Some Geneva residents fear heavy rainfall

With spring kicking in soon, we generally know what that means - we are going to get some rain, maybe a lot of it.

One never knows exactly how much rain Mother Nature intends to throw at us in any given spring, but some folks along Cheever Avenue in Geneva keep a wary eye on such matters.

Last year I mentioned it was somewhat odd that, for as much pedestrian traffic that the street gets with commuters walking or biking to the train station, it doesn't have complete sidewalks on either side of the street.

At that time, neighbors along Cheever told me that the lack of sidewalks was especially troubling because people drive too fast along Cheever as they race to get home after a long day of work.

Police could have a field day issuing tickets to speeders along Cheever, they say.

Of even as much importance, they fear flooding problems along nearby Geneva Creek because of stormwater flowing from the Shodeen development on the north side of the Metra tracks.

This small creek, about halfway down Cheever, right at Shady Avenue, will not be able to take on the extra stormwater that is likely to result from the planned third rail along the route. Neighbors have had publics works officials out to assess the area after heavy rains.

From the residents' view, all properties north of the tracks should direct stormwater into the Fox River, with the exception of some properties along Geneva Creek's north side.

Resident Gail Ellenbaum, who lives along Shady Avenue near Cheever, said she has "amazing" video of what this "sleepy little creek looks like in a rainfall."

It's only fair that residents along Cheever have their concerns addressed in the same manner that the city fixed flooding problems in the Herrington Inn parking lot from stormwater flow from the Geneva police station, Ellenbaum said.

Dealing with damage from heavy rains or floods is a major headache for homeowners in any neighborhood. Hopefully, the city and Cheever area residents can solve this potential problem together.

Summer fun

It's hard to imagine young kids today would be bored during the summer, considering all of the options available to them.

But parents wanting a better grip on those options, and to make sure their kids are engaged in activities, can check out the Fox Valley Summer Activities Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Wredling Middle School, 1200 Dunham Road in St. Charles.

The fair is a fundraiser for the school's PTO, but the free event is open to any families in the region wanting to learn about various organizations offering summer music, sports, special needs or arts programs, as well as summer or overnight camps or various summer classes or tutor programs.

Organizers were hoping to have more than 100 local and regional organizations set up information tables for the event, which is also designed as a St. Patrick's Day themed event.

This is a throwback

In dating myself a bit, I will ask this question: Does anyone remember the 1964 instrumental "Car Hop" by The Exports?

While that song referred to drive-up restaurants like Dog 'n Suds in the 1950s and early '60s, in which servers came out to your parked car, we have a daily reference in Geneva to that type of customer service from yesteryear.

The Geneva Cleaners on State Street still has "Car Hop Service" signs around the building and at the drive-up window to pick up your clothes.

For those truly feeling nostalgic about car hops, longtime St. Charles residents certainly recall that Rex Morrison's Cork 'n Fork restaurant on the east side was originally a drive-up called Rex's with car hops who came out to get orders and serve meals.

It still seems odd that the former Cork 'n Fork site now operates as a dog care and boarding business.

And another throwback

In addition to being full-service stations at which drivers never had to leave their cars to get them filled with gas or have oil checked, gas stations in days gone by also had a very classy look.

We know this to be true simply by looking at places that used to be gas stations and were converted into something else, while keeping that look and feel from a past era.

The Geneva Bank and Trust drive-through area and Marberry Cleaners, across from each other on State Street, were both former gas station sites.

The peaked roofs on the buildings remain in place, still providing an interesting appearance on the downtown streetscape.

The best example is probably the St. Charles History Museum on East Main Street, keeping the appearance of what used to be McCornack Oil so many years ago.

And throwback No. 3

Speaking of the St. Charles History Museum, it is sponsoring a "40s Night at the Arcada" from 7 to 10 p.m. March 31 at the downtown theater for those 21 and older.

Live music from the Flat Cats, swing dance lessons, a costume contest, appetizers, dessert and drinks are part of this walk, or dance, back in time.

Cost is $40 for members and $50 for nonmembers. Information is available at stcmuseum.org or www.oshows.com.

dheun@sbcglobal.net