What will the new Club Arcada be like? A look at its history

Arcada Theatre frontman Ron Onesti appears ready to take us back to the future.

He isn't ready to divulge any details yet, but as he plots his strategy for a new Club Arcada on the third floor of the Arcada building, those who know St. Charles history are thinking back to a time when a night spot by the same name was a symbol of dining, dancing and being entertained in town.

The Club Arcada in the 1930s was at First Avenue and Main Street and considered the place to see and be seen.

At that time, a night out at this fashionable spot might cost about $30. In those Depression years, that was a major chunk of change, but well worth it for those who wanted to forget their troubles and be part of a night that included seeing a show at the theater and dining and drinking at the club right behind it.

Onesti gave the restaurant business a try when he operated a steakhouse at the former Old Church Inn location for a few years, but gave that up to concentrate on the theater's entertainment lineup. That site is now Nuova Italia.

It would make more sense for Onesti to have an entertainment venue of some sort linked right to the theater. So we'll be anxious to see how his vision shapes into reality.

That was his bear:

Eric Thorsen of Big Fork, Montana, got a kick out of me mentioning his Sitting Bear sculptor in Mount St. Mary Park in St. Charles a couple of months ago, and noting it was the perfect pose to make one want to sit alongside and hang out for a rest.

What I didn't know is that Thorsen previously lived in St. Charles and graduated from St. Charles High School in 1985. He still has family here and stops back on occasion.

Thorsen started carving wood sculptures of fish in high school and kept doing it in college, selling his sculptures to earn money. He spent some time at the University of Montana, but his love of art kept calling.

"My parents kept asking why I didn't have a sculpture out here in St. Charles," Thorsen said. "So now I do, and my family is thrilled."

Sitting Bear came almost as a natural for Thorsen, who said it is common for his family to see bears often in Big Fork.

"I like to work on a variety of animals, and the bear is a popular choice, considering where we live," Thorsen said. "We go to Glacier National Park and just look at the bears, and this is a classic pose for a bear.

"They do just sit there and stare off, and who knows what they are contemplating," Thorsen said. "So I decided to do that one, because it is just a classic pose you see them do in the wild."

In memory of Ray:

If you are going to honor a person who has passed away, it is best to do it in a fashion he would have loved. Such is the case for family and friends of Ray Kaligian III, as they have set the annual golf event to raise money for Anderson Animal Shelter and Kids Golf Foundation for July 23 at Mill Creek Golf Course.

Kaligian, a former Geneva High School standout golfer, baseball player and academic student, and his beloved dog both died in a carbon monoxide accident in Houston, Texas, four years ago.

Those interested in playing in the four-person scramble event and dinner can register at raykaligian3memorialgolf.com.

Lots of taffy:

If Rocket Fizz in downtown St. Charles celebrated its anniversary last month, that means we've consumed nearly 1,000 pieces of taffy in our household in that time frame.

If you are curious as to how we arrived at that figure, you have to see how many pieces of taffy you can fit in the novelty/candy store's large candy bag - and consider we were doing a bag that size every three weeks or so before finally deciding to calm down and not create a dentist's paradise in our mouths.

But this taffy is so good, we are certain to be back - just maybe not at that clip.

Parade thought:

Would there even be such a thing as a parade if the Shriners weren't involved?

Never get tired of seeing those guys whip around in circles and zigzags in any number of different types of vehicles. Sure, you get a little dizzy watching, but it delivers good, old-fashioned fun for young and old alike.

dheun@sbcglobal.net