freshman really helped because even though I was a little bit muscularly underdeveloped, I was still big enough to compete with the seniors and juniors I was going against. I’ve gotten smaller, but I’ve gotten much stronger and faster.

What’s been the biggest improvement in your football play from your freshman year to now?

For sure, it’s been my speed. It’s the one thing

I’ve been focused on for a long time. I’ve always been strong, so I knew that if I wanted to get recruited, I wanted to get faster. That’s how I ultimately got recruited to Illinois, putting up some good [40-yard dash] times at camps, around that 4.5 range.

What does it take to be successful in the fullback role?

One, you got to know how to block. Coach Boyer is big on giving you the football, but you got to prove that you can block first. Being an offensive lineman when I was younger really helped me become good at blocking. You have to be very versatile at that position.

Being part of the 2023 Class 2A state championship team as a sophomore, what was that experience like?

We broke the scoring record that year. We had one close game early on in the season, but ultimately being in that atmosphere was incredible. Playing in that big game — I’ve played in a lot being a three-sport athlete — once you’ve been in that position, you know what to do, you know how to prepare yourself. Playing on that stage at such a point really helped my in the future playing in more big games.

Not many athletes can say they can conclude their high school football careers with a win. When the clock went 00:00 and your team won another state championship in 2025, what were your emotions like?

That state championship game was a heart attack, to say the least. It came down to the wire. It was a last-second play, and we got a pass breakup and won the game. I was laying on the field cramping because I didn’t come off the field one time during the game. I literally couldn’t stand up.

CONSIDINE cont’d to page 24

DOG TROT POTTERY

My dad wrote me a quote before that game, by Vincent Lombardi, saying there’s no greater feeling in the world than when a man is lying victorious on the battlefield and exhausted. It’s kind of funny how that quote came to life after that game. That’s a surreal experience. That, and having your dad as a coach and finishing out your season like that, it was a dream come true. It was just incredible.

Being a captain, you’re mentoring some of the younger kids on the team, what has that experience been like?

At Byron, the past couple of years, we’ve always brought up younger kids who have been great athletes. This year, we had a lot of kids like that who played defense. Being able to be a leader for them, it’s a great feeling knowing that hopefully I’ve made a positive mark on them. I’m excited to see what they do in the near future.

We’ve had some battles with some schools. The two that pop up are Montini Catholic [of Lombard] and IC Catholic [of Elmhurst] — those are two private schools that have always given us a tough time. Both schools we’ve beaten once and lost to once. IC’s got a great thing going there with coach Matt Bowen, and Montini has a culture with winning state championships like it’s crazy. Those are two prestigious programs, and I’m honored to have played them.

Byron coaches

Jeff Boyer (left) and Caden’s dad, Sean Considine, confer in the final minutes of the Tigers’ win over Lombard-Montini during 3A football playoff action in Lombard on Nov. 18, 2023.

SHAWMEDIAPHOTO

If you can sum up your Byron Tiger football experience in two sentences, what would it be?

Byron Tiger football is all about brotherhood, and if you ask anyone on the team about that, they’ll say that. A big part of my career was attention to detail, and that’s been a goal that we’ve set as a team, so a big part of Byron Football is paying attention to the little things.

Who was your favorite rival?

Being recruited, take us through that process and how it came down to committing to Illinois. I’ve been recruited by Iowa just because my dad played there and we had a connection there. My junior year was going to be a big year for my recruitment, but I pulled both of my hamstrings and had to get wrist surgery. A lot of these Big Ten schools do a lot of their recruiting during one’s junior year. That was a major setback, but fortunately I was back by the end of that season — but still rough a little bit with my speed. Eventually I improved my speed and went to a lot of camps in the summer. Iowa gave me a walk-on on the spot, and it was my first offer. Then I went to camps at North Dakota State and Northwestern, got a Western Illinois scholarship, North Dakota State scholarship. Then I went to an Illinois camp, and coach Bret Bielema liked the way I moved at the safety position, and he said, “We’ll keep in touch.” Fast forward to after the state championship game, coach Pat Ryan, their recruiting coordinator, was at that game and really liked what he saw. I ended up taking a visit to Illinois, and they gave me a full-ride scholarship, and I took it.

What have you come to like and enjoy about Byron as a community?

