Pal Joey's pizza attracts a following

Pal Joey's in Batavia puts pizza in the spotlight.

Kane County Chronicle photo

The Kane County Chronicle's Mystery Diner recently reviewed the pizza creations offered at Pal Joey's restaurant in downtown Batavia and truly enjoyed the sampling of pies. The Mystery Diner was particularly impressed with the quality of the pepperoni pizza, but noted the expansive variety of toppings available. The restaurant offers several other menu items, including pasta, ribs and seafood. But I encourage visitors to stick with pizza. Pal Joey's is located at 31 N. River St.  An ongoing street-renovation project on River Street makes it a bit of challenge to reach Pal Joey's, but visitors arriving from the west side of the Fox River are encouraged to park at the municipal lot at Batavia's City Hall and use the pedestrian bridge to cross the river and reach the restaurant. Might sound like a hassle, but as the Mystery Diner noted, the pizza is worth the effort. For more information about Pal Joey's call 630-593-6600 or visit www.paljoeys.com.

The Daily Chronicle names Duchnowski news editor

Congratulations to Jillian Duchnowski on being named news editor at the Daily Chronicle in DeKalb. Duchnowski most recently served as an editor at Yorkville Patch, an online community news site. Prior to joining Patch, she was an award-winning reporter at the Northwest Herald in McHenry County. The Daily Chronicle and the Northwest Herald are products of Shaw Media. The Daily Chronicle is one my favorite small daily newspapers.

Kane County Fairgrounds to host flea market

The Kane County Fairgrounds will host its next flea market show Saturday, Nov. 3 and Sunday, Nov. 4. Admission is $5 per day for adults. Children 12 and younger are free with a paying adult. Parking is free. The market offers a variety of merchandise. The fairgrounds are located at 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles.

The Howard House Hotel was located at 123 S. Third St., St. Charles.

St. Charles Heritage Center photo

Article details St. Charles' spiritualist history

The Kane County Chronicle recently published an article by Abby Sheaffer that details a visit Mary Todd Lincoln made to St. Charles in 1871 to attend a seance at the Howard House Hotel, which was located on south Third Street. Mrs. Caroline Howard, the proprietor's wife, was said to have the gift of clairvoyance, according to the article. Sheaffer's article is fun reading for the Halloween season and engaging local history for any time of year. It's a long report, but worth the time. Sheaffer is a St. Charles resident, and fans of local history are sure to enjoy her article.

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Hoban Sisters to perform at benefit show

Carly and Jackie Hoban of St. Charles.

Submitted photo

The Hoban Sisters, a St. Charles-based duo, will perform Oct. 20 at a benefit concert at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St. in downtown St. Charles. The concert will feature the Henhouse Prowlers, a popular Chicago-based bluegrass band.  The show is hosted by the St. Charles Noon Rotary Club and the Bob Leonard River Corridor Foundation. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Rotary's youth scholarship and the foundation.  The Hoban Sisters, Carly and Jackie, will open the show. The concert is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors ages 60 and older and $15 for students. For more information about tickets, go to oshows.com. 

Entries sought for Electric Christmas Parade
The Downtown St. Charles Partnership seeks entries for its annual Electric Christmas Parade. This year's parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24 in downtown St. Charles. The parade is part of the Holiday Homecoming celebration, a two-day event that kicks-off the holiday season in St. Charles. The parade attracts thousands of guests to downtown St. Charles and is a wonderful opportunity to showcase a business or community organization. For more information, call the Downtown St. Charles Partnership at 630-443-3967

St. Charles North runner named KC Chronicle's Athlete of the Week
Congratulations to St. Charles North's Spencer Gray on being named the Kane County Chronicle's Athlete of the Week on Oct. 17. Gray won the UEC River Cross Country Meet on Oct. 13 and helped North win the team title. 

