Farewell to golf course at Fox Valley Country Club

It appears I have played my final round of golf at Fox Valley Country Club in North Aurora.

After hearing a few rumors that the course might stay open beyond this year, I was told differently when playing there last week. It appears Sunday is the final day to tee off at Fox Valley, and it closes for good on Monday.

It's with a bit of nostalgia we say goodbye to this affordable and decent layout. It was one of the first courses I played when taking up the game at a fairly late age of 26. It has remained a tough game for me to conquer, as I initially tried to learn it while also playing competitive softball.

In any case, numerous high school players have made their rounds on the Fox Valley tract, as it was the scene of many Batavia boys and girls dual matches against conference foes and the popular Batavia Invitational, which drew top teams from throughout the northern Illinois area.

What happens to the banquet center and the grounds remains unclear, though some type of housing project has been mentioned. The banquet center has events booked well into the future, so it is possible that will remain open for a time.

Memorials in forest

A few weeks ago, readers enjoyed engaging in a conversation about our favorite places to rest in the Tri-Cities. That often meant a favorite park or city bench, or other interesting spots in the area.

We came across another excellent candidate during a nice, long trek of LeRoy Oakes on the west side of St. Charles. We made the long loop around the entire site, and came across a bench near the forest preserve's east side tree line and the open fields.

One might say it is in the "middle of nowhere," which means it came up at a perfect time for me. I was getting tired.

The bench is dedicated to a gentleman named Bob Eckert, who must have loved LeRoy Oakes, and a nearby black oak was planted in memory of a John Duncker. The plaque at the base of the tree said John "walked these paths" many times.

The family and friends involved in placing this perfect combination of tree and bench should know this: It was a great idea and couldn't be at a better spot, where the trail breaks off in three different directions.

Goose for Batavia

What do I think of a Blue Goose grocery store possibly setting up shop in downtown Batavia? It's a home run.

This is not the first time the Lencioni family has flirted with the idea of expanding the Blue Goose brand beyond its historic and longtime base in downtown St. Charles.

In the past few decades, the idea was floated that a second Blue Goose might not be bad somewhere between the Geneva/St. Charles east side borders and West Chicago. If memory serves me well, one area given some thought was near where Country House restaurant now sits.

The village of Elburn also came up in past discussions, but that idea didn't seem to stay in the rumor mill grind long. At that time, Anderson's grocery store on Main Street in Elburn was in the right place to continue to serve the village just fine.

But to have a Blue Goose in the downtown location that Walgreens is leaving for a new site would stand out nicely and give Batavians another nearby grocery option.

Obstacle course

There's a popular loop for walkers, runners or bikers looking to get in a few miles of exercise.

It's to basically follow the bike path from Fabyan Forest Preserve, say at the west-side parking entrance, into Batavia, down Houston Street to River Street and then back onto the trail toward Geneva.

Then cross the Fabyan pedestrian bridge back to the west side and follow the path back to parked cars.

One would think that the construction mess that is now Houston Street would deter the use of the trail.

Not so. People are following the detour signs and figuring out how to maneuver through the Houston Street obstacle course. Though not as easy for bikers, many runners and walkers simply use the stairs near the Depot Museum to get to the Depot Pond and Riverwalk settings to cut through.

While those driving cars are usually pulling out their hair over closed streets and detours, those operating on foot or pedal don't appear to have the same anxiety levels.

A trick-or-treat city

After tabulating various factors such as Halloween community events and parties, the general safety of a town, and the "walkability" for kids to navigate on their rounds for treats, The Daily Meal food website rates Geneva as one of the best in the country.

In fact, Geneva landed in the No. 7 spot in the publication's list of the 25 best towns in America for trick-or-treating in 2015.

It's always nice to be in the top 10 of anything positive.

dheun@sbcglobal.net