In Byron, everybody knows everybody. They all rally behind a team. It’s a great sports system. It’s like a family. Whether it’s in football, with the girls basketball team down at state [in March], the whole community rallies around them, and you feel special, like you’re doing something very good. Having that backup of people around its truly incredible.

What has it been like being the son of a former NFL player?

As a kid growing up in that atmosphere, playing with all of the other NFL kids, you’re instantly brought into following the dream of following in your dad’s footsteps, which I’ve been working for my entire life. This is just another step in that journey, and a big step committing to a Big Ten school just like he did. I got a lot of work ahead of me, though, but having him as my coach and dad has been a big part of the success that I’ve seen throughout high school, middle school, and hopefully at the college level. I attribute a lot of — if not all of — the success to him, being the father figure that he is, the man that he is. People will tell you he’s the hardest worker they’ve been around, and hopefully I can get half of that title some day. n

In a building that started life as a church and was born again as a museum, a faithful group of people give their time to times past, shedding a light on Leaf River’s story while ensuring that their museum, and their mission, doesn’t fade away

By

Morning light filters through the tall windows of a former church in Leaf River, illuminating photographs, trophies and memories carefully gathered across generations.

Inside a building where hymns once sung the praisers of a higher power now sits a quiet museum that sings the praises the past, a guardian of the town’s history.

Though the town is smaller these days than it used to be, the mission of preserving its past is no less important to the docents who’ve dedicated their time to sharing the story of their hometown’s history, at the Leaf River Historical Society and Museum.

For its president, Dea Groen, the museum is more than just a home for history, it’s a place where the townspeople’s collective memories live on.

“We try to house things in here that are related to our town, and to the history of Leaf River, and the people who lived here,” Groen said. “We’ve acquired all of the stuff that is in here. The purpose is to house and keep all of the memories of the community, and to have some place to reflect and share with the community.”

Dedicated volunteers are keeping Leaf River's story alive at the Leaf River Historical Society and Museum. Members include (from left): Florene Wagner, Dea Groen, Connie Kretsinger, Paul Heidenreich, Sandy Simms and Paul Detmer.

The society’s mission involves collecting, researching, preserving and displaying historical documents, photographs, antiques and artifacts tied to the town and its residents. The goal is to safeguard those items and make them available for study so future generations can better understand where they came from. Exhibits trace everyday life in the community. Schools, businesses, residents — their stories are there, a testament to the town’s perseverance. Photos open a window into the past, allowing visitors to peer through the years and see the way Leaf River used to be, from its early buildings to scenes of people skating on the river.

Some artifacts come from surrounding villages such as Lightsville, Egan and Myrtle. One of the most unusual is a late 1800s dog-powered treadmill from Egan once used by farmer Owen Grieff to run a dairy cream separator. A note beside the exhibit recalls that when the family moved up the road, the dog refused to follow until the treadmill was moved as well. Displays are set up throughout the build-

ing, including the basements, and highlight history with a wide range of artifacts and mementos, including exhibits on the Boy Scouts, Future Homemakers of America, and FFA. A growing military wall honors local service members and the city’s role in defending the nation, dating back to World War I. A banner from the former Leaf River Grange and a collection of 1940s TV sets offer additional glimpses into the area’s past.

Groen herself has a personal connection to the museum’s school memorabilia. Leaf River High School closed in 1989, but Leaf River Demon pride hasn’t become a thing of the past, especially with alumni who still live in the area and remember attending sports events, concerts and community functions. Class photos, yearbooks and memorabilia — much of it in the school colors of blue and white — are like living history lessons. Groen attended Leaf River High School for three years before finishing her senior year in Forreston in 1990. Visitors often gravitate toward the school photos, searching for familiar faces, she said.

“Since the school doesn’t exist, we have all of it here,” Groen said. “People like to see that, and go back and flip through and see the pictures of their parents and grandparents. We have a lot of school pride, so that’s really important to the town, with the school and all of its functions. The community enjoyed themselves coming to all of the games of all of the sports, it was a really big deal, and something for all of the families to do as well.”

Another exhibit pays tribute to one of the school’s most celebrated traditions: its band.

MUSEUM cont’d to page 29

Society member Nick Heidenreich remembers the pride the community felt in the Leaf River High School band program, particularly during its competitive success in the 1970s. The Demon band captured Illinois High School Association Class D state championships in 1975 and 1976, after finishing third in 1974. Today, those achievements are preserved through plaques, trophies, uniforms and band memorabilia at the museum.

