Longtime Batavia volunteer retires from Clothes Closet director post

As one cruises toward retirement, different stories emerge about the sudden change from work life to more leisure time.

Some say they love retirement, and others say they got bored too fast and went back to work.

Many contemplating such a move have both thoughts swirling in their minds, leaving the question of "what would I do with myself?" as entirely open-ended.

My schedule has never allowed me to do whatever I want, whenever I want, but it seems reasonable to think in retirement you should choose to do things you enjoy or that would give you a sense of purpose.

Volunteering for organizations or events would scratch that itch. Many people volunteer for years through service clubs or charitable organizations. Some are retired; some fit it in with family and work schedules.

Names always jump out in the newspaper or social media as prime examples of people who use their time for a higher purpose. The most recent has been Diane Upton of Batavia. She is an excellent example of what I am referring to.

When she closed her final board meeting as director of the Clothes Closet at the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry last month, she finished more than 30 years of involvement with the agency located at 100 Flinn St.

It sent her onto a "retirement" from the kind of work others should consider in their retirements.

Mostly, it sounds like she wants to let someone else take over at the Clothes Closet - and that would be her successor, Jennifer Meiring.

I wrote about the food pantry late last year when the executive director of the agency, Betsy Zinser, stepped down, and the pantry's board of directors gave that job to Eileen Pasero.

Much like those others, Upton has been around since a group of people from area churches began collecting food to distribute on Saturday mornings to those in need more than three decades ago. During that time, others started donating coats and winter gear.

When the city donated the use of the building, a former storage area for a snowplow, the idea for a food pantry was taking form.

Upton was part of that push, volunteering to advertise the food sharing days and buy new underwear and socks for what would become the Clothes Closet.

In a statement she put together for the community, Upton summed up how she viewed a long stint of volunteer work.

"When an opportunity to help someone comes your way, grab it," she said. "The rewards to you are far greater than you could ever predict. Don't let what you can't do get in the way of what you can do."

For many leaving the workforce and venturing into unknown territory, that's not bad advice.

The sweetness of it all:

Third Street in Geneva is about to get even sweeter if you can imagine that. With places like Graham's, Kilwin's, Eye Candy, Hahn's Bakery, Latest Crave cupcake shop, and various coffee spots offering baked goods, we will soon add Cookie Dough Bliss to the mix.

That business will open soon in the Berry House, in the location that Latest Crave called home for the past several years.

This leads me to this speculation: As of this writing, there has been no official word, but the signs on the empty Forever Yogurt location at 507 S. Third St. hint of "something sweet" coming there soon.

That has to be Latest Crave, don't you think? This business that specializes in special cupcakes and toffee has already teased on social media that it was going to a different spot on Third Street.

In other "sweet news," we're wondering what is taking so long with the development of the new Dunkin' Donuts site on East State Street. The city tells me the Hari Group construction crews were pulled off that project to complete others and expect to get back at the Dunkin' site this month.

Farewell to coach:

One of the first things I did in 1978 when coming to St. Charles to be a sports editor for the newspaper was to attend a St. Charles High School boys' basketball game.

I didn't know anybody, but one fellow stood out right away. It was St. Charles coach Ron Johnson, with his trademark buzz haircut, pained looks when his team made some unforced errors and the rolled-up towel on his lap.

Johnson threw that towel to the floor when a referee or a player was hurting his team's cause. He did it often over his career and probably found out early on that a towel was easier to vent on than, say, a clipboard or a pen.

It made me apprehensive about approaching him after that first game, but he greeted me with a smile and acted as if he had known me for years. And that part of him never changed. He was the nicest and calmest fellow after a game, and always cooperative.

Johnson passed away last week, and I will miss running into him at area games and will always remember his kind approach to a young journalist trying to cut his teeth in the emotional arena of high school sports.

This likely won't be my last tribute to an area coach from early in my career. Most were wonderful men and women who helped me often. One might even say they planted the seed that eventually convinced me to stay here all of these years.

And Ron Johnson was right at the forefront of that goodwill.

What now for Pheasant Run?:

A few weeks ago, I speculated what a new owner could do to keep the Pheasant Run Resort in business and even thriving well into the future.

One option not mentioned was just to let it sit and fall into disrepair. At the moment, it appears that it could easily happen because the auction for the property, with a $6 million bid, did not reach the required minimum. So the iconic resort was to close officially Feb. 29.

In an interesting twist, the Herald reported last weekend that a new owner was potentially poised to at least acquire the MegaCenter portion of the property. The golf course also remains as a separate buy from the resort. That poses some interesting dilemmas in terms of what could really happen there.

It's hard to imagine, but if Pheasant Run sits empty long enough, someone may have to level the place and start over.

That could mean an even bigger airport operation someday, or an even crazier thought would be something like that idea about a racetrack in that area resurfacing. St. Charles area residents were up in arms about that proposal more than 30 years ago for land south of DuPage Airport.

Using Haines gym: When the Charlestowne Mall was still open but had only a half dozen or so stores open, it pretty much became a huge indoor walking track.

We know. My wife and I took a few jaunts around the place, thinking back to better times when you could buy stuff in the stores.

The Haines Middle School gym isn't nearly that big, but it serves the purpose for indoor walking. And that's what the St. Charles Park District is offering from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in March.

With a major portion of Haines taken down via the wrecking ball and students now attending nearby Thompson, what is left of Haines has been earmarked for temporary good purposes.

It will be the St. Charles Library while the east-side library site goes through remodeling, and the Haines gym gets some use from those enjoying exercising in the morning.

The indoor walking is free for park district residents and $3 for nonresidents.

dheun@sbcglobal.net