Arcada marquee handy at homecoming

Asking someone to the homecoming dance has taken on interesting and creative twists over the years. But has anyone ever thought to capture that magical moment on the marquee of the Arcada Theater in downtown St. Charles?

Justin Patel, a freshman at St. Charles East, was talking to friends about different homecoming invitation ideas, when one of them pondered, "Wouldn't it be cool to use the sign at the Arcada?"

Justin mentioned it to his mother, Maria, who thought it was a good idea and at least worth asking about because she and her husband, Dr. Jay Patel, are friends with Arcada owner Ron Onesti.

"We had never seen anything like that up on the marquee, and we couldn't believe it when Ron agreed to it and said yes," Maria said. "But he made it clear that he would do it this one time and he wouldn't be able to do it for anyone else who might ask.

"Can you imagine how many requests he would get by saying yes to this?" Maria asked. "It was just a wonderful thing he did for us."

Everything was in place for Justin, as his invitation to friend Cayla Smith went up on the marquee last Monday night. But how did he get Cayla to see it and, of course, respond?

"Her mom was in on it, and a bunch of the kids met at Starbucks after Cayla's volleyball game," Maria said. "She brought Cayla there, and that's when she saw it.

"She did say yes, so that was a good thing."

Hard to speculate: For years now, to drive by the Kane County government offices on Randall Road in St. Charles made me think of only one thing. Montgomery Ward.

I bought a lot of stuff at Montgomery Ward when its home was that building across the street from the county fairgrounds. I never thought much of the idea that St. Charles would lose that location as a potential sales tax revenue generator - until Ward's closed and the county took up residence.

With it looking like the county offices will be evicted from that site by year's end, I can't fathom what could go in that building. About five years ago, any number of ideas - a car dealership or a Best Buy or any other electronics giant would have made sense. With today's economy, it's anyone's guess.

Michael Mertes, economic development coordinator for St. Charles, echoes those feelings.

"With that site being involved in litigation, we can't really dabble with anything and we don't want to jump in with ideas or input until we know for sure what is going to happen there," Mertes said.

"For now, we have to assume that it is a county building, and if that changes then we have to see what the economy is doing at that time."

A Barth tradition: Those who attend the TriCity Family Services' annual William D. Barth Award dinner on Oct. 22 at Riverside Receptions in Geneva will again be treated through the generosity of agency supporters.

The agency will honor a top volunteer for the 25th year at this event, which offers a dinner funded by friends and sponsors of TriCity Family Services.

I have attended just about every Barth Award ceremony and have watched it go through various phases.

One year, it was held in a tent on the grounds of Settler's Hill, and for a few years, the agency tried a Barth Award breakfast event at the Hotel Baker and St. Charles Country Club. I enjoyed that setup strictly from a selfish standpoint - it was easier to make deadline writing about something that took place at 7 a.m.

But something was missing without the evening festivities. At night, more family members could come to surprise the honoree, and there was far more talking and laughter in an after-work dining setting.

Most importantly, there was more time for agency officials to deliver important messages and thank those who continue to help the agency offer its critical work in the Tri-Cities.

A market and more: Daily Herald columnist Kim Mikus wrote a story about American Science and Surplus a few months ago, but when a caller asked me where it was located in Geneva, it reminded me I had not stopped in this quirky store in a long time.

Since it opened in 1991 on Route 38, about a quarter mile east of Kirk Road, it has been off the beaten path in relation to other Geneva businesses.

Once you find it, you can spend hours marveling at an odd selection of goods. I would describe it as having anything from a German desert helmet to a bobbing "drinking bird." A worker at the counter said, "Anything from lab equipment to a whoopee cushion."

Store manager Megan Slaker said, "Anything from motors to rubber chickens, to ammo boxes to Slinkys."

All of those descriptions fit, plus some.

Slaker described it best: "It is a flea market and a museum."

That analogy fits because many families stop in the store "looking for something fun to do," Slaker said. "I think in this economy, in addition to it still being a great place for a handyman, this is just a fun place to come in and look around."

Slaker said people who come into the store for the first time almost always have "a shocked look" on their face.

"It's actually hard to describe this place, but it's not just a place with junk," Slaker added. "We have many items that are new.

"Sometimes, it's just because the box (the items) were in may have had an error on it, and they couldn't go into other stores," he said. "We get rid of the box and keep the item.

"I've been manager here seven years, and I love it because every day I see something funny in the sales signs or with some new items."

Definitely raining meatballs: If you'd find any amusement in me waiting on your table, that's what I'll be doing Tuesday night at the St. Charles Moose Lodge when my service club hosts its annual spaghetti and meatball dinner.

We'll be serving from 5 to 8 p.m., so stop in and support the Tri-Cities Exchange Club and its worthy child abuse prevention, family support and patriotism programs.

It's $8 for adults and $4 for kids 12 and younger.

dheun@sbcglobal.net