Restored barn celebrates Deer Park history
By Chad Brooks | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 9/30/2007 5:59 AM
Though the restoration of the Vehe Barn in Deer Park took longer than expected, the finished product couldn't come at a more fitting time.
Today's celebration of the village's 50th anniversary is also a showcase for the 19th-century barn, whose painstaking reconstruction was four years and a few setbacks in the making.
In 1999, Deer Park bought the 14.7-acre Vehe Farm with the intent of keeping a chunk of open land in the village.
Besides the open space, Deer Park Village President Scott Gifford said local leaders wanted a gathering place for the community. So they decided to renovate the massive barn into a community and municipal center.
"We wanted to restore and maintain a piece of history," he said. "We also saw the additional value in having a multipurpose center for our community."
In 1866, John L. Vehe and his wife, Anna, purchased the farm. In 1930, it was left to their grandson Edwin who, with his wife, Mae Brandt, spent their lives on the farm growing crops, raising dairy cows and selling eggs.
After Mae Brandt Vehe died in 1999, the village bought the land, including the main barn, a milk house, two corn cribs, two machine sheds and a chicken coop, for about $900,000.
Most of the money to buy the property and restore the barn came from grants and private donations, Gifford said.
While final numbers are still being tallied, he said it cost about $175 per square foot to restore the three-story 6,542-square-foot barn, or about $1.15 million.
Gifford said building a new structure from scratch would have cost closer to $250 per square foot.
What was originally filled with hay and cows is now a fully functioning community center, complete with space for cultural art and educational programs, museum exhibits, meetings, a reception area for up to 120 guests and full catering kitchen.
"It looks phenomenal," Pat Winkelman, president of the Vehe Farm Foundation, said. "By preserving the feel of the barn, people are just in awe when they walk in."
The barn's restoration began in 2003 and was scheduled to be finished by the end of 2004.
But the project was plagued by delays that finally pushed the village to fire its original contractor earlier this year and hire Pepper Construction to finish the job.
"Pepper Construction has come in and done a fantastic job of finishing it," Winkelman said.
Jim Peterson, former Deer Park village president and Vehe Farm Foundation member, said he understands that, after so many setbacks, the community might be skeptical about the project. But he's confident they'll like what they see with the finished barn.
"It was a grind, but I think at this point it is coming out how we all hoped it would," he said.
Part of what makes the barn special is it still has some of its original materials, like its original beams, Winkelman said.
"We wanted to keep the integrity of the barn," she said.
She also believes the finished product was worth the long wait.
"It has been worth every minute," Winkelman said.
Peterson said the barn's shape, its hardwood floors and top-notch sound system make it an ideal place for musical performances.
"I am living for the day when I can go see a string quartet in there," he said.
Besides all its other uses, Vehe Barn will also be the new home for Deer Park Village Board meetings.
"It always seemed to me that a village of our size ought to have a municipal facility that has multiple purposes," Peterson said.
Gifford will officially dedicate the renovated barn at a ceremony scheduled for 3:30 p.m. today. It's part of an anniversary celebration that will run from noon to 5 p.m. today also featuring musical performances, historical displays, children's activities, tours and even a sunflower seed spitting contest. For further details, see village.deer-park.il.us.
Vehe farm is located at 23570 W. Cuba Road.
Vehe Farm through the years
• 1866: John L. Vehe and his wife Anna purchase the farm.
• 1902: John Vehe dies, leaves the farm to sons William and Frederick.
• 1920: William Vehe transfers his half to brother Frederick.
• 1930: The farm is passed down to Frederick Vehe's son Edwin and his wife Mae.
• 1988: Edwin Vehe dies.
• 1999: Mae Vehe dies; the property is sold to Deer Park.
• 2003: Work on the Vehe Barn restoration is started.[Read More]
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Better Over The Hill Than Under It
A Night of Books~Noche de Libros
Galena School District introduces new bilingual books for Hispanic families
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
ESL instructor Therese Hastings utilizes new bilingual books during a lesson at the Galena Primary School with Erika Utrera, Frixzi Zavala, America Trinidad and Aldair Alvarez. Jane Holland photos
Irving Pulido reads to the children in the audience. Irving Pulido está leyendo a los niños en la audiencia.
GALENA-District librarian Carolyn Gephart welcomed Hispanic families of the Galena School District at A Night of Books on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the Galena High School learning center library. The evening showcased the 216 new non-fiction bilingual books purchased through a $3,000 grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Illinois State Library under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act.
English Language Learner (ELL) teacher Therese Hastings served as an interpreter that evening with a story time.
"It was be held in the high school learning center so that we can also let these parents know about the extended night hours when our learning center is open to the public," Gephart said. "Mrs. Hastings, our ELL teacher assisted me with this program and is having the students prepare reports and possibly several readings."
First grade students performed skits from "The Cat in the Hat" and others will display book reports in Spanish from the books.
With the growing Hispanic community, Gephart said she applied for the grant last year to bridge the gap between the community and the libraries' collection for the students whose first language was Spanish, and their families.
About six percent (53) of the 822 students enrolled in Galena for the 2006-07 school year are bilingual, which represents more than 30 families. Only four of those students speak a language other than Spanish.
According to Hastings, 23 students at the primary school, six in middle school and two in high school receive some form of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) assistance. Many of these students come from homes in which the parents do not speak any English.
Hastings says that the district expects about 10 percent more LEP students in the coming year.
Prior to the grant, the library at the high school carried only five bilingual books, about 11 at GMS and 80 at GPS.
