.mt6 .hm3 .h1 Grayson Enterprises Reprint Riqhts .h2Pag # 1838 words ST CHARLES ILLINOI TH PRID O TH FOX Writte b Jun Grayson It' 19,00 resident wil tel Yo quit simply St Charles Illinois i th bes o al possibl worlds. Thi 15 yea ol town nestle o bot bank o th Fo Rive on hou wes o Chicago' Loop seek t preserv it smal tow char an conservativ value whil i confront th inevtabl challenge o urba expansion. Tha i i abl t d thi successfull i tribut t th tenacit an visio o it loca merchants entrepreneurs an governmenta officials. Th beautifu rive ha alway bee th hear o St Charles Prehistori Indian buil thei buria mound o it banks Th Fox Sac Winnebagos an Pottawattomi India tribe fishe it waters Yanke settler fro Ne Englan buil thei lo cabin o th rive bank wher th Mai Stree bridg i now Th tow gre a i provide suppor fo th expandin far community. Farm stil adjoi St Charle bu no th woode hill hid housin development instea o cor fields. Homesteadin i St Charle i n longe cheap however Ne home an townhouse rang i pric fro $98,90 t $300,000 I yo hav you ow lo an builder yo ar limite onl b yo imaginatio an ban account I fact on o th fe complaint abou St Charle i tha "ou childre can' affor t bu hom here." Still thos dollar purchas considerabl mor qualit o lif i St Charle tha i som o th large nearb communities I addition hom buyer wh som da ma fac corporat transfe ar convince tha th St Charle are offer th bes rea estat investmen around. St Charle commuter ca tak th Northwester trai i nearb Genev o easil acces th tollway b drivin te mi1mile eithe nort o south Tha i jus fa enoug s tha St Charle ha bee abl t avoi th congestio an rampan commercia developmen tha plagu th communitie adjoinin th burgeonin -9 an - corridors. "W inten t kee th smal tow flavo o St Charles, say Mayo Fre Norris "b continuall upgradin it natura beauty W hav develope comprehensiv communit Plan W hav law agains commercia stri zoning I som area w insis o 5 foo gree bel setbac betwee highwa an building t enhanc appearances." St Charle ha almos complete th beautificatio o it rive banks It 2 mile o bik trail ar par o trai tha no extend fro Auror t Sout Elgi an eventuall t ._Dundee St Charle polic patro it shar o th trail t preven vandalism. Th St Charle Par Distric ha 65 acre o parks ope space an gree belt unde it jurisdiction B comparison Genev an Batavi t th south wit population simila t St Charles hav 15 acre an 10 acre respectively. Th publi schoo syste get hig mark fro parent seekin t maximiz thei children' educationa opportunities Th hig schoo swi tea i championshi material Ho man othe hig school i town o 19,00 hav a adjoinin sport an recratio buildin wit a Olympi siz swimmin poo an cultura art cente wit professiona stag equipmen availabl fo hig schoo dram an musi performances? Moreover thes amenitie wer no purchase onl wit ta dollars Indeed newcomer ma no eve b awar tha th qualit o lif tha attracte the t St Char1e i du i larg par t th generosit o loca philanthropists th Bake an Norri families The wer th heir o "Be--Million Gates wh mad fortun i barbe wir an Texac oi aroun th tur o th century Hi wealt transforme thi sleep littl rive tow int prosperou communit brimmin wit cultura advantages N fair godmothe coul hav don more Thei gift finance th followin St Charle improvement i whol o i part Bake Communit Center Hote Baker .Bake Methodis Church Arcad Theater St Charle Nationa Bank, th Stat Ban o St Charles Delno Hospital St Charle Countr Club Municipa Center Illinoi Stree fou lan bridge an fo th ne hig school Norri Recreatio Center an Norri Cultura Art Building. Still St Charle i no immun t problems "W hav downtow congestio fro th convergenc o Highway 64 31 an 25, accordin t Mayo Norris "Studie sho tha on o thre car i th downtow are i onl passin through I w ca provid thir Fo Rive bridg fo Highwa 6 bypass w ca reliev tha congestio an improv th downtow busines distric a th sam time." Downtow St Charle ca stil us help Whe outlyin mall entice downtow merchants Mai Stree wa lef wit empt store an underutilize commercia space. Whe economi deterioratio set in socia deterioratio wil follow The i ma b to lat t revitaliz a area. Fortunately merchant an entrepreneur prevente socia deterioratio i St Charles Accordin t Terr Grove, loca businessma an rea estat developer "Yo hav t provid ne reason fo peopl t com int th downtow area Yo hav t dra tourist a wel a residents Yo d thi b creatin a imag o downtow a plac t g t hav fun." Jan Moore loca interio decorator develope th firs