Geneva Public Library event pretty cool

The Geneva Public Library hosted its annual ice cream social on Wednesday evening, treating residents to a double dose of cryogenics.

There were 600 free packages of Dippin' Dots ice cream - a cryogenic treat - passed out to residents who got to choose from five flavors. At times, the line was 60 people deep, but it quickly moved along.

As families ate their ice cream, Jerry Zimmerman of Fermilab in Batavia, also known as Mr. Freeze, gave a presentation on cryogenics. Using several gallons of liquid nitrogen (which is between -346 and -320 degrees Fahrenheit), he educated and entertained kids and parents alike about the science, keeping them engaged throughout the entire 45-minutes.

Courtney Mathews of Geneva has been coming to the social for the past three years with her three children. She says, "The kids really enjoy ice cream and the entertainment ... Every year it's different, so it's a lot of fun for them."

Kimberly Gotches, the library's public relations and adult program associate, said 300 to 400 people were expected to attend, but they wanted to have extra ice cream on hand in case more people came.

Peggy Carlson, assistant library director, said she thinks this year's event could mark the ice cream social's highest attendance in the past six years, because about 540 packets of ice cream were passed out just an hour and 15 minutes into the event.

For information about Geneva Public Library programs, go to their website at gpld.org.