For Heidenreich, preserving those accomplishments represents something larger than nostalgia.

“I think we should just never forget these little towns,” he said. “We don’t have a school anymore. We have to showcase what we used to be and keep the memories alive. We don’t want anyone to forget what Leaf River used to be.”

Leaf River was established in 1881 on the south bank of the river it’s named for not long after the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (the “Milwaukee Road”) laid its tracks to connect the Chicago area to Savanna. Prior to its founding, the village of Lightsville was established in 1840 one mile north of the current town, but the railroad brought much of Lightsville’s business and residents to the new town. Lightsville remains a small village and was the longtime home of the local grange for more than 100 years until it closed in 2024.

Society member Paul Detmer helps document the town’s past and present through brochures and souvenir guides. In his eyes, the museum fills an important gap in a community where many familiar places have vanished over time.

“We’re here to preserve the history of Leaf River,” Detmer said. “We’re special because we lack so many things that used to be here. Many people come here to check the history of the properties that were in the family. We have an

old stack of phone books here from Leaf River. They’re looking for names.”

The museum’s collection continues to grow as residents donate items that might otherwise disappear. Some pieces arrive with deep family histories attached to them. Others simply reflect everyday life in the town decades ago. Society member Florene Wagner has seen that connection firsthand while exploring the museum’s photo collections.

“My husband’s family has been here for umpteen years,” Wagner said. “It’s kind of interesting to see the Wagner family through pictures and everything.”

For board treasurer Sandy Simms, the museum’s appeal lies partly in the sense of place it preserves. Originally from St. Louis, Simms moved to the rural area because she preferred the quieter lifestyle of the countryside. Her appreciation for history eventually drew her into the work of the society.

MUSEUM cont’d to page 30

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The school displays are a popular attraction at Leaf River’s museum. The village’s high school closed in 1989, but Demon pride is still alive and well. “We have a lot of school pride, so that’s really important to the town,” said Leaf River Historical Society and Museum president Dea Groen (left).

Leaf River, Leaf River, Rah, Rah, RAH! Leaf River High School Loyalty

We’re loyal to you, Leaf River

“I’m a history buff, and that’s what got me interested in it,” Simms said. “I just like country living, that’s why I moved out here. Coming out here to the country, I lived several years with my grandparents, who were farmers. I liked it. I tell my friends down home that I go to bed with the crickets and the frogs, which is what you don’t hear in the big city.”

Simms says museum visitors often experience a similar appreciation: “Whether they grew up in the town or are just passing through, many leave with a deeper understanding of the community, and a new knowledge of the town.”

“Some of them don’t know it,” she added. “Some have forgotten it. When the school alumni come through, they’ll say, ‘I remember that,’ or, ‘I forgot about that.’ To hear them say that makes you feel good that we have this here for them to look at.”

The museum itself exists largely because community leaders once made a deliberate decision to protect the historic church from redevelopment. Built in 1894 as the Leaf River United Brethren Church, the building served the congregation until it closed in 1993. Residents formed the historical society two years later and transformed the former church into a museum. The property is now owned by the village but maintained by volunteers.

Go to illinoishighschoolglorydays. com/2022/03/03/leaf-river-high-school-demons to learn more about Leaf River High School history. MUSEUM cont’d from

MUSEUM cont’d to page 31

We’re Blue and White, Leaf River We’ll back you to stand ‘Gainst the best in the land For we know you have sand Leaf River, Rah! Rah! So crack out the ball, Leaf River We’re backing you all, Leaf River Our team is our fame protector On! Boys for we expect a Victory from you, Leaf River!!

Che-he, cha-ha, cha-ha-ha-ha, Leaf River, Leaf River, Rah, Rah, RAH!

Connie Kretsinger, a society member whose husband Dick served as mayor of Leaf River from 1977 to 2001, remembers that moment clearly. When the United Brethren congregation decided to sell the building, village leaders worried it could be converted into something that wouldn’t last.

“The village bought it when my husband was mayor,” Kretsinger said. “They decided that when UB would sell to someone, they didn’t want it to be apartments. That’s when they decided to make it into a museum.”

Today, about 25 people belong to the society, though roughly 10 remain actively involved in its dayto-day work. Members gather for monthly meetings to plan exhibits, organize events and keep the museum running.

