A look back at 2010 in the Tri-Cities

It was another year in which “Talk of the Town” talked to a lot of people, and it's time to look back at just a few of the names and places that were part of the many items that fill up this column twice a week.

Restaurant merry-go-round:

News came early in the year that the St. Charles Burger King on Lincoln Highway since 1980 would be closing, and would move operations to Randall Road in front of the Lowe's store.

It was the first of many notes and comments about restaurants opening, closing or moving during an up-and-down year for eateries.

Among the plentiful restaurant news in St. Charles, Dawn Humer opened Dawn's Beach Hut, creating a tropical bar to replace her previous lunch spot. We learned that McNally's was going to move from the east side of the Fox River to become part of the new First Street plaza, and patrons of the Sage Bistro were disappointed to learn the restaurant was closing. But a new restaurant called Bistro One West at that Illinois Street location opened its doors last week.

Smashburger opened in Batavia and Enye opened in downtown Geneva after Citizen Kane closed, while Tom and Eddie's gourmet burger spot opened in the Geneva Commons.

The biggest mystery remained the long delay in the opening of a Golden Corral restaurant in Batavia.

Longevity tested:

Geneva businessman Weldon Johnson revealed he intended to close his Viking Office Supply store on State Street in Geneva, ending more than 30 years as a downtown icon. It was another punch in the stomach about the reality of the recession.

St. Charles businessman Ron Onesti provided an update on his efforts to keep the Arcada Theater a viable entertainment option in downtown St. Charles, as well as his Onesti Steakhouse in the location that was once the Old Church Inn. We were pleased to see the new marquee go up at the Arcada, as it was another indication that Onesti intends to be with the theater for the long haul.

Another longtime St. Charles site, Pottawatomie Golf Course, earned deserved recognition through a golf magazine that cited it as one of the top 25 nine-hole courses in the nation. Not bad for a park district course that was built in 1939 as a WPA project.

Sign of the times:

In another sign of the relenting recession, Geneva United Methodist Church members began offering free monthly community dinners, which became extremely popular. Other churches began to offer similar events, and the members of St. Charles Episcopal Church reminded us that Matt Rhead and Joe Ryan had been hosting “Two Guys and Free Spaghetti” once a month for nearly a year.

Interesting folks:

• Ellen Henningson retired after 31 years of working as the crossing guard at the corner of 12th and Main streets in St. Charles, where she helped generations of children get to all of the schools — Thompson, Haines, Richmond and Davis — on that side of town.

• Batavians know John Collins as an assistant track coach at the high school, but his CSI roots became well known when he was named executive director of the American Society of Crime Lab Directors.

• Sarah Giachino of St. Charles brought awareness to the Fox Valley Troop Support group by providing letters and goodies for our military men and women overseas, but she went a step further in developing a lasting friendship with a World War II veteran at Delnor Glen. She read about William Faulkner, a Marine veteran who fought at Iwo Jima and other Pacific island clashes, in a Daily Herald story earlier this year and went to meet him — and has continued to do so ever since.

• Mary Shiltz of Batavia was named the Nurse of the Month at Chamberlain College of Nursing, a title she richly deserved for her work with the families of children suffering from cancer. She works from experience and to honor her daughter, who succumbed to cancer at age 6.

• When Dan Quane opened a new barbershop on West State Street in Geneva, it reminded us of the importance of small, hometown barbershops. Proof came in the form of Berry's Barbershop in St. Charles celebrating its 100th birthday this year. We should also mention that Quane's shop in Geneva is near the Little Owl, which celebrated its 90th birthday.

Getting reactions:

It struck a nerve with readers when I commented that it seemed some young mothers and fathers taking kids to the park were spending too much time on their cell phones, rather than interacting with their kids. Readers mostly agreed, some saying it is even worse in the grocery store.

Readers also responded heavily when I revealed I had never heard of families not attending church during the summer months, in effect, taking a vacation from Sunday Mass. Most readers said that was never an option for them as youngsters.

In my hunt for the oldest resident in Geneva and St. Charles who never lived anywhere but in their hometown, I received many potential names. I talked to many interesting, longtime residents who had fascinating memories about the past.

Strange incident:

One of the stranger items was about former Geneva resident William Burge, who now lives in California. Late at night, he fell down a 38-foot well that had been covered up on his property for 40 years and he plunged into 50 feet of cold water. After a couple of hours, a neighbor heard his calls for help and about 100 rescue personnel got him out.

So if you think this past year has been tough, at least you didn't plunge into an old well in the middle of the night.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net