South Elgin pancake house closes doors
The Manor Restaurant and Pancake House, for decades a staple in downtown St. Charles before moving to South Elgin, is closed.
I never ate at either location, but the online reviews said the new spot a 464 Redington Drive in South Elgin on the west side of Randall Road near the Thornwood subdivision was nicer, had more room than the old location, and that breakfast was still their best meal.
The Manor was displaced by St. Charles' plan to erect more condos and mixed-use buildings downtown on the Fox River's west banks.
Perhaps it was the economy or the location that led to its demise.
Maybe people didn't know it moved or didn't see it since there is so much along that area or Randall Road.
In either case, The Manor's closing is a shame for both St. Charles and South Elgin.
When chain restaurants dominate, it's nice to see an independently owned place thrive.
Imagine Paul's Family Restaurant closing on Elgin's west side.
It's not, but that's what it would be like for Elgin residents.
Red light, for now: Elgin's quest to install red light cameras is at a standstill until further notice.
City Manager Sean Stegall said the city's discussion of where to install red light cameras will be put on hold until Springfield lawmakers decide their fate.
One lawmaker has introduced a bill to ban the cameras in Illinois.
Another has proposed a measure to stop ticketing motorists who roll through a red light while turning right.
Kane County recently rejected the city's request to install the cameras at three intersections along Randall Road: Route 72, Bowes Road and Big Timber Road.
The cameras snap a photo of a motorist running a red light and then you get a $100 ticket in the mail.
Proponents say the cameras are all about safety.
Others say the RED stands for "Revenue Enhancing Device."
Elgin also had several other locations ruled out because they didn't meet their vendor's requirements of 15 moving violations in a 24-hour period.
At 15 tickets a day at $100 a ticket over a 365-day year means more than $500,000 in fines being doled out.
That sounds like "safe" math to me.
A milestone: It took 42 days, but Elgin resident Bruce Johnson has passed the 1,000-mile mark in his journey to run across the United States.
So far, Johnson has raised about $9,100 for the Elgin Community Crisis Center and traveled to Texas in his mission to run from Jacksonville, Fla., to Morrow Bay, Calif.
For more information or how to donate, visit crisiscenter.org/run or unitedstatesrun.com.
• Harry Hitzeman covers Elgin, South Elgin and Gilberts.