Hundreds of Bicyclists Turn Out for St. Charles Races

Sunny Sunday skies greeted cyclists converging upon downtown St. Charles for the first in what sponsors hope will be an annual bicycle-racing event.

The phrases “spinning your wheels” and “going round in circles” generally are expressions of frustration about a lack of progress in an endeavor. That was not the case, however, for the hundreds of bicyclists who turned up in downtown St. Charles on a sunny Sunday for Sammy's St. Charles Prairie State Criterium Race, a series of five amateur and two professional cycling competitions from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. A women’s pro even was scheduled at mid-afternoon, and the men’s pro event was scheduled about 5 p.m. Cash prizes were awarded to adult race winners in both the amateur and pro events. There also was a youth race sponsored by the St. Charles Park District. The course was relatively short — each race started on Prairie Street, just west…

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Viewfinder: Setting Up Swedish Days

Each year, the annual downtown festival gets a little bigger and better, and the Monday before the start is filled with frantic activity.

On the Monday before Swedish Days, Geneva gets ready. If you were an alien presence looking down from outer space at this little corner of the Earth on Monday, June 20, 2011, it might look like ants building the world's most fun anthill. The courthouse lawn is being mowed, the weed whackers are in full gear. The portable potties are being unloaded. The carnival is rising from the ground like a wildflower, flashing color and the sweet promise of fried dough and snow cones as a swarm of worker bees buzz about. Tents rise everywhere. The service clubs' heavy lifters are bringing in the propane and stoves and equipment they need to serve up food for the tens of thousands who will pass their way for 12 hours a day from Tuesday through Sunday. …

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