However, for Sun City resident Patrick Conley, the Memorial Day parade moves at a much brisker tempo. As chairman of the Huntley Memorial Day parade, Conley is the chief organizer of the city’s triumphant trot through town.

First war, then fires, but Sun City resident Patrick Conley’s proudest march is through Huntley, as chairman of the Huntley Memorial Day Parade. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

“At first I thought organizing the parade was going to be a challenge, and it does take quite a bit of work,” Conley said. “I’ll put it this way: at the end of this month, we start organizing for next year to make sure we’ve got our ducks in a row.”

As a member of the American Legion, Conley has been at the helm of Huntley’s parade for four years and handles a lengthy list of duties. Some of these tasks are the most hectic during parade day.

“I’m there to get the parade going, and then I’m the last person who leaves the village hall once the parade has started,” he said. “I have to make it back downtown for the 21-gun salute.”

Before this, however, Conley must coordinate all applicants who wish to be involved, including assuring that all the applications are carefully reviewed. He revealed that a large part of the participation is done by local girl and boy scout troops, who place flags on the veterans’ graves the week prior.

Sun City Marines participating in a previous year’s Memorial Day parade. (Sun Day File Photo)

“The way we have it set up is that you get an application to be in the parade. There’s no cost or anything, and there is no limit,” Conley said.

However, that no-limit policy has posed problems in the past. Conley recalled one year when the parade’s leniency was exploited when a local taxi company decided to showcase a copious amount of its own cars in the parade’s already lengthy lineup.

“All we need is one vehicle, not all of them,” Conley said.

But it is not only automobiles that have caused a stir. One of Conley’s most memorable mishaps during the parade involved local livestock.

“One of my favorite memories is when we had the Illinois 8th Cavalry in the parade. These are men who are Civil War re-enactors. They rode their horses, and these horses had a habit of leaving a few road biscuits along the way. The guys from Public Works had to run along behind them with a shovel and broom. It was certainly something different that year,” Conley said.

Fortunately, most of Conley’s parade prep is smooth sailing. Perhaps this is due to Conley’s strong leadership abilities, which he attributes to his former career as a lieutenant in the Chicago Fire Department, where he worked for 34 years.

“It just helps me organize the parade that I was an officer,” Conley said, adding that he also learned the importance of team effort.

“Being a firefighter provided good camaraderie. It’s a fraternity, it’s a brotherhood,” he said.

In addition to his role as firefighter, Conley’s service in the United States Navy from 1961 to 1965 also prepared him for this Memorial Day job on both a personal and professional level.

“You have to be a veteran to join the American Legion, which organizes the parade,” he said. “The American Legion was formed in 1919 after the first World War, and I’ve been a member for 25 years.”

Clearly, Conley knows firsthand the memorial message within the march. His favorite part of the job?

“Watching the kids and the scouts have a ball helping out,” he said.

It’s not that we don’t appreciate the gift cards (or the free money they offer). Believe me, we do. The problem is, we lived without money for so long, we have no idea how to treat ourselves, and rarely are gift cards for things you need. And we’re still stuck in that “only spend for what you need” mentality. Furthermore, we’re terrible at keeping track of the cards. They sit on top of our microwave, gathering dust, like that task you promise to do but never quite get around to. Occasionally, we’ll scoop them up, flip through them (some going back 5 years), and wonder aloud, “Did you know we have $200 at Barnes & Noble! We should really use these.” But we don’t need anything from Barnes & Noble, so back in the pile they go.

The most longstanding cards in the deck were two gift cards given to us by my mother-in-law for The Cheesecake Factory. They totaled $100 and dated back 7 years. These surfaced time and time again, and each time, we promised ourselves to use them. It would be good for us to get out. But for two people who travel like it’s 1812 and haven’t really left the city limits in our lifetime, Schaumburg may as well be India. About a month ago, we were going through that pile of shame and resolved to use The Cheesecake Factory once and for all. And surprisingly, we kept to our promise.

Several editions ago, Sun Day Dining Columnist Sam Geati wrote one of his stellar reviews on The Cheesecake Factory and sang their praises for five straight columns. The only negative was that he decreed The Cheesecake Factory was a little pricey. Our visit to The Cheesecake Factory lived up Sam’s promise. It was outstanding. Except we disagree with Sam on the price issue.

We knew we’d never make it back out to The Cheesecake Factory again (in the next 20 years), so our execution was nothing short of a low-grade military strike with preplanned internet recon to their website and tactical workups: You distract the drinks and appetizers while I sneak up on the entrees; we’ll flank the coffee and desserts, and the bill won’t know what hit it. Our mission: use all $100 at all cost. No George Washingtons left standing. Take no prisoners but for doggie bags. Like lots of military operations, this didn’t go as easily as planned.