Gephart said that many of the Hispanic students could not comprehend the materials in the learning centers and she said with this grant she hopes to reach these students.
"This has been fun for me," Gephart said. "But, I wouldn't have been able to do this without Therese Hastings.
Gephart said she hopes to schedule a second Night of Books in May.
While most of the students who are assisted by the ESL instruction and the new books are at the Galena Primary School, Gephart said she hosted the event at the high school because there was more room in the high school library and she also wanted to remind the parents that the computers are available to the public until 6 p.m. Tuesday evenings.
Several students from Ron Pearson's Spanish class served as greeters and interpreters at the event.
For more information about the new books call Carolyn Gephart at 815-777-0917 or Therese Hastings at 815-777-2200.
La bibliotecaria del Distrito Escolar de Galena, Carolyn Gephart, invitó a las familias Hispanas a un Noche de Libros, el martes, el 20 de febrero, en la biblioteca en la Secundaria de Galena. Durante la noche enseño los 216 libros de no-ficción que compró con un estipendio de $3,000 del Instituto de EE.UU. de Museos y Bibliotecas y Servicios de la Biblioteca del Estado de Illinois, siguiendo las provisiones de la Acta de Tecnología y Servicios de Bibliotecas.
La maestra de los Alumnos del Idioma Inglés (ELL), Therese Hastings interpretará durante la noche.
"Estaba en la biblioteca en la Secundaria para informar los padres de las horas extendidas cuando la biblioteca está abierta a la pública," dijo Gephart. "Sra. Hastings, nuestra maestra de ELL, me asistió con el programa y los estudiantes prepararon proyectos y lecturas."
Los estudiantes del primer grado actuaron "El Gato Ensombrerado" y otros enseñaron reportes de libros en Español.
Con una comunidad Hispana que está creciendo, Gephart dijo que aplicó para el estipendio el año pasado para salvar la brecha entre la comunidad y la colección de libros en la biblioteca para estudiantes y familias que principalmente hablan Español.
2007 Roundtable discusses history-and future-of tourism
By Jay Dickerson--Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Rich Mattas operates the slide show on the history of tourism in Galena. In the background are Dick Laubhan, Lori Mattas, Liz Mitchel and Linda Yutmeyer-Dupasquier. The county lives and dies by tourism.
The past-and future-of tourism was on the minds of each of the more than 150 gathered last week at the 2007 Galena Rotary Roundtable. The first three panelists talked about tourism's history in the county, and its economic impact.
President of McCoy Insurance in Galena and city of Galena alderman, Marc McCoy talked about history, mainly of downtown Galena. There were butchers and bakers, grocery stores, a four-lane bowling alley, with pinboys, and dozens of other businesses over the decades.
They were not all in business at the same time. "Each had their own life span. . .we seem to forget that," McCoy said. "Each year we played and continue to play the Main Street shuffle."
Tourism was a natural progression for Galena. As tourism grew, people in the suburbs were sold on Galena. Native Galenians, however, "felt cold****ed by tourism." There was a dichotomy, between those native Galenians and those who moved here.
Business continued on Main Street, as did tourism.
"Every business I mentioned was working very hard, including late nights Friday and Saturday, to stay afloat," McCoy said. "Some things never change."
Commenting on tourism's economic impact was Michael Peddle, a professor from Northern Illlinois University.
"First of all, defining tourism can be difficult," he said. "Tourism includes activities of persons traveling to, through and staying in places away from home. It requires that you constantly adapt to customer's changing needs and preferences."
In Jo Daviess County, tourism is an important part of the economy. Tourism employs more people in the county than compared to the national and state average.
Peddle also talked about the affluence of people in the county. "By every measure, the county continues to become more affluent."
Jo Daviess County's per capita income is higher than that of northwest Illinois, and the state. "This is primarily due to in-migration of residents who work outside the county or who are retiring to the county," he said. "Tourism jobs are not likely to produce sustainable improvements in labor income in the county.
"Galena and Jo Daviess County's fortunes are intertwined and together are intertwined with the region. Cooperation and a regional perspective can be valuable."
Pat Leitzen Fye serves as economic development coordinator in Jo Daviess County. She talked about the overall economic development plan (OEDP).
"Retention and expansion of existing businesses in the county's communities is a primary goal of economic development," she said. "That includes tourism businesses, and as I heard this morning, retail businesses."
Another goal: encouraging and supporting start-up businesses.
"We also are very involved in providing incentives. . .and finding ways for people to make their businesses work," she said.
The infrastructure needs to be adequate to the needs of existing and future businesses. This includes a commitment to the Galena bypass construction and a focus on technology upgrades.
Leitzen Fye also talked about the importance of maintaining the historic attributes of the county.
There should be a greater focus on green tourism, or outdoor tourism, "a very important piece in attracting people to this county."
Economic development, she said, is reliant on open communication and collaborative planning within the northwest Illinois region between government and quasi-government entities, business, and industry, education and human services, and citizens.
Alan Wenzel, a communications professor at Highland Community College and director of the Jo Daviess County Leadership Forum, moderated the roundtable. He asked the panel to share their experiences with tourism in the county.
"You have direct contact to people who visit county," Wenzel said to the panelists. "Why do they come, and why do they return?"
Woodbine Bend's general manager Emily Stoddard responded first. "The number-one reason, is to get out of the city and unwind and relax, and get some fresh air."
Fried Green Tomatoes owner Fred Bonnet talked about the quality of life in Jo Daviess County, and the area's natural... [Read More]
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Better Over The Hill Than Under It