Chicago-area athletes aid Harvard's football team
Division 1 football teams — Alabama, Texas, LSU — receive a lot of coverage and TV time. Many other college teams, those in Division I-AA, for example, often don't appear on TV and usually receive little attention outside of their home regions. However, the mid-major schools are providing a lot of excitement for college football fans this season. Harvard University's football team is 5-0 (2-0 in conference play) this season. I am always interested in winning football programs. I am curious about how coaches and schools go about building a successful program. I noted with interest that coach Tim Murphy aggressively recruits throughout the country, and Harvard's football team roster includes several players from the Chicago area, including these athletes:
• Cameron Brate, TE, Naperville (Naperville Central)
• Nick Burrello, WR, Clen Ellyn (Glenbard West)
• Jack Dittmer, DT, Oak Park (Fenwick)
• Ben Falloon, K, Orland Park (Marist)
• Michael Hirsch, TE, Glenview (Glenbrook South)
• Matt Koran, LB, Joliet (Joliet West)
• Connor Loftus, LB Glen Ellyn, (Glenbard West)
• Rick Zajeski, RB Hinsdale (Hinsdale Central)

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Strawflower Shop celebrates 34 years

The Strawflower Shop and Rug Merchant in Geneva.

Submitted photo

Our friends at the Strawflower Shop and Rug Merchant at 210 W. State St. in Geneva are celebrating their 34th year. The store is offering a variety of specials on merchandise. Stop in today. We're sure you'll like what you see. For more information about the store, call 630-232-7141 or go to www.strawflowershop.com. 

The Phillips 66 station on Batavia Avenue in Batavia recently closed.

Batavia Patch.com photo

Shell expected to replace Phillips 66 at Batavia site
Shell gas is expected to open soon at the former Phillips 66 station at 108 N. Batavia Ave., Batavia, co-owner Dan Siddiqui recently told Batavia Patch.com. Siddiqui said he closed the Gas Mart USA Phillips 66 in late September to clean the interior and install new display shelves and other equipment. The store is expected to reopen soon and will later add Shell gas pumps.

Laurie Milbourn, center, owns Going to My Happy Place Yoga.

Submitted photo

Laurie Milbourn opens yoga studio
Congratulations to our friend Laurie Milbourn on the recent grand opening of her yoga studio, Going to My Happy Place Yoga, 316 Anderson Blvd., Geneva. Milbourn shares the site with World Martial Arts USA. Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and members of the business community attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

Scott High owns Tri County Coins & Collectibles.

Sandy Bressner photo

Newspaper features Elburn store
The Kane County Chronicle reported about Tri County Coins & Collectibles at 111 N. Main St. in downtown Elburn. The store is owned by Scott and Silvia High. The store buys a variety of coins, currency and other collectibles. To learn more about the store, call 630-365-9700 or visit www.tricountycoins.com.

Dr. Rachna Arora

Submitted photo

Dreyer welcomes gastroenterologist
Dreyer Medical Clinic recently announced that Dr. Rachna Arora joined the clinic's Department of Gastroenterology. Arora see patients at the clinic's Highland and Rush-Coley Campus locations. Arora received her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. For more information about Dreyer Medical Clinic, call 630-879-7500.

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K. Hollis Jewelers plans expansion celebration

Karen Hollis will host a three-day expansion celebration starting Oct. 4.

Kevin Botterman photo

   The K. Hollis Jewelers store in Batavia will host a three-day event starting Thursday, Oct. 4 to celebrate the store’s expansion.

   The recently completed project more than doubled the size of the store, which is located at 147 S. Randall Road, near the Jewel-Osco store. Owner Karen Hollis will host the celebration. The event is open to the public. Hollis opened the store in 2005 and now employs 10 workers. 

   The expansion celebration will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday. The party will include raffle prizes and Karen Hollis design giveaways. Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke will conduct a ribbon cutting at 6 p.m.

   The event will continue on Friday with special trunk shows starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. The showings will feature merchandise from Gottlie, Pandora, Skagen, and Stacie and Libby.

   The event will conclude on Saturday, with trunk shows starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until 5 p.m. Saturday’s showings will include Dizeo Silver and Miralee.

   For more information about the event, call the store at 630-879-8003. To learn more about K. Hollis Jewelers, go to www.khollisjewelers.com.

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