Paddyfest entertainment will be homegrown
When parishioners at St. Patrick in St. Charles get together this weekend after Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning Masses for their 15th annual Paddyfest at the Crane Road church, they'll be entertained by their own.
Lydia Korzen, in charge of publicity for the fest, tells me all of the entertainers will be from St. Patrick, including young magician Ryne Strom, who recently performed at a fundraiser at the Norris Cultural Arts Center that raised more than $4,500 for a young boy with a metabolic disorder.
"For such a short notice, that show went very well," said the 22-year-old Strom, who has been interested in magic since he was a young boy watching his uncle, Terry Evanswood, become one of the premier magicians in the country after crafting his trade with shows in the Tri-Cities area.
"He got me into this and I have been aspiring to be a magician ever since," Strom said.
Strom said his Paddyfest show, from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, will be smaller because of the outdoor stage, but will feature plenty of audience participation.
Good cause for good guy: Organizers of a recent fundraiser for Ken Ramsey Jr. at the Batavia VFW are brimming with pride over the community support for Ramsey, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor last fall and is determined to fight for a recovery.
"We had more than 500 people come through the doors that day and it was just fantastic," said VFW manager Marcia Coleman.
Coleman felt the event, which raised more than the $10,000 that organizers had hoped for to help with medical expenses, was successful because "it had to do with Ken being a good person and being willing to do anything for anybody."
Ramsey has been a member of the Batavia VFW men's auxiliary for many years.
As for Ramsey's battle against brain cancer, Coleman said, "I am so impressed with how he is going through this and having so much faith."
Ken's wife Angie recently gave birth to a baby girl about two months before expected delivery, but both mom and baby are doing fine, Coleman said.
The entire Ramsey family is holding up well during this difficult time, with former county Sheriff Ken Ramsey Sr. saying, "I've never been more proud of my son" for the way he has handled his medical situation and continued to be involved in his church and, now, as a caring father.
Those nice neighborhoods: There are plenty of nice neighborhoods throughout the Tri-Cities region, and my wife and I find try to walk through most of them at one time or another.
If you want to see an excellent mixture of older homes mixed in with newer homes that went up after teardowns, take a walk or drive down South Fifth Street in St. Charles.
Several homes along that stretch, especially 427 and 502 S. Fifth St., have beautiful front yard landscaping and flower beds. Despite all of the hustle and bustle going on in the city, this tends to remain a quiet neighborhood in what now can safely be called "old St. Charles."
dheun@sbcglobal.net