World a small place for Zavitz family

When Phil Zavitz took his granddaughter Madison to the Paramount Theater in Aurora last weekend to see "Annie," he was surprised to get a tap on the shoulder from retired St. Charles Park District naturalist Mary Oschenschlager.

Because Zavitz has spent most of his life in the animal-control business, his work has crossed paths with Oschenschlager.

But Mary had a far different reason to say hello at the theater. She showed Phil the "Annie" playbill and it listed a Madison Zavitz as portraying one of the orphans.

When Phil's wife, Joan Arteberry, heard this, she contacted the "Annie" production personnel, who arranged for a visit between the Madison Zavitz of St. Charles and the Madison Zavitz of "Annie" fame backstage at the Paramount the next night.

"I am sure she is a distant, but obscure relation," Joan said. "The Z family is not real big on genealogy."

Joan mentioned that she once spotted "a photo of a Zavitz at a Grateful Dead concert."

So this is a family that enjoys its Broadway plays and legendary rock bands.

Rooting for whom?: The late Les Hodge, one of the most well-known sportswriters in this area and a former colleague and great friend, would have had an extraordinary juggling act with his allegiances and emotions during this year's high school football season.

Three of Les' grandsons played football, but all on different teams in the Tri-Cities region. Jay Graffagna was a sophomore on the Geneva squad, Kevin Hodge was a sophomore on the Kaneland team and Steven Hodge was a junior on the Batavia team.

If there is one thing that the Hodge family understands, it is the world of sports and its various highs and lows.

But can you imagine the conversations this fall with Les, if he were still with us?

His grandsons probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway: Your grandpa was a great guy and he is right there with all of you every Friday night during the football season.

From yesteryear: And to think that this is how people used to get the majority of their entertainment and news. We were huddled around the radio a couple of the past Saturday afternoons, mainly because our local football teams traveled all the way to East St. Louis.

First it was Batavia, in the first round of the state playoffs, and last Saturday it was Geneva being delivered to us via WBIG 1280-AM out of Aurora. It was a throwback to an era in which every American listened to sports heroes on the radio, particularly in the World Series or for heavyweight fights.

More recently, it was a flashback for the Tri-Cities to a time when WGSB 1480-AM out of Geneva was on the scene for nearly every important high school and area sports event.

Thirty years ago, broadcaster Brian Henry even made trips with the Fox Valley Lassies women's softball team when it played in national events. One time, he broadcast from a phone booth, as it was the only hookup he could find near the field.

dheun@sbcglobal.net