The two have worked for several years at Picture This & More, 520 W. Delmar Ave. in Alton.

The two have been married for 44 years, and their business has been open for 17 years.

The Alton business is attempting to stay modern and has continued to expand in the photo restoration area.

“Our niche is preserving people’s memories,” Ken Link said. “We have been doing photo restoration for about a year and half. There is certainly a need for it. We see a lot of family memorabilia. It is beneficial to do a photo restoration of an old photograph, frame it and preserve the actual piece in a safe environment.”

Another new addition is using custom photo art for frames, an area Ken Link said will continue to grow.

Ken Link said he loves his work and always tries to put the customer first.

“We try to preserve people’s memories the best we can,” he said. “We remind people when they come in that they are creating an heirloom to be enjoyed by generations to come, many, many years downstream. That helps people put things in perspective, a lot of times.”
Glenda Link said her personality blends well with her husband in and out of the business.

“We are also good friends,” she said. “We were high school sweethearts. This has worked out very well for us.”

Picture This & More has a new Web site at www.picturethisandmore.com. For information, call (618) 466-0940.

In addition to servicing loans for Cornerstone, her department services loans for South Central Illinois Mortgage of Springfield (SCIL). Under her leadership, SCIL recently achieved Freddie Mac’s prestigious 2007 Tier One Gold performance ranking for excellence in investor reporting and default management. SCIL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlinville National Bank, Citizens State Bank of Shipman, Palmer Bank and Cornerstone Bank & Trust.

Cornerstone Bank & Trust, a community bank founded in 1854, has offices in Alton, Jerseyville and Carrollton.

Owner Joe Morales came to The Telegraph office this past week with news that he is opening a restaurant at University Pointe 2, 1011 Century Drive in Edwardsville.

Los Tres Amigos has locations at 822 Vaughn in Wood River and 720 State St. in Jerseyville. Morales found a location in Edwardsville and has been working for three-plus months on developing it.

“We really love the location in Edwardsville,” he said. “The restaurants we started in Wood River and Jerseyville have been very successful. I am glad I did this.”

Morales said he thinks Los Tres Amigos has the best tacos in the region.

“We sell a lot of our tacos,” he said. “We have homemade tacos and original tacos.”

For several years, Morales had a taco stand. He said he doesn’t miss the days of selling outside.

The restaurant in Edwardsville will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Morales’ daughter Urvana will be the manager of the Edwardsville store.

For information, contact Los Tres Amigos at (618) 659-4880.

Charlie Maneke, 48, purchased the business from his father, Irvin, in 1983. He started in the business in 1981, graduating from Alton High School in 1978.

“I have some fabulous customers,” Maneke said. “My first love is the diamonds; I love to sell diamonds. I appreciate the customer loyalty. For me to own my own business and take over from my father and get along the way I did has brought so many positive things to me. It really worked out.”

Maneke pointed out there are just a handful of Alton businesses that have been at it as long as Maneke Jewelers.

“Alton Refrigeration and St. Peters Hardware are a few that have been in it as long, but there are less and less each day,” he said. “You see a lot of businesses make it to their 10th anniversary, but not many make it to their 25th. It makes me proud to still be in business and going strong.”

Charlie Maneke, 48, lives in Godfrey. He works in the business with his wife, Andrea, of four years.

The couple will attend a jewelry show in Las Vegas this week. Charlie Maneke purchases many of their diamonds from the show.

“It’s a family type of business,” Maneke said. “My customers are loyal. We have lots of relationships. Over the years, dad sold to the parents and I have continued with the kids and selling to the grandkids. It’s an interesting thing that has perpetuated over the years.”

Maneke said service is the key to the success of any business.

“You have to have that service and personal touch,” he said.

Waters is among a group of more than 300 Country agents and agency managers who qualified for the award. Country has more than 2,000 agents and agency managers in 14 states. This is the third time she has been named an All American.
Waters also qualified for the Country Executive Club, whose members represent the top 3 percent of agents and the top 10 percent of agency managers for overall achievement.

All American is awarded each year by Country to agents and agency managers who have excelled in identifying insurance products and financial solutions that fit the needs of their clients. Agency managers and agents who receive the award provide outstanding service to their clients.

“The All American is among the highest honor a Country agent or agency manager can receive. Members of our agency force who earn this distinction are those who have shown a true commitment to customers’ needs,” said Paul V. Bishop, senior vice president of sales for Country.

Waters’ office is at 2402 State St., Alton. The office phone number is (618) 466-7383.

Monday night, the 25-year-old Watkins revealed a new Team Cycling Kit for his Wild Trak Bike shop-sponsored racing team at a “gear release party” at Bossanova in Alton. Russ Smith, owner of Bossanova, hosted the event.

