Buzz Barbershop moving from St. Charles to Geneva

It's not that she believes in the supernatural, but Teri DeBates admits she gets a few chills down her spine when thinking about moving her Buzz Barbershop from downtown St. Charles to downtown Geneva.

Before we get to the rather ironic, and maybe ghostly, stuff, let's just say that DeBates, who has cut hair in this area for years, is moving to the spot at 107 W. State mainly because she'll be able to walk to work.

The other reason is she got the opportunity to purchase that building and she's been totally intrigued by its history. Plus, she worked there for a short time about eight years ago when it was Sportsman's Barbershop.

"I went to the history center in Geneva and learned that the building was once one of the oldest banks in Kane County, built before 1850 and, in 1895, it was expanded," DeBates said.

The most interesting thing (and the spooky part) is that a jeweler with the last name of Pederson moved his business from St. Charles to that Geneva spot in 1912 and remodeled it.

Turns out, the jeweler moved from the exact spot in St. Charles at 208 W. Main St. that DeBates will be leaving and moved into the exact spot where she'll open the new Buzz Barbershop.

"That was so interesting to me, and it kind of gives me the chills to think about how strange that is," she said.

But it's also motivating her to get the building prepared for her opening, with a target of early September.

"Over the next two months, I'll be restoring the front of the store more to its 1895 look," DeBates said. "I own the building now and already put a new roof on it, so it's a big nut to crack, but it will be worth it in the long run."

DeBates has been working alone at her shop in St. Charles, as two barbers who worked there have retired.

The new location will have four chairs and she's thinking about adding another barber to coincide with possibly extending the shop's hours into some evenings.

DeBates bought the St. Charles site six years ago from Don Rago when it was Wes's Barbershop, and she worked with Glen Cunningham, a barber who cut hair at that location for 52 years.

That shop has been in town for 100 years, and another barber is likely to pick up where DeBates leaves off.

"It's been a great spot in St. Charles, and if I had not found the spot available in Geneva, I would have stayed in St. Charles longer," DeBates said.

"Geneva is a great town, and it is so walkable and so nice, so I am just thrilled about moving into that location."

Those colorful dogs:

You can't help but notice the painted bulldog sculptures in downtown Batavia. After all, it seems there is one at just about every corner.

And they certainly are eye-catching; so much so that the Bulldogs Unleashed program is hoping interested buyers will open the purse strings on Sept. 15 during an auction for 15 of the 30-inch fiberglass dogs.

Money collected during the auction, starting at 6 p.m. in Shannon Hall, will be donated to school, park district and library foundations.

Tickets for the live auction are available at bulldogsunleashed.org.

A river so wide:

We know the Fox River stretches more than 200 miles from Wisconsin to Ottawa, Illinois, and is about eight feet or deeper in some spots.

But I couldn't find any information indicating where the widest point of the river in the Tri-Cities region would be located.

After years of just admiring the river and walking its trails or looking at the dams in our fine communities, it dawned on me that it seemed quite wide just north of the Geneva dam.

So is that the widest spot in our small portion of the river? Anyone who considers themselves a Fox River expert or a longtime fisherman on this tributary can chime in on that question by sending me an email.

A tribute to our dogs:

A couple weeks after I tabbed sculptor Douglas Eageny's "Jailhouse Rock" piece in Mount St. Mary Park as one of my favorites this year, we received an email from the St. Charles Park District that this local artist is in the forefront of a fundraiser that will certainly tug at our hearts.

To benefit the St. Charles Park Foundation, Eageny's sculpture in memory of his Labrador retriever Molly will be the basis for a St. Charles Dog Memorial site.

The ceremony for "Timeless Tags" is 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 18, at Delnor Woods Park. The sculpture will be a place for owners to attach the pet tags of a dog they have lost.

Those seeking to donate to the memorial can purchase plaques in memory of their animals.

Information about "Timeless Tags" sponsorship or donations is available at stcparkfoundation.org.

A pillow heaven:

After making my first visit to the At Home store on Randall Road in Geneva, two thoughts popped into my head almost immediately.

This place is really big, and it could easily change its name to "Pillow Land."

Of course, it doesn't sell only decorated cushions and pillows, but it is the first time I've seen rows and rows of these items lined up on shelves.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net