Publicity-shy 'Stosh' going strong after 50 years in Batavia
Because my grandfather was a barber on Chicago's Southwest Side, I virtually grew up in a barbershop. At the very least, I spent plenty of time as a youngster hanging around and watching Grandpa cut hair. His claim to fame, if you want to call it that, was that he gave a young Al Capone a shave.
With that being part of my childhood, I was excited when a reader tipped me off that Stan "Stosh" Simenc was celebrating his 50th year of cutting hair in his shop at 129 S. Batavia Ave. I figured it would be fun to chat with another gentleman who made the barber's chair a career and legacy.
Those who know Stosh well probably could have warned me that he's not inclined to seek publicity or expect anyone to think that cutting hair for 50 years in one town is a big deal. For that reason, I suspect, he declined to talk when I stopped in on a Friday morning.
He had a few customers waiting for his chair to open up, so my timing probably wasn't the greatest. I wondered if Stosh was just in an ornery mood because the Bears had picked up Jay Cutler, thus making life at least slightly tougher for his beloved Green Bay Packers.
No matter the reason, this Batavia businessman has been a reliable barber and friend to many people over the years. I certainly can respect his request to not be interviewed. But those strong character traits make me feel obligated to congratulate him on his longevity, thus ignoring his desire to keep his name out of the limelight.
I wasn't in the shop for very long, but it was long enough to see that this fellow is passionate about the time he served in the Navy on the USS Wisconsin in the Korean War. The USS Wisconsin and the Packers get a lot of "play" in this shop, and here's to hoping Stosh can be around to please his customers for many more years.
Lots of tugging: Most of us feel like we are in some sort of tug of war with any number of things in our daily lives. Plenty of guys in this area who graduated from Northern Illinois University may have a little more experience at it than we realize.
For fraternity members at NIU, the term "tug of war" has real meaning - and memories.
NIU fraternities will carry on the campus tradition next week of the annual Men's Tug of War tournament.
The three-day survival of the fittest tournament will conclude on April 25 with one of the college's chapters being crowned as the top tuggers.
The art season: Banners promoting arts festivals always catch my eye. And the banner touting the 11th annual Kaneland Community Fine Arts Festival falls into that category.
You'll see that and much more, of course, if you attend the festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Kaneland High School in Maple Park.
This free event will feature all aspects of art, from paintings to music and dancing and even an illusionist called "The Spellbinder."
dheun@sbcglobal.net