Fundraising is a constant focus. Over the years, the society has held hot dog sales, rummage sales and

More info

The Leaf River Historical Society and Museum, 203 E. Third St. in Leaf River, is open 1-3 p.m. the first and third Sundays from April to October, or by appointment. Find it on Facebook or email lrhistoricalsocietyandmuseum@ gmail.com for more information. Donations to support its cause can be mailed to P.O. Box 32, Leaf River, IL, 61047.

open houses to help generate support, along with bake sales during the community’s annual Leaf River Days celebration every June. Simms says the bake sale alone can bring in several hundred dollars. Last year, she said, the total reached closer to $700.

Beyond raising money, those events also help remind residents that the museum not only still exists, but it still matters. Groen says that visibility is crucial as the society looks to recruit new members and keep the organization moving forward.

“We’re trying to let people know that we’re still here,” Groen said. “We’re letting the community know on social media to come and support us. We don’t want to fade in the background, we want to still be noticed and not dwindle away to nothing.”

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

BY CODY CUTTER

SAUKVALLEYMEDIA

ome artists might look at pipes and conduit crawling over a blank canvas and let it drive them up a wall. For Nick Gjonola, things like that drive him to a wall.

For him, they’re like pieces of a puzzle that the artist enjoys solving. They’re not obstacles, they’re opportunities, and from his basement studio in Polo, he comes up with ways to utilize the utilitarian as part of his art.

And that blank canvas? It doesn’t stay blank for long — and it’s usually not canvas either. More often than not, it’s brick and mortar, drywall, or metal.

Gjonola, 45, owns Midwest Murals, which has transformed walls into works of art by bringing new life to otherwise lifeless surfaces, making drywall dynamic and adding splashes of color to concrete and bursts of creativity to bricks. His work can be found throughout Illinois, including his own hometown, and beyond.

Painting murals on, or in, buildings can be a tall order, which is just fine with Gjonola. For him, when it comes to his art, “the sky’s the limit.” No idea is too far outside the box — and sometimes the idea is a box. Like the time he turned a wardrobe closet into a juice box. Then there was that time he turned a quonset hut into a soup can (more on that a little later).

GJONOLA cont’d to page 35

ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Polo artist Nick Gjonola talks about a mural he painted in the basement of his Polo home. At left are some other examples of his work. At right is the first mural he painted, done at a friend’s home.

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In addition to murals, Gjonola also does private commissions for paintings on canvas, as well as pieces for his own pleasure.

When it comes to his own work, Gjonola often draws inspiration from pop culture characters from his childhood. He turned a wall in his basement studio in Polo into a Frankenstein-themed mural — with Mr. and Mrs. from the movies emblazoned across the brick — camouflaging the conduit and outlet boxes he encountered along the way. Challenges like that are part of what he enjoys about the creative process.

“An artist is at their best when they have time and limited resources,” Gjonola said. “I had these things that I had to do something with, there were no variables. That’s when the real creativity comes out, because you have to be creative.”

The arts runs in the family.

Gjonola grew up in Polo with his parents,

Dick and Pat, who moved there to be close to Pat’s family. Nick’s parents once were stage actors in Los Angeles, and met while working there. Some of their acting work in industrial musicals — stage productions created for corporate conventions and sales meetings — was recently revived in the 2019 film “Bathtubs over Broadway,” directed by Dava Whisenant. Dick, who died in 2009, also played the Burger King in a series of television commercials for the fast food company, right around the time Nick was born. Pat still lives in Polo.

Nick’s childhood had its difficulties, having been diagnosed with childhood leukemia at age 4 and dealing with the illness for five years. This gave him lots of downtime, but also difficulty socializing as a child, so he turned to drawing to pass the time. Some of his first sketches were displayed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he spent time in recovery; and nearly 35 years later, those talents have led him to a full time job in art.

“It seemed like every time I came back from the hospital, I was having to entertain to help remake some of the friends that I had lost because I was constantly being taken out of school,” Nick said. “My friend group was gone, being 5, 6, 7 years old. I don’t know if that led into art at all, but I had a lot of time on my hands, literally, being in bed and sick. A lot of times, I was stuck with pencil and paper, so I just kind of taught myself to draw.”

Soup’s on — a quonset hut ... Gjonola transformed a friend’s building in Polo into a giant can of soup in 2023.

cont’d from page 35

Gjonola’s journey from drawing to painting took another turn when he was asked to paint an Incredible Hulk mural at his friend’s home. That was around 15 years ago, and the finished work gave him more confidence in his abilities.

