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Geneva shopkeepers weigh in on A-frame signs

As businesses move to social media and mobile communication to send messages to their customers, I tend to respond better to ads or offers I can see and feel without a computer or mobile device.

That's why I like newspaper ads, TV ads, billboards or that great symbol of a small-town business district - the handwritten promos on an A-frame stand outside of the store or on a street corner.

Businesses in the Berry House shops have used A-frame boards in front of the building and at the corner of Franklin and Third streets in the past.

But the city frowns on these signs being placed at intersections when the stores already face Third Street or State Street.

Some of the Berry House shop owners feel the city's rules, which were established in 2011, hinder their ability to get the signs out where the most people would see them.

The city's sign regulations allow these types of signs only on private property and in front of stores, but it becomes a touchy topic when an A-frame suddenly appears at a street intersection. Especially when the city hasn't received a permit application from the store owner to do so.

From where the shop owners sit, it seems odd that the city suddenly is enforcing its code. They have come to rely on these A-frames to get special messages out to shoppers who might not otherwise have any idea what the Berry House merchants have to offer because they are inside a mini-mall of sorts.

There's no easy answer to that one, particularly because it would be hard to ignore a city's desire to make sure its sidewalks weren't totally cluttered with these types of advertisements and that every intersection in town didn't have one.

Carrie Tatone, owner of The Gathering inside of the Berry House, feels that because these stores are in suites inside the building, they should be able to alert passers-by to stop in. The A-frame boards have been an effective way to do it.

The larger signs that list all of the stores inside Berry House apparently aren't catching the attention of those walking by. That listing certainly doesn't serve the purpose of being like a window display, which remains an important marketing tool for a store to lure in customers and shout out about sales.

An A-frame message board at least can attempt to do that for shops inside of a mini-mall.

The property owner is trying to figure out a place in which the businesses could hang signs, but if they aren't as visible as they were in the past, near the front of the store or at the corner, they lose some of their effect, Tatone said.

The city claims the shop owners can place those A-frames in front of the building, just not at the intersection. Obviously, these signs can't block a sidewalk.

Here's to hoping some clarity unfolds and everyone wins, and that places like Top Dog, The Gathering, El Molcajete and others can occasionally tout their products or menus on well-placed A-frames.

Legion carries on:

Who says our veteran organizations are struggling for members and support?

The Maple Park American Legion Post is putting those notions to the test with an open house for free hamburgers, hot dogs and fries starting at 12:30 p.m. Memorial Day, after its members take part in a village ceremony that has been taking place for more than 90 years.

Post members will place American flags on the graves of service members at six Maple Park cemeteries with short prayers after a 21-gun salute at the sites, starting at 9 a.m.

A service from 11 a.m. to noon takes place at the Legion post, 203 Main St., with the open house following.

Those fine arts:

Memorial Day weekend brings us plenty of ceremonies and parades for our military personnel and also brings us together as a community, but it also carries the important tradition of launching us into the summer season.

Organizers of the St. Charles Fine Art Show had that in mind when establishing this show as an annual event in downtown St. Charles over Memorial Day weekend.

This year is no different, with the show unfolding Saturday and Sunday along Riverside Avenue, between Main Street and Illinois Avenue.

Like all other Memorial Day weekend events, this art show has had its ups and downs with the weather. But when Mother Nature cooperates, it is an excellent way to spend part of the weekend.

Go see the doc:

Generally, I wouldn't care to make a big deal of this. But in the interest of alerting others to not avoid seeing a doctor when something doesn't seem right, it's a good idea to share this.

I've been dealing with bladder cancer for the past several months and have undergone a couple of surgeries and a six-week chemotherapy regimen.

While fairly uncomfortable and not the least bit fun, this is a cancer with a high cure rate. Doctors feel pretty good about the next steps, so that part is good.

It's kept me from getting around a little bit, but it's not been debilitating by any means.

But the doctor mentioned something worth passing along. He simply said, "You're lucky you came in when you saw some blood in your urine. Many men don't do that."

That made sense. The male species is a fairly stubborn lot, and I actually put it off a little longer than I should have. My diagnosis was almost by mistake, as I was convinced maybe a kidney stone was acting up or something, so I felt compelled to go in.

Still, to both males and females, I would say not to ignore that sort of signal from your body. It could be nothing to worry about at all, but it's almost always better to let the doctors decide that sort of thing.

dheun@sbcglobal.net

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