Nancy Knows Madison County

Right now I am caressing my old Formica countertops. I'm gazing lovingly at their knife nicks and flirting with their not-quite-tight seams. Suddenly their beige boringness is making me swoon.

What's caused this love affair with my un-updated kitchen?  This article in the New York Times.

According to the Times' story, your carefully selected and hand-finished granite countertops might be emitting radon, a colorless and odorless gas that occurs from the deterioration of radioactive elements in the earth.  Why worry about radon?  Because we're told that it is a leading cause of lung cancer. 

You needed something else to worry about, didn't you? Some lurking household horror?  A no-see-em nightmare?

Here in Illinois, the law related to radon changed on January 1, 2008. After that date, our sellers have had to provide disclosure about any knowledge of testing or elevated radon levels in their property. We also make sure in Illinois that our buyers are aware they can have the home they're pursuing tested during the inspection phase.

According to the EPA, homes that show radon in excess of 4 picocuries are targets for remediation. Click here to see the Illinois radon brochure.

My take on it? Don't lose any sleep over it, but have your home tested if you're worried about the possibility of radon. Your peace of mind is worth a couple of hundred bucks, isn't it? If you're selling, disclose everything you know about your tests and if you're buying, carefully consider including a radon test with your whole house and wood-detroying insect inspections.

If you're new to my territory, St. Louis' Illinois suburbs including Madison County and surrounding areas, you might not know about one of the most beautiful places on Earth -- the stretch of highway called the Great River Road between Alton and Grafton, Illinois.

The scenic drive along the Mississippi River also goes by the grand name of Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. This is where the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers come together, giving those of us lucky enough to live here stunning views and amazing recreational opportunities.

Describing everything to see and do from Alton to Grafton and beyond will take many blog posts, so for this virtual outing, I am going to concentrate on tonight's quick trip along the river to a favorite dining spot -- The Finn Inn in Grafton, Illinois

Did you know that Buffalo can swim? In these parts, Buffalo is a river-dwelling fish, not a slow-moving wooly Bison. It's usually served deep fried with tartar sauce and a side of hush puppies (fried corn meal and onion dough balls). Some fries and cole slaw complete the meal.

If you're a squeamish diner, you'll want to be forewarned that The Finn Inn is an aquarium restaurant. You'll see some of the tasty menu items swimming past your booth in the large aquariums that ring the restaurant. (The fish tank residents are not selected and eaten like a lobster at Morton's -- but there are many of the same species in residence.) The friendly wait staff can usually tell you the types of the fish that are swimming by if you're curious.

Menu highlights include the aforementioned Buffalo, Catfish (both river and pond-raised varieties), clam strips served mixed with popcorn shrimp and the ubiquitous chicken strips for those who can't watch fish while they eat fish. Lasagne, spaghetti and a steak offering also are given a landlubber nod on the menu although I have never seen them plated and delivered to anyone in the dining room where fish is king.

Cod makes an appearance on the table as a fillet or fritters and it can be deep fried or broiled. Even Tilapia -- which is becoming as common as catfish in Midwestern restaurants -- has made its way to the banks of the Mississippi from its native North Africa. 

Dinner guests are urged to save room for Berry Cobbler or other desserts.

Next door to The Finn Inn is the venerable Beasly's Fish Stand and across the street is another long-time Grafton favorite, the Wild Goose, a restaurant that touts its chili. I'll let you ponder who exactly is in the kitchen whipping up that hot dish by taking a look at the restaurant's sign. 

From Alton, Grafton is 12 miles north on the Great River Road. If you're making the trip during the day, stop at the Visitor Center in Alton to pick up some of the helpful information that Alton CVB director Brett Stawar and his staff have created to make your visit more enjoyable. You can learn more at this link to the Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Last summer I helped two of my favorite customers, Kristin and Rob, buy their first home.

It's a charming brick bungalow with spacious rooms and a lot of character, located in Collinsville, Illinois. Outside, the huge yard is complemented by an amazing deck.

Now the 2-year newlyweds are in the process of making the home their own through paint, fabric, hard work and trips to Ikea for special items that reflect their unique sense of style.

I saw the couple recently at the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville (It's the horseradish capitol of the world. Seriously.) and they told me that the outdated kitchen is next on their hit list. Best of luck with that big adventure.

Congratulations on your one year anniversary in your home, Kristin and Rob. You're doing a great job! You can follow their adventures in home ownership on their blog by clicking here:

We all know that it can be hard for some buyers to get the cash together for a downpayment toward their home purchase.

And now, with FHA downpayment assistance programs in jeopardy again, finding another way to help folks achieve the American Dream through home ownership is more important than ever.

In Madison County, the Community Development Homebuyer Program is offering help with $3,000 or $5,000 loans, forgivable after five years of occupancy in a new home.

To qualify, a family's income must fall at or below program guidelines and they must meet certain other criteria. Loan money can be used to help with downpayment and closing costs.

