Geneva Cairn terrier among best in country

The next time you watch "The Wizard of Oz," take a closer look at that incredible Cairn terrier in the movie.

It's possible that Terry, a female black Cairn terrier, was the best actress of her time. After all, to play the role of “Toto” and have such a significant part in “The Wizard of Oz” tells us something about this particular dog and the breed in general.

“The Cairn terrier is an incredibly smart breed,” Shell Lewis of Geneva said.

She should know. Her 8-year-old Cairn terrier Skippy falls into that category. So much so, that Lewis and Skippy will be making a trip Dec. 4 and 5 to Long Beach, Calif., to compete in the American Kennel Club Agility Invitational.

In addition to training and caring for her dog, Lewis spends time around Cairn terriers in her role as an adoptions director for Cairn Rescue USA. In fact, one of the dogs she had at the adoption center was eventually adopted and trained for a role with the national touring group of what else? “The Wizard of Oz.”

Skippy won't be onstage in the near future, but he'll be showing off his agility skills in one of the more prestigious kennel club events.

“Skippy was trained for two years, starting agility training on a novice course and working up to the ‘open' and then ‘excellent' levels,” Lewis said.

The Agility Invitational invites the top five agility dogs of 167 recognized breeds after qualifying tests and tournaments, Lewis added.

“Skippy actually placed sixth, but the one dog who finished ahead declined to go to the invitational, so Skippy moved up into that slot,” Lewis said. “It's really an honor to go, because it is so difficult to get into this.”

Agility events are considered one of the fastest-growing canine sports. They feature dogs going through a timed course of obstacles, tunnels, weave poles, jumps and seesaws.

“Border collies and shelties have an instinctive drive to run,” Lewis said. “Cairn terriers are very smart, but are also stubborn, so the training period can be longer.”

Doggy soup kitchen

If a dog is going to stay fit and active like the Cairn terrier mentioned in this column's first item, then it has to eat healthy food.

Nancy Reilly Gross doesn't hold back or second-guess herself on that one. She's calling the homemade soup and stew for dogs she has created “the best dog food on the market now.”

She's also tabbed this all-natural food as “nutritious deli toppings for your dog's Kibbles.”

These “Gone to the Dogs Deli” products are available in a refrigerator at the end of the dog food aisle at the Blue Goose Supermarket in St. Charles.

Gross operates a dog care business in St. Charles called Gone to the Dogs, which specializes in daylong care, one-hour playgroups, shuttles to vets or grooming, and overnight kenneling for dogs. More information is available at dogdaycarestc.com.

Shuffling in snow?

When you go to a lot of local running events to report on them for the newspaper, you realize that many participants are so addicted to running that they would do it in any kind of weather.

That's why local turkey trots and other running events at this time of year are a good idea. These holiday-themed running events will come fast and furious now.

But you don't have to be fast or furious for the Snowflake Shuffle 5K Run/Walk hosted by TriCity Family Services on Dec. 4 at the Mill Creek Golf Course clubhouse.

Times are certified for the serious runners, but this fun run or stroll, which I prefer, through the Mill Creek subdivision for the benefit of TriCity Family Services is a great time.

Get more information and register to participate by going to the tricityfamilyservices.org website.

Back to old times

Call it a throwback to yesteryear, and one that longtime very longtime residents of St. Charles would likely remember well.

Arcada Theatre owner Ron Onesti announced last week that he is opening a place for drinks and dancing at the theater the Club Arcada.

When the Arcada Theatre was home to some of the biggest stars of the 1930s, a popular supper club off Main Street, at First Avenue right behind the theater, was called the Club Arcada.

At that time, St. Charles philanthropist Lester Norris turned the old Chronicle newspaper office into the Club Arcada and it was viewed as one of the classiest joints in the entire region.

Now for St. Charles

When Geneva Chamber of Commerce board member Scott Lebin recently introduced Kent Shodeen as the recipient of the chamber's Wood Award, he said, “Look around Geneva to see the difference Kent Shodeen has made.”

Shodeen's company has come a long way since his first projects more than 30 years ago at Kenston Court Apartments off James Street, and the Chianti's (now Grotto) restaurant site on Third Street in Geneva.

Someday, St. Charles may be able to say the same about Shodeen, even though his proposal for a retail and condo development at the site of the former St. Charles Mall has been denied by the city.

“I feel we can work with the city of St. Charles,” Shodeen told me. “We just have a disagreement right now, but we'll be working things out.”

dheun@sbcglobal.net