St. Charles crossing guard hangs up her sign after 31 years

If Eileen Henningson had her way, she'd still be holding up the stop sign to help schoolchildren cross a busy street in St. Charles on their way to Richmond Elementary School.

But holding up that sign was getting more difficult for the 77-year-old Henningson, who retired in December after 31 years as the crossing guard at 12th and West Main streets.

"I wish I could still do it, and I really miss it," said Henningson, who suffers from nerve damage in her arm and hand that is particularly painful during cold weather.

A lifelong resident of St. Charles, Henningson and her family moved into their home on West Main Street in 1972.

"I asked the crossing guard at that time to let me know when she was going to retire, and six years later, she knocked on my door to see if I wanted the job," Henningson said. "It was a great job for me because I started when my kids were in school, so I had the same days off as they did - and I didn't have to drive to work all those years."

From her spot on West Main Street, Henningson could see the changes taking place in St. Charles that caused elected officials to debate about bridges, wider streets, traffic lights and left-turn lanes.

"When you are out there every day, it is kind of a gradual thing in noticing the increase in traffic," Henningson explained. "But when you look back on it, from when I first started, I just say, 'Wow, this is so different now.' "

Another thing quite different from the past?

"Not as many kids walk to school now," Henningson noted. "A lot of them get rides."

The widening of Main Street in the mid 1990s was difficult, she said, because "it was quite a mess, and it made the street so much wider for the kids to cross.

"I remember a lot of the kids, and with some I've helped their kids and grandkids cross that street," said Henningson, who was recently honored with a plaque by the city. "After the kids grow up and get married, then it gets a little harder to recognize them."

She has enjoyed every minute of her long stint as a crossing guard, saying that the only difficult times occurred on days with strong winds.

"A strong wind can bend your arm back when you are holding up that sign."

Spotted in a perch: One nice thing about waiting for the trees to get green after a long winter is that you can easily see things "hiding" in them.

While walking the trail in Fabyan Forest Preserve last week, we spotted a bald eagle from across the river. He was sitting high atop a tree, and you could see his white head sticking out from quite a distance.

We didn't get a glimpse of this particular eagle in flight, but another walker on the trail said he spotted it cruising down the Fox River shoreline on a hunt for food after a short time resting in his perch in the sun.

He estimated the eagle had at least an 8-foot wingspan, so it must have been a beautiful sight to behold.

An Rx for hunger: I'm getting good feedback about another eatery that is part of St. Charles' First Street Plaza.

The Rx Café has been open for about a month, and patrons are picking up on the fact that owner and executive chef Rebecca Stobierski has an extensive background, much of it stemming from years of study in the Elgin Community College culinary arts program.

The cafe is located at 113 W. Main St. and has entrances on Main Street and off the plaza. It offers a continental breakfast at 9 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday and a full menu starting at 11 a.m.

Tom Lawler, a reader in Sugar Grove, sent a note to inform me that the kitchen being used for Rx Café is also used for the Ednerik Bakery, one of Stobierski's first projects.

Those who have enjoyed eating at Tribella Bar and Grill in Batavia in the past would be interested to know that Reggie Moncur, who was an executive chef at Tribella, is now the cuisine chef for Rx Café.

It's 'Merry' something: The Christmas wreaths that still adorn the empty Tuscana Italian restaurant at the corner of Third and West State streets in Geneva will look quite odd once the searing heat and humidity of summer is upon us.

In fact, it doesn't really fit in with revelry for St. Patrick's Day either. So my suggestion would be for someone to take them down.

A popular dinner: Beth Kucera's hunch was right on target that free meals offered at Geneva United Methodist Church on the third Tuesday of each month during these difficult economic times would be a popular community service.

The free Tuesday night meals have been offered for six months now, and Kucera reported that an all-time high of 317 people attended last month's meal at the church at 211 Hamilton St.

The church has no intention of stopping the meal service any time soon, according to Kucera, one of the event's planners.

Her original hope that other churches in the region would follow this lead hasn't come to fruition as of yet, but some readers have told me they are approaching their church leaders to consider something similar.

You should be able to predict the menu for Tuesday night's supper - it will be a St. Patrick's Day feast of corned beef and cabbage. No reservations are necessary and the dinners are served from 5 to 7 p.m.

More information and future menus can be found at thirdtuesdaysuppers.com or by calling the church office at (630) 232-7120.

dheun@sbcglobal.net