Halloween Eve

So, what's happening . . . .

York beats Currie 35-12 last week to open the Class 8A football playoffs. Next game Friday, against Glenbard North. Question: If York is seeded 6, and GN is seeded 14, why is it at GN? I thought the higher seed was always home?

McNally's is morphing into Finn McCool's, a chain restaurant. I'll withold any comment until I see what happens. Just please, don't go generic on us.

Halloween tomorrow night. Stocked up on candy, waiting for the costumed munchkins to start ringing the bell anytime after 3:30. Has anyone else noticed over the last few years the number of big kids trick-or-treating? I mean, BIG kids - like, high school age, driving age, kids taller than me. I've always held the belief that if you can pay for your own candy, you shouldn't be out with the 4-year-olds going door-to-door.

My neighborhood is tucked away in a corner of town, so we really don't see too many kids, other than those within the two or three block radius. We do have about a dozen teenagers, and it seems as though they always show up, bag in hand, sometime around 8:00. Costume? Nothing more than a sweatshirt and wig, with maybe some dirt on the face.

No one for revisionist history, but I don't remember going trick-or-treating once I hit my teens. And when I did go in my younger years, I always had a decent costume - something that was visually descriptive and fun and easy to discern.

Aw, heck, I'm getting old.

York Underpass

So the school district and the city have decided that an underpass below St. Charles Road at York High School wouldn't be a good idea. Nope, a way for pedestrians to avoid the traffic - not good.

Favorite line, from District 205 President Marta Davy: District 205 might have fully supported the concept "if we thought it was the magic bullet that would take care of every student ever crossing St. Charles Road."

So let's review:

• Alleviate some of the problem - not good.
• Leave the issue the way it is - good.
• Another student getting hit by a car crossing St. Charles Road - we're fine with that.
• Only option the board and village would consider - a "magic bullet" that would cure all the ills.

Yeah, like that exists.

Today's lesson, courtesy of District 205: Better to sit and do nothing than do something.

7-2

York 42, Oak Park-River Forest 28

Football!

Tonight -
Oak Park at York - 7:00PM

Saturday -
Aurora Central Christian at IC - 1:00PM
Elmhurst College at Illinois Wesleyan - 1:00PM

South York

Mitoodle Noodle.
McNally's.
Gone.

What's happening to the south York area of downtown?

According to a large real estate holder in that area, not much more than business as usual. He (who shall remain unnamed) thinks all is well, that it's simply the nature of poor business for empty retail spaces to sprout along a major downtown street. Of course he's going to say that, he has space to fill. He wants to make sure the rents remain high.

I think it's crap.

Take a walk down York, south of the tracks. Stand for a while and count all the foot traffic that appears. Give it about 10 minutes and you may run out of fingers.

Where's the "destination" for people in that area? McNally's was a great place, always filled, with a relaxing outdoor area (front and back). That was a destination.

What else in that area pulls people? What causes people to go there, instead of pass there?

When the condos were built a few years back, it was supposed to be the "re-birth" of that part of downtown, a rejuvenation of people with disposable income. So where are they? And why can't we seem to find retail and/or restaurant tenants that pull people? But if the best Irish-themed bar/restaurant in the Western Suburbs can't draw people, what will?

Do we need to re-think who our shoppers and customers are? Do we need to encourage business that target teens?

What do we need? Because what we don't need is another empty storefront.

McNally's

WTF - McNally's is closed? When did this happen? What's the deal here - anyone know? They seemed to be doing okay, always busy when I was in there.

Info, . . . need info.

Huh?

Crime report from the Doings - -

"Forty brass vases from in-ground headstones were reported taken at 1 p.m. Sept. 30 at Mount Emblem Cemetery, 600 E. Grand Ave. "

WTF???

Forty brass vases from in-ground headstones????

What, is someone starting their own cemetery?

Thieves are stupid.

More Football

Saturday's results:

St. Francis 36 - IC 26

North Central spoils Elmhurst College's homecoming -
NC 41 - Elmhurst 24

Football

York 35 - Willowbrook 7

Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan has had a hell of a tough ride over the past decade.

