Making a note ot it

The man whose name is on the stadium of the Kane County Cougars was in the news over the weekend.

The man who helped spearhead the creation of the Batavia Park District in 1969 has had to resign from the Batavia Park Board.

Because of health issues, 80-year-old Phil Elfstrom recently moved into The Holmstad retirement community, which is just outside of the park district’s boundaries.

As a result, Elfstrom had to resign from the board.

“I am disappointed,” Elfstrom said. “I would have liked to stay on.”

This year, he had two hip surgeries for his right hip.

“The first one didn’t work well, so I had another one," Elfstrom said. "I’m getting around."

Elfstrom said he knew The Holmstad was outside of the park district’s boundaries. He was elected to the board in April 2005 and his term expires in April 2011.

Fans were showing up at Phil Elfstrom Stadium to buy tickets for Cougar games next season.

Jay Carroll has been going to Kane County Cougars games since day one.

And on Saturday morning, before most had left the comfort of their warm beds, Carroll was at Elfstrom Stadium, braving the brisk winter breeze at an event that offered fans the first opportunity to buy tickets for the team’s 2009 season.

With a 2:30 a.m. arrival time, it’s not that much of a surprise that the Geneva resident was first in line. Carroll, who now brings his wife and three kids to the games, had the same spot last year.

“It’s exciting,” Carroll said, explaining that he set his mental alarm clock and headed off to the stadium to experience “the thrill of the hunt.”

But he wasn’t alone too long.

Bill Taylor of Hoffman Estates earned the No. 2 spot by showing up at 4 a.m., after which time the two men, who met under the same circumstances last year, took a walk around the stadium that is currently getting a $10.5 million face lift.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” Taylor said of the renovations that are slated to be complete before April 13, when the Cougars will face the Burlington Bees at their first home game of the season. “The quality of baseball is real good. ... They make plays as good as the ones in the Major League here.”

Shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday, more than 80 people were waiting to buy tickets, and officials were expecting a steady flow throughout the day.

Tickets for '09 on sale already? Why?

Cougars’ general manager Jeff Sedivy said the early ticket sale is one of his favorite events, explaining that most teams don’t put tickets on sale until the first of the year.

“Why make people stand in the snow?” Sedivy said, adding that it was also a great opportunity for fans to see the progress of the renovations, which include a second deck above the concourse that will have 15 skyboxes, two rooftop patio areas and a super suite.

We don't make them stand in the snow. We let fans in on the concourse last year.