Powers' new book surely destined to be a memorable hit

What better to do on yet another snowy day than warm the heart with some memories.

A phone conversation with Mike Powers Wednesday evening did just that.

Old Elgin High.

Ches.

The Crocker and the Grove theatres.

Potter's Restaurant.

The Star Sandwich Shop.

Etc., etc., etc.

Why have a conversation like that in February of 2008? Well, two reasons. One is that walking down Memory Lane never gets old, regardless of the day, time or year.

The other more poignant reason is that Powers, an Elgin native and 1975 graduate of Elgin High, is about to release a new book entitled All-American Stories: Elgin Myths and Memories.

The book, edited and published by George Rawlinson of State Street Publishing, will be unveiled Monday night at Sunset Books on South Street. More about that event later.

First, the question I had to ask Powers was what prompted him to write the book.

"I wrote an essay for a contest on favorite places in the Fox Valley," said the Elgin city councilman who played high school basketball at Elgin High for the legendary Bill Chesbrough.

"I wrote mine on the old Elgin High gym. Between 1965 and 1972 I went to every game there. When I'd bump into people they'd tell me how much that essay really touched them. Then I was down at the Centre one day looking at all the (Elgin Sports) Hall of Fame plaques and I'd run into guys like Kenny Barnhart and Wally Wetzel and just think, man these guys have a hundred stories."

Light on, book started.

"I decided to write about 30 of those stories," Powers said. "The first part is called Sacred Spaces and it's about the places we hung out as kids. One chapter is called The Perfect Saturday."

We won't let the cat out of the bag on the details of that chapter but if you've been around Elgin long enough you can imagine the contents of that chapter.

"The second part," Powers said, "is called The Sporting Life. It's just that -- it's about the sports life in Elgin during that period."

If you weren't around Elgin during that period, reading this book is something you must do.

Powers, who took just four months to write the 189-page book, said he's received positive response about the book so far.

"People seem to be excited about it," he said. "I think it's a good read and the stories are interesting."

Powers said he's planning two more books for the future -- one called London Calling Elgin: Rock & Roll Adventures, and another called Rediscovering Elgin.

But this first venture is what's on his plate now and Monday's 7 p.m. unveiling event will have some special guests as well.

Special guests at the event will include Powers' all-state basketball teammate Derrick Mayes and 1972 Olympian Brian Oldfield, who will make a rare public appearance. Oldfield was a media personality and world record holder in the shot put. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1975, sparred with Muhammad Ali and traded barbs with Don Rickles.

Powers said he met Oldfield, who still lives in Elgin, for the first time this week and was fascinated with him.

Just as I'm sure we'll all be fascinated with Mike's new book.

Refreshments will be served at Monday's event, Powers will read from the book as well as autograph copies of it, and there will be giveaways with every book purchase.

For more information, call (847) 888-1860.