Fred knows St. Charles memory lane

It started 14 years ago as an idea for something fun to do during the 40th reunion of his St. Charles High School Class of 1954.

At that time, former Mayor Fred Norris agreed he would be a tour guide around St. Charles for classmates who had not been in town for many years. Little did he know, he'd continue to repeat that task.

"I keep saying every year that this is going to be the last one," Norris said of his reunion tours.

But he keeps getting requests, and he can't say no. He did a tour earlier this month for the Class of '58 and he's scheduled to do one on Sept. 13 for the Class of '48.

It began as a short tour and then a visit at the old high school (now Thompson Middle School), but it eventually became a nearly two-hour cruise of the entire city in a school bus the school district has allowed him to use.

What's the most surprising thing for folks who haven't been in town in many years?

"Everything about the growth of the area surprises them, but the prices of homes really amazes them," he said.

Norris said he takes those in reunion classes from the 1940s or 1950s to areas that they may remember as abandoned quarries - like Wildrose Springs.

"I take them out to Crane Road Estates and show them where Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) lived when he was here," Norris added. "That is fun because most of them remember St. Charles as a small, blue-collar and rural community."

Since 1995 or so, Norris said, visitors are also surprised to see the industrial park on the east side and hear that a majority of the students in the schools are from outside the actual city limits. "But you have to remember that my graduating class in 1954 had 90 students," he said.

Some corn patches: There's little doubt that the rapid growth in St. Charles of the past few decades would amaze visitors who have not been here in many years.

But there's something that should still amaze those who have lived here all their lives. In the midst of all of the business and residential growth, patches of rural life linger within city limits.

One such spot is the large cornfield at the corner of 14th Street where State Street (Route 38) in Geneva ends and becomes Lincoln Highway in St. Charles.

Sources tell me Jerry Anderson and his family have farmed that property for years, with the cornfield at one time going north all the way to the Davis School area.

Anderson most recently sold a portion of that property to developers for the Carriage Oaks independent senior living center but has turned down many other offers over the years.

So, as an "in-town" cornfield, it remains an example of St. Charles' farming past in the middle of what eventually became urban sprawl.

He talks about beans: One of the greatest and most noticeable voices for agriculture will be in town next month for the Kane County Farm Bureau's 95th anniversary celebration.

If you had an interest in how prices were shifting on commodities, pork barrels, soybeans or green beans, there's a good chance you were getting that information for Orion Samuelson.

The well-known WGN farming reporter will be the keynote speaker at the bureau event Sept. 29 at the Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva.

Into the water: Geneva school officials will have their wading boots on in a couple of weeks - at least those who'll be standing in the Fox River waiting for boats to pass.

That's going to be the job for some school officials and volunteers who will be in the river waiting to declare winners when the Geneva Academic Foundation holds its fourth annual Mighty Viking Boat Race from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at Island Park during the Festival of the Vine.

When thousands of miniature boats are released into the river from the State Street Bridge to see which ones can claim prizes, someone has to stand in the river and corral the winning crafts.

In addition to the annual boat race, other prizes, such as a high-definition TV, are available through raffle ticket giveaways. For details, call Mary Bencini at (630) 232-9437. dheun@sbcglobal.net