Finding pride in her husband's giving legacy

You can't go onto the Riverwoods Christian Center property -- 33 acres of grounds and 63 acres of virgin woods -- without noticing the home at the end of Riverwoods Lane and remembering the fine gentleman who lived there.

It's the home of Elaine Samuelson, whose late husband Dwight "Putt" Samuelson was instrumental in reshaping the lives of rehabilitating adults who lived on the grounds.

Elaine still lives in that home north of St. Charles along the Fox River, but it was the headquarters for her husband for more than 15 years when he taught Bible study for adults who were recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. He also took care of the buildings and landscape on the Riverwoods property.

"I would say the best way to describe 'Putt' was that he was always reaching out to others," Elaine said of her husband, who passed away in 2001 at 69.

"He was the director of rehab services when the camp was operated by the Advent Christian church."

Elaine said she has recently heard from men whose lives were straightened out by "Putt" and she finds plenty of comfort in knowing what an important role her husband played long before the grounds were converted into a youth summer camp facility.

The house Elaine and "Putt" lived in originally belonged to Jim Watkins, a board member for the center who operated Aero Products in St. Charles. Elaine found it interesting that Watkins was involved in creating the "magic slate" or what became better known as the Etch-a-Sketch.

And did her husband get his nickname from being a golfer?

"Oh, no" Elaine laughed. "When he was young, his mother asked him what he was doing one day, and he said he was just 'putzing' around. After that, he became 'Putt.'"

More than parking

A few readers agreed with my assessment of last week that the new St. Charles downtown parking garage under construction as part of the First Street redevelopment plan sparked the most conversation last year.

But I should remind those who drive by and glance at the structure that there is more than meets the eye.

Yes, the parking garage will be a major portion of that structure, but it is in the planning books as the "plaza" of the First Street project. That means there will be retail and offices in the structure as well.

Alleys may benefit

Who stands to gain the most from a smoking ban in public places?

Comments I have overheard lead me to believe that bowling alleys may see an increase in business.

A few people have told me that's the one place they look forward to going to again -- a smoke-free bowling alley. Some alleys tried to limit smoking to only the bar/lobby areas, but in general bowling alleys carried a stigma -- and the stench -- of being smoke-filled.

Another person said he can finally make his first visit to the Little Owl in Geneva, a place he has always wanted to try, but was scared off by stories about smoke.

Warm those candles

The things I don't know about, simply because I don't browse around department stores too often. I had never heard of a candle warmer. It looks like a small crock pot that you'd stick a candle in, with the premise being that this little pot makes the candle warm enough to give off its scent without a flame going. I can't tell you what the benefit is in that, but it seemed kind of unusual. My main question: Are they a pain to clean?