THUMBS UP TO... A positive spotlight on La Salle. Thanks to a tip, Mike and Frank (Fritz) from the History Channel's "American Pickers" visited the historic Herrcke Hardware, which was in business for 121 years selling hardware in downtown La Salle before closing in 2018.

When visiting last year, the duo couldn't stay incognito for long, as a crowd excitedly gathered outside the building, asking for autographs and photos with the TV personalities.

In the popular show, the stars of the program, Mike and Frank ride together in a van and sometimes roll up to barns in the woods or properties with interesting items outside, and knock on the door. At times, they follow some clues and find collectors who might be willing to show and sell a few items, ranging from old advertising signs to old cars, motorcycle parts and bicycles.

Herrcke often had unused, unusual items on the shelves, such as baseball bats from the 1950s, hockey sticks from the 1960s, mid-century fishing and hunting equipment, children's toys and oddities, such as Roy Rogers flashlights.

The show featuring Herrcke aired Monday to positive reviews from Starved Rock Country residents, with one watcher posting on Facebook, "It was fantastic! Lots of good screen time and interesting finds."

What a fun way to showcase La Salle's history and provide a little fun for residents.

THUMBS DOWN TO… going rogue. Today and tomorrow are set aside for one of the region’s most popular annual events — the Bald Eagle Watch Weekend, a joint effort of the Illinois Audubon Society and the Illinois Raptor Center. As most locals know, now is just about peak time for the stately birds to convene along the open water of the Illinois River between Starved Rock State Park and the Illinois Waterways Visitor Center. Many are based at Plum Island Sanctuary at the base of the Starved Rock Lock. So it makes perfect sense for the groups to offer two days of fun, free activities celebrating the national emblem, and we are sure thousands of people will take part.

So why the thumbs down? Because a few rotten apples can spoil this bunch. Specifically, we’re talking about people who want to catch a glimpse or preserve a memory but choose to do so without regard to their surroundings. Examples of such behavior include standing in the middle of the road to take a picture or braking the car suddenly to snag a better view. The Watch weekend lets amateurs tap into the expertise and equipment of devoted volunteers, as well as to use safe spaces like the waterway center’s observation deck. We all love the eagles, but there are safe and smart ways to experience them, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of those opportunities.

THUMBS UP TO... La Salle for its perseverance in pursuing a way to make more of its vast east-side parklands accessible for use and enjoyment by the public.

The city last weekend received a $400,000 Open Spaces Land and Development Act grant to create a 4,400-foot walk/run path from Rotary Park to Prairie Lake. The path must meet accessibility standards with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

When the city made a land swap with Illinois Cement in 2009, the city received 136 acres of quarry land in exchange for 43 acres near the Illinois River to the south. Illinois Cement, following state guidelines, seeded plants on the mining ground. The city used 26 acres to construct an east-side sewage treatment plant, and then the city waited to develop parkland in what it calls the Prairie Park — which lies between the Little Vermilion River and the 52-acre, developed Rotary Park. The city, and hikers and folks who like to fish, know the large lake at the north end of the site is the jewel of Prairie Park. But for a decade, people who have wanted to fish in the lake or hike have not found it very accessible, due to lack of good paths. There’s also a gate that gets locked at unpredictable intervals.

Prior to 2018, the city received a $200,000 Recreational Trails Program grant and used this for a bridge over the river and trails on high ground just south of the lake, but the city had been turned down for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant.

We’re glad to see the city continued to apply for the grant and will make the park and lake accessible to all residents and visitors.

THUMBS DOWN TO... the struggles of a unique cafe in downtown La Salle.

Core Cafe is a nonprofit church organization located in downtown La Salle. The cafe’s goal is to create a community of artists — and coffee and tea lovers — who will inspire one another and eventually be spurred on to do great things.

Since opening about a year and a half ago, the cafe hasn’t generated enough revenue to pay the bills, said Ed Curry of La Salle.

The Abundant Life Fellowship, of La Salle, supports the shop.

The cafe has recently started a GoFundMe to help pay for things like rent, internet, utilities and the product.

“We want to be the birthing place or ‘core’ of creative ideas, business plans, new ministries etc.,” Curry said.

The pairing of arts and coffee seems like a perfect fit, and helps fill a void in the area, Curry said.

Those interested in helping can send a check to the cafe, located at 1021 First St. La Salle or can visit the GoFundMe page. We hope their refusal to give up will be rewarded with future sucess.