Rough economy no real boon to storage business
With home foreclosures and a downtrodden real estate market being the norm for the past year or longer, one would think home storage facilities must be bursting at the seams.
Yes and no, says Dan Lynn, who is the manager of Hometown Storage at 2601 E. Main St. in St. Charles.
The thought that a high rate of foreclosed homes would cause more people to store belongings isn't exactly accurate, according to Lynn.
"People are taking stuff out of storage, too, because houses are not selling," Lynn said. "So they just aren't storing; and move things back into their houses."
Lynn said it is difficult to really gauge the storage business by how the economy is faring.
"We're doing a lot of business, but storage is usually not an ongoing thing," Lynn explained. "It tends to be more of a seasonal thing, with people using storage facilities for lawn furniture and other summer items, as well as cars."
Lynn said that Hometown Storage always seeks more long-term storage commitments and has warehouse units available for that purpose.
Midwest life on display: Like any other hometown festival that attracts thousands of visitors, the St. Charles Scarecrow Festival has had its share of detractors - people who simply don't enjoy seeing their town clogged up on a weekend.
It does tend to make running errands or getting kids off to soccer games and other routine weekend matters a little trickier. But you can't deny this particular festival its place in local history.
Few community festivals capture the essence of Midwest life like this one has. That's basically been my impression of the Scarecrow Festival. And it's entering its 24th year for a reason - it was a great idea that Jean Becker of the St. Charles Visitors Bureau brought back to town after visiting a similar festival on the East Coast.
It's mind-boggling to think of the preparation that takes place with about 150 scarecrows on display and numerous entertainment acts, food booths and other vendors spread throughout town.
If you are new to the area, and especially if you have young kids, this weekend's Scarecrow Festival in Lincoln Park along Main Street is one you don't want to miss.
Some catchy tunes: Look up the definition of doo-wop and you'll find a reference to the "use of nonsense syllables" and "falsetto running over tenor leads."
It must have been an era in which people just needed some catchy tunes. However you define it, singing groups that mastered doo-wop had young people swooning from the late 1940s through the 1950s.
You'll be able to see for yourself when Stormy Weather, an a cappella doo-wop quintet, performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration at 407 S. Calumet Ave.
Best of all, this concert is free.
What can you expect from this quintet that has performed with many big stars? They'll sing everything from Hank Ballard to Stevie Ray Vaughan, from the Drifters to Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker, as well as their own compositions.