Flooding rains made it a weekend to forget
It's possible that my Friday morning round of golf at Pottawatomie Golf Course in St. Charles was one of the last before the heavy rains of Sept. 13 and 14 turned the first-hole fairway into Lake Pottawatomie.
I've never seen so much water gather on our beautiful municipal course. The grounds crew had plenty of work to do this past week.
It was just another shock in what was quite a bogus weekend around here for so many residents with damaged homes and with so many events getting canceled.
It was sad to see Geneva's Festival of the Vine get totally washed out for the first time in 27 years. I was hoping to hear that the festival could be rescheduled, but then realized there are way too many balls to juggle for such an event to be held a week or two later.
The event's Rain Barrels on Parade auction has been shifted to 2 p.m. today at the Paper Merchant on Third Street.
I also was waiting for a news release touting the rescheduling of the street party at the new St. Charles downtown parking deck on First Street. That's a "no go" as well because of too many vendors and entertainment to coordinate, according to Deanna Chrones of the Downtown Partnership.
"Plus, we're getting close to Scarecrow Festival," Chrones added. "We're very disappointed because this was our 'coming out party' for the parking deck, and we really wanted to hammer home that we have an enormous amount of parking available now in downtown St. Charles."
On par for soldiers: After my item about former Geneva PGA pro Jim Estes last week, a few readers were quick to fill me in that Estes has spearheaded the creation of Salute Military Golf Association, which offers free lessons and driving-range balls to nearly 400 combat-wounded soldiers.
Estes dropped me a note to say his children, 13-year-old Tyler and 11-year-old Samantha, still live in Geneva and attend district schools. Estes is currently the teaching pro at Olney Golf Park in Maryland, where his Salute Military Golf Association is headquartered.
On the association's Web site, Estes talks of his philosophy in providing golf as a mental and physical therapy for injured soldiers. The site has an excellent photo of amputee Sean Lewis striking a golf ball while standing on his one good leg. The inspirational photo, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, has special meaning when considering that Estes taught Lewis how to break 100 on the golf course - in just three months.
Estes came up in my column because area golfers had noticed his name among those who qualified for the 2008 PGA, and some were wondering if he was still in this area. He was a spokesman for Tour Edge golf clubs, located in St. Charles.
"Tour Edge has given Salute Military Golf Association a great deal on golf clubs," Estes said. "Each soldier receives two woods, seven irons, a bag and putter at very low cost."
A special invite: Sometimes your former classmates and friends won't forget you, even if you attended their school for only one year.
Terry Ward of Batavia found that out last weekend when the St. Charles High School Class of 1948 celebrated its 60th reunion. Ward, a freelance writer and travel agent in the Tri-Cities area for many years, told me she read in my column about former St. Charles Mayor Fred Norris leading tours of the city during reunions and that he was scheduled to do one last weekend for the Class of 1948.
Ward called it a "small miracle" that she was going to be at that reunion. A former classmate, now living in Florida, was persistent in encouraging her to attend, even though Ward was at St. Charles High School only one year - in 1945.
The "angel" who made the effort to locate and invite her, Ward said, was Daphne Vanda Manuel.
"She was looking for a Terry Lang, my maiden name," Ward said. "Apparently, Daphne felt I should be invited and she started asking people from St. Charles who were in Florida if they knew where I was. When we connected, we spent much of the summer exchanging e-mails."
Ward said she had a great time at the reunion, noting that she "saw my first boyfriend and lots of old classmates." And then she stated the obvious by admitting "and we are all old!"
A proud return home: There will be considerable joy in the Heisey household in St. Charles next Sunday.
That's when a party will be held from noon to 6 p.m. at the St. Charles VFW to welcome home PFC Tyler Heisey, who formally became a Marine on Sept. 11, a date that will be easy for him to remember and increase his amount of pride.
Heisey graduated from St. Charles East High School last May, a year early. He graduated from his military training in San Diego last Friday.
"This has been a dream come true," his proud mother, Lois Heisey, said.
dheun@sbcglobal.net