I've never met him - never voted for him - and never met anyone who has a harsh word to say about him. He's handled far too much pain with more grace than most of us could muster.

This post at Reverse Spin says all the right things.

Our hearts and prayers are with you, Jim.

Football!

Friday Night:

York at Willowbrook - 7:00pm

Satruday Afternoon:

IC at St. Francis - 1:00pm

Homecoming at Elmhurst College!
North Central at EC - 1:00pm

Cicadas of 2007

Was this really 4 months ago?

Raves

Cool store in Elmhurst - the Happy Dog Barkery, 116 S. York (across from McNallys). With all the pets and pet owners I see walking the streets on weekend mornings, this store is a natural for the area. Great selection of cool, handmade dog foods and treats, along with plenty o' trinkets for the owners.

And best of all, the owners really know and care about dogs, which gives it a leg up on other pet stores in town.

Bring Fido - he'll think he's been called home to the mothership!

Do Something!

Passed through downtown Elmhurst this morning, and went down Third Street west of York. There stands the old Bailey's Restaurant building, now closed and vacant for the last two years. just sitting there, decaying, empty. A nice, highly visible blot in downtown.

Which reminded me of another nice, highly visible blot in town, another empty building that's been sitting vacant for over two years - the old TCBY building on York and South.

So what's the deal here? Why was there such a rush to displace these businesses if they were going to do nothing but sit and rot for years? I'm not sure I understand - is this good for the town? For the image we wish to present? Is this how the mayor and aldermen want these properties to look?

At the site of Bailey's there's been a board up in the parking lot touting a coming condo development and a bank (because God knows we need more banks in town). So, what's the deal? What's happening? Is anything going to be built?

I don't understand the desire to do away with viable businesses in the name of property development if the PROPERTY IS NEVER DEVELOPED!!

Or perhaps this was the idea - to drive the businesses away, empty the buildings, make the property available, and then figure out how to re-develop it?

Either way, we've had these eyesores sitting in town for far too long.

Do something!

Results

Marmion 33 - IC 7

Augustana 28 - Elmhurst College 7

Whew!!

York defeats Hinsdale Central 33-28.

And then shake your head that the Tribune wrote the story around a Sophomore quarterback who happens to be a Junior. That be some stellar journalism there.

Football!

Firday night:
Hinsdale Central at York - 7:00pm

Satruday afternoon:
Marmion at IC - 1:00pm

Elmhurst College at Augustana - 1:00pm

Fun With Criminals!

You just can't make this stuff up.

Elmhurst Independent, Oct 3 edition, page 25: in the Top Ten news stories of 2007, they note the arrest of "teen robber" Adam Ahern, who was nabbed after being tracked through the snow to his home after several burglaries.

Elmhurst Independent, Oct 3 edition, page 16: photo of the York High School boys soccer team in action, and, hey! Look who's there! Adam Ahern!

Moral of this story: if you possess great athletic talent, York will indeed make allowances for your behavior.

Ain't high school athletics fun? Ain't they a great place to teach sportsmanship and ethical conduct? Ain't they the very definition of hypocrasy?

Wine Tasting

Tannins held their annual Fall Wine Event this past Thursday night at the Elmhurst Art Museum. It was the first one I ever missed (work had me out of town), and I was genuinely sad to be away. But from what I hear - - uh, where was everyone? A beautiful setting, over 100 wines to sample, food, music - and only about 70 people attended? Huh?

Was it the cost? Well, I'd have a hard time believing that $30 was a steep ticket in this town.
Was it the day and time? Not sure, but it's always been on a Thursday night. Maybe that's not the best time for an event.
Was it the memories of crowds from the past?

Bingo.

Word has it that many people who've attended in the past simply didn't want to bother with the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, the long lines, the jostling for position to sample an ounce of Syrah.

So what to do? Can anyone think of a suitable alternative? A larger venue that would also provide the right evening atmosphere for a wine tasting? Two events to spread out the people? Fewer wines, thus fewer lines?

Anything?

I'd hate to see this event die. I think many of the wine lovers in town would hate to see the event die. But another tasting that sees less than 50% of the expected attendance (meaning, of course, doing it at a loss) could lead to cancellation of the event.

Ideas?