No takers yet to fill La Petite in Geneva

Geneva's hopes of getting a current eyesore cleaned up a bit with a new tenant just got a little more difficult.

The former La Petite Academy child-care facility off Fargo Boulevard looks more and more like it was abandoned during nuclear fallout. After being vacant for years, it's starting to crumble in a few spots. It would be hard to imagine the interior is in any better shape.

"We have been talking to several child-care operators about that site and other day-care facilities in Geneva," said Paul Evans, of the city's business development department.

That's where the "more difficult" part comes in. More recently, the city has seen two KinderCare facilities also close, meaning any future suitors now have a few different buildings to contemplate occupying.

Community Bank of Raymore from Novi, Michigan, owns the La Petite site, which is represented through Murray Properties in St. Charles.

"Unfortunately, the down economy of the past six years has hurt interest in the property," Evans said. "The last year or two, we have seen more interest, but no one has come to agreement on the purchase yet."

Until further notice, the former La Petite will stand as another example of prolonged vacancy, or what you don't like to see happen when a business shuts down.

For the shelter

What does Trans Infinity Orchestra have in common with Lazarus House shelter in St. Charles?

They are part of a fundraising effort through Arcada Theatre owner Ron Onesti at 5 p.m. Dec. 14 at the theater.

Trans Infinity Orchestra provides its seasonal musical tribute to Trans-Siberian Orchestra that night, and Onesti Entertainment is providing 75 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales to Lazarus House.

Those interested in attending can get more information at (630) 587-2144 or by visiting the Lazarus House website, www.lazarushouseonline.com.

Colorful chairs

Having written about the painted rain barrels and fire hydrants in Geneva, as well as the colorful bulldog statues throughout Batavia, count me among those who like the idea of painted Adirondack chairs throughout St. Charles.

The St. Charles Downtown Partnership is pitching the painted chairs idea as a way to give the downtown area a little extra color during the summer. With Mayor Ray Rogina and other city officials not hesitating to support the concept, residents can expect to see this new twist unfold.

Pretty toasty

After recently spending three days in Phoenix, Arizona, some confusion set in regarding my thoughts about weather. I hate the winters here, but it was fairly clear I also wouldn't fare so well in a place that is constantly bright, sunny and hot. I mean, a few clouds wouldn't be so bad, right?

They say it's a "dry heat" that is pretty easy to get used to. But it's hard to imagine how hot it must be in the summer if it was 96 in October.

My future game plan still holds. Upon retirement, these warm-weather destinations look like good places to sneak away to for a week or two, but not necessarily to put in new stakes. It was, after all, a quite nice-looking 75 degrees in Phoenix during our recent cold snap.

And how dumb was it that we had overnight temperatures around 10 degrees here in mid-November? Throw in any combination of snow and wind, and it's a downright crime.

A passion play

When the curtain closes on "The Nutcracker" at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre Sunday afternoon, it may also be a curtain call for show director Linda Cunningham of State Street Dance Studio.

Herald correspondent Jamie Greco recently wrote about Cunningham turning her Geneva studio over to Ashlie Anderson but coming back to see "The Nutcracker" through while Anderson was sidelined with a pregnancy that resulted in being bedridden.

My wife and I spent several years at Cunningham's studio, taking ballroom lessons from her father, Otto Konrad. We even were listed as participants in "The Nutcracker" one year but couldn't fit in the practice schedule and had to bow out.

We also had a lot of contact with Cunningham during the many years she helped developed the "Dancing With the Geneva Stars" fundraisers.

It was always a pleasant experience watching Cunningham do her thing. It provided an important life lesson: If you are passionate about something, make it your life's work. Then let someone with the same passion carry the baton for you.

Office Burger fits bill

The Office bar and grill in St. Charles hasn't missed a step after the unfortunate kitchen fire and temporary closing in late August.

That's my take, after ordering the Office Burger last weekend. That's the house burger, one might say, with ground andouille sausage, smoked cheddar cheese, tomato, onion and bacon/egg mayonnaise, whatever that is, on top of it.

Another surprise closing

Last week I expressed some surprise that Gabby's Kitchen had closed in St. Charles.

Ditto now for the O' Sole Mio locations in Batavia and St. Charles, both of which have closed.

It appears that some of these places draw plenty of attention during warmer weather, when more folks are walking around town. The location in Batavia, especially, was nice to hang out in for coffee or tea.

But when colder weather drives people back into their homes, these "hang-out" types of places may run into some problems unless they are located in a key retail venue.

This may be a stretch, but if owner Tory Chiappelli could get some financial supporters on board, the empty Caribou spot on Third Street in Geneva might not be a bad spot to give it another go with this concept.

dheun@sbcglobal.net