Watkins said Smith, one of the sponsors for the team, put on a great party.

“We had a D.J., laser lights and smoke equipment,” Watkins said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Watkins explained his racing team: “The team of about 30 riders competes in local and regional races including mountain bike, cyclocross, BMX and road races as well as criteriums, triathlons, skate park demos and judged freestyle runs. We’re mainly interested in enjoyment of riding, but we win our share of events, too.”

Several of the Wild Trak Bikes team members meet at 6 p.m. every Wednesday when the shop closes. Watkins extended an invitation for others to attend.

Ian Sasek, 21, of Alton, a shop employee, said he enjoys the ride. “It’s a ‘no-drop’ ride, which means that no one is left behind. It’s a good time for everyone.”

Watkins said as many as 25 riders often show up for the weekly ride.

Watkins has been on a bike since he was a young child. He was 20 when he took over Wild Trak in 2003.

“Business has tripled in the last five years,” he said. “We have done it by promoting bike riding, giving people a reason to ride and making it more fun for the community. We hope to have a race in the area by next year.”

He said he is excited about the ownership change and what it will mean for customers.

“We now can offer the banking side,” he said. “The banking side, plus being one of the largest brokerage firms in the country is a definite plus. Wachovia manages $1.2 trillion in retail client assets.”

Products that will continue to be offered by the new Wachovia Securities team are: investment, retirement and estate planning; stocks, bonds, mutual funds; asset-management accounts; professional portfolio management services; trust services; insurance and annuities and wealth-management services.

New products include banking services, lending services and access to investment banking expertise.
The merger between Wachovia and A.G. Edwards will be complete by February 2009. For information about Wachovia services, contact (618) 466-0011.

Werts was featured after marking its 50th anniversary celebration in November.

Dwight Werts, president of the company, said it was a tremendous honor to be featured in the magazine.

“This magazine has been around for years,” he said. “I can remember the companies they wrote about and now I am in there. This made me feel proud about what my family has accomplished.”

Werts said he enjoyed the 50th anniversary event on Nov. 15 at the Wood River facility.

“It was a great day,” he said. “I literally had people from Maine to California here and
everywhere between. We had vendors, suppliers, customers and friends from all over the country. We received a lot of nice plaques and gifts, but we didn’t have it for that.”

During the anniversary event, Dwight said the entire 3-acre parking lot of the business was full.
“It was kind of like a wedding where you try to talk to everybody,” he said. “I was overwhelmed at the response. People came from all over the country. A lot of my mom and dad’s friends came.”

Robert and Verna Werts, Dwight’s parents, started the business 50 years ago. He said he thought about them every minute of the 50th anniversary celebration.

“One of my suppliers had a big banner with a portrait of them in the middle,” he said. “We still have the banner hanging in the facility.”

Dwight Werts said he grew up in the business and actually started sweeping the floors and holding wrenches for his dad. The company has locations in Des Moines, Iowa; San Antonio, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Tampa, Atlanta and Wood River.

- Dan Brannan

Judy Greene owns the business solely. She has been in business with the Jim’s Attic portion of the business for 20 years.

The business sells antique and collectible items.

“I find my job quite interesting,” Greene said. “People don’t have a lot of fun money with gas prices up so high, so it takes a lot to do this. We like our location — right on the Main Street.”

Greene thrives on the selling part of the business.

“I love the contact with people,” she said. “I do the old-fashioned approach, waiting on people. I walk up and greet them and do the one-on-one contact.”

The business is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Today, State Street Antiques/Jim’s Attic will have an open house with gifts and refreshments to mark the 10th anniversary.
An open house Saturday and Sunday will have gifts and refreshments to celebrate 10 years of the State Street name.
State Street has 12 vendors; some with multiple booths.

For information, call (618) 498-1440.

The business will be at 6017 Godfrey Road next to Josephine’s restaurant.

Phyllis Bechtold, a local entrepreneur and author, has started several businesses with her husband, including LaMarsh Gift Shop and Piasa Winery in Grafton, Godfrey Meat & Gourmet, Riverbend Gifts in Grafton and Nature’s Nest in Alton.

Phyllis Bechtold is also the author of “Seymour Bluffs and the Legend of the Piasa Bird” and “Seymour Bluffs and Robert Wadlow.”
The store will have a soft opening Friday, Feb. 8, and grand-opening event on Saturday, Feb. 9. The business will be open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“We will have more than 100 varieties of beer to start and more than 200 wines,” Phyllis Bechtold said. “We will also have chocolates and cheeses and gifts. We saw a need for this type of shop in this part of town. It will be much like Crushed Grapes in Edwardsville.”

For information, call (618) 466-6111.

- Dan Brannan

- Dan Brannan