A Day in Downtown Dunlap -- April 16

On April 16, OLLI traveled to Dunlap, Illinois to learn more about the local small town gem.

The day's first stop was a visit to the Little Church on the Prairie, a private wedding chapel owned by Louise Emmanual. Built in 1910, this historical brick church was formerly the Saint Clement Catholic Church. It features gothic windows, oak pews, a beamed cathedral ceiling, and a beautiful altar area for non-denominational, religious, or civil ceremonies.

Next, OLLI members were treated to a formal high tea at Her Majesty's English Tea Room at Fairchild's, Ltd. Everyone was treated like royalty, and wore the tiaras and crowns to prove it -- including the men! (Kudos to our members for being such good sports). The tea, served by owners Jerry and Jackie Gillam, included warm scones, chicken salad tarts, puff pastries, chocolate, and fruit/dessert teas.

To wrap up the day, members visited two other shops along Second Street, the Knit 4 Together Yarn Company and the Village Clock Shop. OLLI members learned the history of each business, as well as what it takes to run the stores on a daily basis.

OLLI thanks each of the businesses and their owners for hosting us on a beautiful day! You can visit the Little Church on the web by logging onto: www.littlechurchweddingchapel.com.

German Dinner -- April 22

Nearly sixty OLLI members were immersed in German heritage during our second annual ethnic dinner on Wednesday, April 22. This year's dinner was held at the Lindenhof, home of the German American Central Society, 7601 N. Harker Drive, Peoria.

During the two-hour special event, OLLI members were treated to a talk by Al Hedemann about Peoria's wealth of German heritage. After the talk, members dined on homemade sauerbraten, red cabbage, spaetzel with gravy, salad, and apple strudel. During and after dinner, J's Accordion Duo entertained the crowd with live music.

OLLI thanks Barbara Binder and Jim McGill of the German American Central Society for a great evening! We appreciate the time they spent answering our questions, as well as the authentic German toasts they provided during the dinner.

For more information about Peoria's German American Central Society, you can log onto www.peoriagermans.net.

Dynamic Controls -- March 26

Dynamic Controls President and Bradley alum Bill Wahl ('65) graciously hosted OLLI members for a presentation about his company in late March.

The company, located at 1700 W. Luthy Drive in Peoria, provides controls and building automated systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), card access, lighting, and CCTV. It provides a variety of different applications for single buildings, large campuses, major health care facilities, and industrial complexes.

Although most of Dynamic Controls' work is done on construction sites, there are 20 employees who work in the Peoria office, including engineers, project managers, programmers, CAD (computer aided drawing) operators, and support staff. Four employees work out of a satellite office in St. Louis.

Some of the company's customers include Eastern Illinois University (40 campus buildings), AT&T, Verizon, Edward Jones, and various schools, factories, hospitals, churches, and farms.

For more information about Dynamic Controls, visit http://www.dynamiccontrolsinc.com/.

Great Harvest Bread Co. -- March 24 & April 14

Twenty OLLI members were treated to a tasty tour of Great Harvest Bread Company on Tuesday, March 24.

Sam Polito, who co-owns the Peoria franchise with his wife Stephanie, gave members an in-depth look at the bakery's history, its products, ingredients, and baking process.

The first Great Harvest Bread Co. opened in Great Falls, Montana in 1976, and has grown to more than 220 locally owned and operated bakeries across the United States. The Politos opened the franchise after Sam fought a successful battle with cancer, as they wanted to spend more time together and lead a healthier lifestyle. Sam is now cancer-free and joked that his clean bill of health was the result of the bakery's bread and cookies.

Upon hearing Sam's joke, OLLI member Fred Dickenson quipped, "Now he's making a little bit of dough ... somebody had to say it!"

The bakery uses premium whole wheat purchased from small family farms in Montana. Every day at 4 a.m., employees mill the wheat to ensure freshness and flavor, then begin the five-hour process of kneading and baking. Fresh-baked bread is available for purchase around 10 a.m. daily.

Sam said he and his 24 employees attempt to bake just enough bread to sell within 24 hours. He does not wholesale the products to supermarkets, and any bread left unsold after one day is donated to area food banks and shelters.

OLLI thanks Sam, Stephanie, and Rebecca for a great afternoon in a delicious environment! We appreciate the time you spent answering our questions, and we'll definitely be back to use the coupons you generously provided.

For more information about Great Harvest Bread Co., you can visit the store at 9010 N. Allen Road, or log onto www.greatharvestpeoria.com.