“That was the first thing that I painted, and I stepped back and realized that it turned out real well,” Gjonola said. “I got in a flow state while I was doing

it, so eight hours felt like about 30 minutes. It was awesome. I loved it. I’ve realized as time goes by that I enjoy it.”

Pop culture pops up elsewhere in his basement studio. A sump pump and fuse box have gotten new looks inspired by one of Nick’s favorite movies, “Ghostbusters,” and a wardrobe closet has been painted to look like another homage to the movies: a Hi-C Ecto Cooler juice box that was popular among children in the late 1980s.

“It was just a dirty corner that I didn’t know what to do with it,” Gjonola said. “I didn’t know what to do with the sump pump, so I started painting it and put stuff on it,” including pink foam shaped like slime from the movie.

GJONOLA cont’d to page 37

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Gjonola painted the Lincoln/Aplington mural in downtown Polo.

GJONOLA cont’d from page 36

Projects that incorporate everyday objects into works of art are similar to adaptive reuse, wherein buildings are repurposed for uses other than originally intended.

Take, for example, a metal quonset hut in Polo that he painted to look like a Campbell’s soup can in 2023. His friend Dustin Finkle owned the building at the northeast corner of Division Ave. and Buffalo St., and

approached Gjonola with a task to give the exterior a new look.

“He said, ‘Let’s make it something cool,’” Gjonola said. “We wanted to stay away from the typical things, especially since we had that shape. It looked like a can. I think it’s a cool mural that utilizes the shape.” The soup-er sized work of art looks like a giant soup can laying on its side and half-buried in the ground. Instead of the Campbell’s name, the word “Polo” is written in the similar style, and the lower part of the can reads “Home of the Marcos.” It’s a project that would have made Andy Warhol proud.

“A blank slate can be tough because the sky’s the limit,” Gjonola said, but when the project is shaped like half a soup can, he said it’s actually easier. “It doesn’t look too folky. For the shape that it is, I think it’s bold enough and it works.”

And people all over the world can even see his soup can, as it’s visible from space — or, rather, the satellites that capture images for online maps (go to maps.app.goo. gl/w7YBUzUqocriGCh36 to see it on Google Maps).

In the summer of 2024, Gjonola was commissioned by the City of Polo to work on a mural incorporating the city’s history, including Abraham Lincoln (who once visited), and Polo founder Zenes Aplington, onto a building near Louise Quick Park. The mural takes up the entire exterior wall and features both men, along with an old Illinois Central steam train and the former depot, with a crowd of women near it, a scene he found in an old photograph. The mural also includes pine trees and a scene of the prairie beyond town. An old road map fills the background.

“I took an image of Lincoln and an image of Aplington, and wanted to involve a train,” Gjonola said. “I had to use reference images, and as I was going through them, I found the train with the girls and the depot.”

Elsewhere in Polo, Gjonola has done works of wall art at places such as the former Pinecricker Cafe, Dambman Lawn Mower Hospital, The Polo Room and Polo High School. He also created a “Greetings from Oregon” mural in a post card style at Merlin’s Greenhouse in Oregon. He is currently working on designing a mural in Morrison, pending a wall repair that needs to be done.

More info

Find Midwest Murals on Facebook to learn more about Nick Gjonola’s work, and what he’s currently doing.

Gjonola’s mural talents recently brought him to the job he has working with Rock Candy Paint Crew, which paints the colorful wall art inside Playa Bowls, a national restaurant

chain that serves healthy acai, pitaya, coconut bowls and smoothies. His work sometimes takes Gjonola away from home for long stretches of time, and he’s been to Florida, Colorado, Tennessee, New Jersey, Texas and several states in between.

Having a steady flow of work recently has been a welcome relief for Gjonola. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, he owned a home decor sign making business, but the rising price of wood during the pandemic forced him out of that. He also owns Nosh Skateboards, creating art for the bottoms of skateboards, but he is currently retooling the business as his traveling work takes priority.

For anyone hoping to follow a similar artistic path, Gjonola says the biggest ingredient isn’t inspiration — it’s persistence.

“It would just be to practice,” Gjonola said. “You just got to do it. Find something to do it with and do it on. I started with a pencil. Once you learn contrast and shading with black and white, doing it with color makes a lot of sense, then you’re just working with tone.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.