TriCity Family Services director to retire
Jim Otepka figures it is "pay back" time.
But there's nothing ominous about that thought process as the TriCity Family Services executive director prepares to enter the world of retired folks on April 7.
It will mark the end of nearly 30 years at the agency and about 45 years in the mental health field.
Calling the need "to find ways to live a purposeful life" as his top priority for a successful retirement, Otepka is quick to say it also is time for him to pay back the community for all of the time and effort that thousands of people gave to TriCity Family Services.
"I want to pursue service opportunities because my work, my profession and my time at this agency has been made possible by the gifts of so many people," Otepka said.
Last, but surely not least, Otepka said it also is time to spend time with his grandchildren.
"I look forward to soaking up time with them and convincing myself that I am a good, nurturing parental figure, which I wasn't sure I was when I was immersed in my work," Otepka added.
While admitting that grandparenting is not the same as parenting, Otepka said it is still important to be able to spend time with his family in retirement.
His name will be linked with TriCity Family Services forever, but it's not like he's going to disappear. As a volunteer, he intends to continue participating in the agency's annual Wilderness Challenge, in which teens who use TCFS services embark on a camping trip in the north woods to learn how to take on responsibilities and work as a team with others.
Plus, Otepka has been challenged by agency supporter Dudley Burgess, who says he intends to participate in the camping trip until age 80 and Otepka should stay on at least that long.
"I think that is another five years or so, and Dudley would expect nothing less of me," Otepka said. "If my knees hold up, I am in it until Dudley paddles off into the distance."
First event as leader:
The first major event for TriCity Family Services' new executive director Laura Poss, who takes over on April 10, will be the 28th annual gala fundraiser.
This year's event is called Festival of Color "Live Life Brilliantly" and will be April 22 at Pheasant Run. It's a special one this time around, helping the agency celebrate its 50th anniversary.
For those not aware, TriCity Family Services essentially started as a coffeehouse setting for teens. Remember those in the late 1960s? Several forward-thinking businessmen in the Tri-Cities thought it could be made into much more - a place where teens and parents could go to talk about problems and find workable solutions. After all, the "Generation Gap," as it was called then, was quite wide at the time.
Those interested in the gala or supporting the agency can call (630) 232-1070, or visit the agency website.
Pay that 'Rent':
Batavia High School is taking on a pop culture classic when it presents "Rent" at 6 p.m. April 29 at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre.
But the reward for the students taking on this popular Tony Award-winning play is meeting two Broadway performers who had key roles in the original production of the show.
After the show, Broadway stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp will take part in a 60-minute show titled "Acoustically Speaking: 20 Years of Friendship" before the Batavia cast joins them on stage.
At the station:
All of the rubble outside as a result of this makeover is disappearing, replaced with the outdoor dining tables that were common at the Cabooses tavern at the Geneva Metra station.
The "Hiring" poster was on the window weeks ago, as the new Third Street Station bar and grill prepared for warming weather and its opening. Nick Casiello, owner of the Dam Bar and Grill in Geneva, will also own and operate this new site. He's looking to open it in about two weeks.
This new venture replaces Cabooses tavern, which operated at that spot in the Geneva station for as long as I can remember.
It seems that a bar and grill at a train station should fare well. Maybe not quite like one might in the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, but still a good spot to offer a cold drink and a burger.
It's about glamour:
The former barbershop location at 115 W. State St. in Geneva, which generally attracted male customers, will now have a business in which females will become the norm.
The Bare Moxie plans to open at that spot on April 15, featuring what it calls a line of glamorous women's lingerie. The company's Facebook post also touts "deco" bikinis.
Sorry, not quite sure what that means, but I am guessing women have a good idea of what this place is all about.
• dheun@sbcglobal.net