Questions? Call me at 618-791-8007 or send an e-mail to Nancy.Milton@ColdwellBanker.com. I can put you together with a lender participating in the program and we can be on the road toward finding your family's next home.

Greetings from the eastern shores of the Mighty Mississippi River where gas was $4.09/gallon today (yikes). 

As I was pumping Regular into the Freestyle's tank, thinking of the good old days when something less than a $20 was needed for a fill up, it occurred to me that maybe the gas crisis could actually be good for the real estate business.(I am sure this is not an original thought, but it was new to me today.)

Before you come after me with lighted torches and pitchforks, let me explain what I mean. Then you can disagree in the comments section.  

Here in the St. Louis metropolitan area, you could say that we've been in love with suburban sprawl for a long time. Give me my big McMansion on my half-acre lot and I'll drive a long way to get to work. To be fair, this issue exists on both sides of the big river in our two-state region of Missouri and Illinois.

Now, however, I think the close-in suburbs -- referred to by urban planners as the inner ring -- might be able to regain some of their old cachet. These were the first modern 'burbs, often with a smaller downtown core of their own, where subdivisions sprouted after WWII and families were raised in the following decades. Many of them offer good housing stock, decent civic ameneties, a nice quality of life and -- most important to this post -- a shorter commute to a downtown job.

I limit my business to Madison County, Illinois. We're located north and east of Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The two inner ring burbs that come to mind first in my territory are Granite City and Collinsville. 

Born as an industrial town, Granite City was named for the distinctive Graniteware cookware that was manufactured there. Steel was and is the city's major industry. Today homebuyers looking for a close commute are thinking more about Granite due to the recent reopening of the McKinley Bridge over the Mississippi. The bridge provides a quick zip across the river to both Downtown St. Louis and the major cross-country thoroughfare of I-70. Solid brick ranches, rehabbed turn-of-the century gems, affordable bi-levels and charming, quiet neighborhoods can be found throughout the town.

The city's newer mayor has spearheaded projects to beautify downtown and is beginning plans for an arts district. Wilson Park, with its pools, ice rink, tennis courts, ball fields and jogging paths is a civic gem. Pictured above is my listing, with partner Kristina Pratt, at 2256 State Street. To the right is another Granite listing at 21 Snowbird Lane. 

Collinsville sits on a bluff overlooking the American Bottoms all the way to the Mississippi. From vantage points throughout the city, St. Louis' signature Gateway Arch can be seen soaring over the Downtown skyline. Coal was a way of life in old Collinsville which still boasts a big Italian community that originated with the northern Italian miners who immigrated to the area for work. 

Brick bungalows, homes with a view, a lively downtown business district and popular annual festivals are staples of life in Collinsville. 

The city also offers a busy convention center, an aquatic center, new shopping and dining opportunities and a close commute via I-55/70. You're in Downtown St. Louis in as little as 10 minutes.

Pictured right is a Collinsville listing at 908 Indiana.

Gas getting you down? Maybe a move closer to your job is worth investigating before the pump reads $5/gal.

Remember the TV show, Green Acres?  Among the cast of oddball characters was bumbling extension agent Hank Kimball who made life even harder for Oliver Wendell Douglas, the erstwhile New York attorney turned very bad farmer.

That's probably as close as most suburbanites get to an extension office. So, I am here today to tell anyone interested in gardening, local foods, cooking and developing a variety of other life-enhancing skills to check out the Madison County Extension Office.

Recent gardening courses include topics such as "Late Summer and Fall Blooming Perennials," and "Summer and Fall Blooming Trees and Shrubs." The office also offers a horticulture helpline open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon. Problem petunias? Give them a call.

Kids in the Kitchen, a series of youth cooking school programs, are held in a variety of locations throughout the summer along with family nutrition classes and much more.

To learn what the University of Illinois Extension Service can do for you, click on www.extension.uiuc.edu/madisonstclair. The phone number is: 618-650-7050.

RELATED NEWS

Coming up at the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville: 

• EarthWatch, Tuesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville. Rick Macho will share pictures and stories from his summer research trip to the Cloud Forest of South America.
• Caterpillar and Butterfly Walk, Tuesday, August 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Watershed Nature Center. Guest speaker June Jeffries will talk about caterpillars, butterflies and moths and attendees will walk through beautiful habitats at the Watershed.

Learn more at 618-692-7578 or e-mail watershed@cityofedwardsville.com.

One of the best things about living in Madison County, Illinois is underway right now -- the Sweet Corn harvest.

Well, to be absolutely accurate, at this moment in time we have bi-color corn (that referes to a cob with a mixture of both the white and the yellow kernals, not the vegetable's personal orientation) and yellow corn. The pure white sweet corn is still cookin' on the stalks.