specialt shoppin are i downtow St Charles th successful an picturesqu "Centur Corners" Grov an hi wif sa possibilitie i a empt Catholi church convertin i int on o th Valley' .fines restaurant an als par o th revitalize "Ol St Charles district. Grov promote th concep o St Charle a th ne Antiqu Cente o th midwest H converte severa empt dow tow building int Antiqu Market I II an III. Do Kahn Bruc Olerking an Richar ?erkout St Charle entrepreneur i grea lea o fait i St Charle converte som abandone factor building int tw excitin shoppin area Fo Islan Squar an th Pian Factor Mall. No additiona privat investors showin thei fait i th ar constructin th firs ne buildin i th dow tow i te years Th pla wil us th "min-mall concept wher th mai entrance fron o privat court instea o bus street. Thi i onl th firs ste i pla no befor th Cit Counci tha seek t develo multipl min-mall throughou th whol downtown. Clearly St Charle i o roll Th centra busines distric lives Th rive i clea again Th fis ar biting Eve th Indian ar comin back Thank t th effort o no-profi committe heade b Jo Anderso an Ma Hunt loca businessmen St Charle wi1 instal hug bronz statu o magnificen Pottawattomi India i October 1987. Th statu o th eas ban o th Fo Rive wil b visibl fro th Mai Stree bridge. Th Pottawattomi befriende th earl St Charles settlers No St Charle honor thos caretaker wh bequeathe .t the thi lovel Eden. ##### Sidebar DA I TH COUNTRY ST CHARLES ILLINOI -TH PLAC YO G T HAV FUN Writte b Jun Grayson A antiqu lover' drea o heave mus loo somethin lik St Charles St Charle i no recognize a th antiqu capita o mi-America. Governo "Bi Jim Thompso ha bee know t bu an sel a th Kan Count Fle Market th larges Antiqu Fle Marke i th world. Hel th firs Sunda o eac mont th yea around i ha neve bee cancele rain sleet snow an blizzard notwithstanding. Ove quarte millio visitor yea pa th modes $2.0 admissio fe t rummag throug th ware o ove 1,000 dealer indoor an out Gate ope a 7.0 a an yo ca bu heart breakfas o th ground (31-37-2252). Brin plent o energ an mone becaus i woul b sham i yo di no als visi th mor tha 7 additiona antiqu dealer clustere i severa downtow buildings Al ar withi eas walkin distanc o on anothe o o nea Main Street Highwa 64 o bot side o th Fo River "Share clering arrangement enabl the al t sta ope dail th yea around includin man holidays. Pla t atten th specia interes antique crafts an collectible show schedule throughou th yea a th ne RIVE EXP Cente o th Fo Rive o th ne MEG Cente a Pheasan Ru Resor eas o town. Coordinat you buyin o "jus-looking spree wit specia event planne throughou th year th Gree Festiva in May th famou Mi-America Cano Rac i June th Scarecrow Festiva i October an th Christma Tre Showcas i December. Yo ma #als enjo th Pian Factor Mall1 newl opene cente rebor i a abandone factor o th Fo River It 50 parkin space ar jamme ever weekend. I museum ar you thing yo wil fin the i St Charles Th Willia Beit House on o th fe survivin Limeston dwelling i th Gree Reviva style i jus nort o th Pian Factor Mall Th Duran-Hun Museu i fe block norteas o th downtow busines district Th Duran-Peterso Hous an th Pionee Shole Schoo hav bee lovingl restore a th LeRo Oake Fores Preserve Th Garfiel Far Museu (31-58-8485 i no bein develope a a 1840 workin farm Al o thes museum ar usuall ope o Sunda afternoo throughou th summe a wel a othe time b specia appointment. Pla o Sunda Brunc a Hote Bake (31-58-2100 wit it Ar Dec stylin an outdoo ros gardens Savo th homemad soup an ric Pennsylvani Dutc dessert a th Inglenoo Pantr (31-37-0373) Din i splendo a th Ol Churc In wit it rea pew fo seatin an staine glas window fo th repos o you soul Overloo th rive fro th pictur window o Salerno' O Th Fo (31-58-7000 o th Mano Restauran (31-58-2469) Si o th outdoo dec unde th colorfu umbrella o th Eri an M Riversid Taver (31- 37-9222). Pi ou jus thi onc o Colonia Ic Cream favorit hometow treat a it tw restaurant i tow (31-58- 0088) Th Galleo wit it Ne Orlean deco an Caju cookin (31-37-3333 an Rex' Cor For wit it scrumptiou sala ba (31-58-6708 ar o th eas side Yo ca probabl fin you favorit franchis restauran eithe eas o wes o downtow o Mai Street. I yo conclud tha yo can' d al o thi i on day arrang getawa weeken a th Bes Wester In (31-58- 4550) th Dunha In (31-58-5300) th Pheasan Ru Resor (31-58-6300) o on o th charmin littl be an breakfas inns. Fo furthe information contac th St Charle Visitor an Conventio Bureau PO 11 St Charles Illinoi 60174 telephon 31-37-6161. #####