Hear the angels sing - for free - Sunday in Geneva

If going to church gets us closer to heaven, we may as well hear music that sounds as if angels are singing to us. That is likely the goal of every church music director in the area.

But it certainly has to have some merit in the case of Geneva United Methodist music director Scott Stevenson and his assistant Mike Popplewell for a free music event being held at the 9 and 10:45 a.m. services Sunday at the church.

The Chancel Choir, accompanied by a chamber string ensemble and organ, will present Franz Schubert's Mass in G. The church is located at 211 Hamilton St. More information is available at (630) 232-7120.

A tough turn: On occasion, I'll warn readers about tricky left-hand turns in the region in the hope that it will help drivers be a little more cautious.

Well, here's a tricky right-hand turn. It's at Fourth and State streets in Geneva, on the south side of State. If you are on Fourth and turning right onto State, you're sight lines are blocked if cars are parked along State Street, and also by some large planters on the traffic divider that allows only right-hand turns.

And the plants inside these planters haven't bloomed yet, so it could be even trickier very soon. So be alert in that spot. Or maybe someone should consider moving the planters?

Working the preserves: Renovation work at Fabyan Forest Preserve seemed to be a high priority the past few weeks, as forest preserve crews were cutting down trees and fixing walkways and stone décor.

A new brick wall was being put up near pathways by the Japanese Garden and the archway near the American flag court on the west side of the preserve.

It also looks like the parking lot and other blacktop areas are going to be repaved.

It's all making it an even nicer place for inexpensive recreation and leisure time.

More for gardeners: I have mentioned that gardening could see a major boost this summer, as people look to grow more of their own vegetables.

The folks at Country Naturals in downtown Geneva must agree, as they'll host "Gardenology" from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9 at the store at 316 Campbell St.

You'll be getting the skinny on how to create, grow and maintain your garden with advice from master gardeners and others.

Herbs, flowers, vegetables, heirloom plants and tablescapes? You'll get information on all of that, and more.

Call Deborah Hilton of Country Naturals at (630) 232-1172 or countrynaturals@sbcglobal.net to learn more.

Sign of the times: It was no surprise to hear the City of St. Charles won't be hiring summer help this year. Young people could generally count on landing jobs in positions such as a Safety Town helper or taking on tasks in other departments when full-time employees were on vacation. However, there are some unpaid internships available in civil and electrical engineering.

So, there's another economic signal to watch for in the next year. When, and if, our city governments can hire teens to work summer jobs, we'll know the economy is coming back.