Today, after our office's tour of our newly listed homes, I stopped by Keller's farm stand on Highway 157 between Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. I bought six ears of bi-color. Next door at Norma's, I also bought tasty Arkansas tomatoes (Ours are coming, can't wait.), fresh green beans and new potatoes. Fournie's, another home-grown operation, is located on Horseshoe Lake Road between Collinsville and Granite City. It's worth a stop as well, but wasn't on my driving trajectory today.  

I'm usually a corn boiler. After removing the corn shucks and silks, you fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil and put your corn in for about 10 minutes. Some folks like to turn the heat off as soon as the corn goes into the pot and others let it boil for a while, risking chewiness. My 91-year-old mother-in-law likes to add a wee bit of sugar to the water as well. I think that's redundant because the corn is so sweet by itself, but I don't tell her that. At 91, you're certainly entitled to your own opinion. (She also calls yellow corn "Horse Corn" and turns her nose up at it. I think it reminds her of what they fed to Old Billy, the buggy horse on their Chouteau Island farm along the Mississippi River when she was a child.)

Today, however, I Googled "corn" and "microwave." I was feeling a little lazy and a little hungry. One of the Internet recipe sites informed me that you can simply wrap an ear in waxed paper, twist the ends and nuke it for two minutes. If you're cooking two ears, make it three minutes. Where have I been? I may never boil again.

Today's corn was moist and firm and the niblets popped like farmstand caviar when I bit into them. Butter wasn't even necessary -- just a little kosher flake salt from Trader Joe's and I was good to go.

Don't miss this opportunity for a little golden, bi- and white sunshine -- now playing at a farm stand or farmers' market in Madison County.

What would America be like without a long list of the "World's Biggest" items?

Over the years, I've seen the world's biggest rocking chair (in Missouri), the biggest 8-ball (also Missouri... maybe there's a trend), the biggest basket (Ohio) and too many more roadside oddities to name.

Here in Madison County, IL, specifically in the city of Collinsville, we have our own kitschy Americana claim to fame: The World's Largest Catsup Bottle.

A 170-foot-tall water tower, the bottle was constructed in 1949 by the bottlers of Brooks rich and tangy catsup. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and is regularly featured as a stop for car cruises and Route 66 enthusiasts.

Why write about the bottle now? Because it's time for the annual celebration of everyone's favorite condiment. The party takes place at the American Legion Hall (which, incidentally boasts of having the Midwest's best fish at their every-Friday fish fries) on Vandalia (Hwy. 159) in Collinsville on Saturday and Sunday, July 12 & 13, 2008. 

In addition to paying homage to the bottle, the party includes a classic and custom car show both days, hotdog eating contests, catsup taste tests, music, vendors and plenty of quirky activities.

Learn more at www.catsupbottle.com.

Since it's the time of year for fireworks, I thought I'd muse today about the explosion of restaurants here in Edwardsville Illinois (which is in Southwestern Illinois/Suburban St. Louis, Mo).

A few years ago, Edwardsville and Glen Carbon residents had to drive miles to reach a variety of dining options.  Now, it's a quick spin down two of our major highways -- 157 & 159 -- and you can choose from just about anything your rumbling tummy desires.

Chains are great, but many places across America are starting to look just the same. Take any highway exit and it's hard to know where you are. A friend of mine calls it "Generica."  So my props in this post go to those local restaurateurs -- some brand new, some older -- who have taken a chance on Edwardsville and have been rewarded with grateful and loyal customers: 

• Bully's -- great barbecue (try the brisket).
• Nori -- sushi
• Shangri-la -- upscale Chinese
• Bull & Bear (formerly Krieger's) -- time to check it out. The food is much better than when it was a chain
• Neruda -- Stylishly elegant (see image above). Try the Baked Goat Cheese appetizer and the Red Curry Glazed Atlantic Salmon
• Bella Milano -- a Italian taste of St. Louis' famous Hill neighborhood right here in Edwardsville
• Los Tres Amigos -- newly opened Mexican famous for fried tacos made with flour tortillas and stuffed with meat, potatoes and beans
• Sgt. Pepper's -- There are a few of these scattered across southern Illinois, but they're local enough to be included in this list. Great breakfast horseshoes (for you non-Illinoisans a horseshoe contains meat, potatoes and eggs, covered with cheese).
• Erato -- an intimate wine bar
• Sacred Grounds -- a true local coffee house
• Laurie's Place -- go for the food and stay for the music, especially the Saturday jam by Moore Pleasure which begins at 2 p.m. in the front bar
• Shenanigans -- a college hangout with a big menu and a raucous bar

There are plenty more, but they'll have to wait for another post. While the gains are obvious, we also have some losses to report. A long-time staple of fine dining, Rusty's, has closed. 

My only remaining question is: Where are the Thai and Vietnamese restaurateurs?  Edwardsville is waiting for you. We have a Tom Yum and Pho vacancy that only you can fill.