News Progress

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SCED Executive Director Laurrie Minor and Little Theatre Executive Director John Stephens discovered magazine travel editors in New York City were interested in Sullivan.

•July 17, 2019•
By Mike Brothers

Sometimes being a little duck in a big pond pays off.
That’s what Little Theatre on the Square and Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development executive directors John Stephens and Laurrie Minor discovered at the Meredith Corporation tourism promotion in New York City last week.
Sullivan’s advertisement in Meredith Corp owned Illinois Country Living tourism magazine earned the SCED an invitation to the two day event. Sullivan was the smallest among eight representative tourism locations in Illinois represented in NYC.
“We were the smallest city represented,” Stephens began, noting Sullivan was competing for tourism attention among the magazines owned by Meredith among much larger tourism operations.
Minor explained exhibits from the Illinois Dept. of Tourism, Chicago Metro area, Rockford, and Starved Rock represented much larger populated areas, but Sullivan stood out drawing more attention than the bigger players. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
Open again is Bethany Cafe, John Vander Burgh is one of ten new owners.

•July 10, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

All over America in small towns such as Bethany there is usually a diner or café where townsfolk, especially seniors, gather to exchange news of the day, gossip, have a meal or engage in what my Southern Grandma called “jist visitin”.
This “jist visitin” in the local diner has bound small communities together for centuries.
When the Bethany Café closed last November followed by the closing of the only grocery store in town, John Vander Burgh and others saw a vital part of their community slipping away. He reasoned that it could be saved if a group of like-minded individuals would all contribute a small amount to the purchase of the café.
He approached 10 people who have, anonymously, invested in the acquisition of the Café. Read More

Photo by Ellen Ferrera
To your health-(from left) Mr and Mrs Ryan Whitten, Kurt Van Deursen, John Durbin and Bob Waelde.

•July 10, 2019•
By Ellen Ferrera
for the News Progress

It all began when John Durbin and his wife Sue bought their farm in Lovington some years ago. There were Concord grapes on the property and John, not one to let anything go to waste, decided the grapes needed to be made into wine.
“Sue gave me the book, “The Art of Making Wine” by Stanley F. Anderson and said this is all you need to learn the process,” Durbin began. “The book tells you how to do it, includes recipes and information on how to get out of trouble if the process has gone awry.”
Since then, John has mentored several other aspiring winemakers – Ryan Whitten, Kurt Van Deursen and Bob Waelde. On a recent balmy summer evening we all gathered at Durbin’s house where they shared their vinification experiences as well as samples of their very fine wines.
As to the process, wine is usually made from grapes, but you can use anything that has liquid such as fruits and plants. Home brewing is completely legal, but individuals are limited to 100 gallons per year. It is, however, illegal to sell any home brew. You must either consume it or give it away. Read More