Have you ever tried to spend $100 at a upper-mid range restaurant on two people when one of you doesn’t drink and the other only moderately drinks? It’s almost impossible. And it’s not dining out, but shopping.

When the host gave us our menus, it was like walking through the aisles of a grocery store. My wife took out her calculator (lame, I know, but does that surprise you based on what’s been said so far?), and we quickly realized making it to $100 was going to be like John Candy powering through the Old 96er in The Great Outdoors. What made it worse is that we’re both relatively light eaters. My wife eats about as slow and as little as a toddler, and I’m more in the 8-year-old range when it comes to appetite: sometimes I eat a lot, sometimes nothing.

Ordering was a long time coming, and only after several “need another minute?” from our server (and number crunching, made harder by the fact drinks didn’t not have prices listed) did we feel confident to take on the menu full charge.

And once we started, I can’t imagine what our server thought of us, but she wore a huge grin the entire time. We ordered like kings but ate like paupers. It didn’t take long for our server to start practically bringing our carryout containers out with our meals.

If you’re wondering how it all stacked up, review the receipt and notice that for the first time ever, taxes (whose appetite is endless) actually helped, as did an error on the part of our server, who gave us an appetizer double the price of the one we actually ordered.

This newly diagnosed mental health issue in the United States, loneliness, is not about being alone. Instead it is the perception of being alone and isolated that matters. While loneliness is strongly affected by genetics and low self-esteem, other contributing factors may be loss of a job or retirement and the closure of relationships established at that workplace; moving to a new location and imposed physical isolation as a result; divorce; and death or the loss of someone significant in a person’s life. Having just three or four close friends or confidants is enough to ward off loneliness and to reduce the negative health consequences associated with this state of mind.

Not surprisingly, 62 percent of clinically depressed individuals also reported being lonely. Depression (my last H&W discussed this illness) and loneliness often appear together and are often mistaken for each other; though they are two distinct mental states. Depression is feeling sad, lethargic, apathetic, and listless; loneliness is feeling alienated, threatened, hostile, and desperate. A person can be depressed but not be lonely if family members are supportive of his/her condition. A person can also be in a reasonably good mood about life in general but still feel socially isolated if he/she doesn’t know or trust the people nearby.

It is very normal to experience loneliness for brief periods of time, but as in clinical depression, there’s a difference in a fleeting condition and one which becomes chronic. Besides being one of the most important factors leading to depression and possible suicide, what then are other health risks associated with chronic loneliness?

1. A diet high in fats and sugars and a lack of exercise with a resulting propensity towards obesity
2. Heart and cardiovascular disease and stroke
3. Increased stress levels and decrease in immune system functioning
4. Altered brain function, decreased memory and learning, poor decision-making
5. Antisocial behavior
6. Alcoholism and drug abuse
7. The progression of Alzheimer’s disease
8. Less efficient sleep
9. Disruption of cellular processes in the body predisposing us to premature aging

Because seniors often have numerous other health issues to contend with, it’s important to know how to treat and prevent chronic loneliness. Here are a few tips by experts in the field on how to overcome chronic loneliness:

1. Recognize that chronic loneliness is a sign that something needs to be changed.
2. Understand that these changes need to begin with nutrition, exercise, and sleep patterns.
3. Volunteer and join a social club or community organization such as a church.
4. Focus on developing quality relationships with people who share similar attitudes, interests, and values with you.
5. Expect the best. Lonely people often expect rejection, so instead, focus on positive thoughts and attitudes in your social relationships.
6. Adopt a pet and receive a sure friend with an unconditional love for you.
7. Stay in touch with former acquaintances.
8. Educate yourself. Because this is a relatively new field of mental illness, credible self-help groups have not been organized yet. Seek out a good therapist for dialogue. Probe the roots of chronic loneliness.
9. Don’t substitute electronic communication for face-to-face contact.
10. As in clinical depression, learn to adjust to life’s changes; become more flexible.

Know that chronic loneliness can be contagious. According to marketing results, we all chose to live in a Del Webb community because of the great activities leading to meaningful relationships among its residents, because of the active environment, and because of the fun atmosphere. What better place for us to make sociability and happiness contagious!

If you know anyone here who might need coaxing to join in the Sun City Lifestyle, get out there with and interest them. You can do the same with a family member or other friend/s who appear to be suffering from chronic loneliness. Help them enjoy life wherever and whenever possible!

Family Alliance, a private organization in Woodstock, is available to help both McHenry and Kane County Sun City homebound elderly and their caregivers to achieve a more positive and meaningful life.

“Our ‘R.E.A.CH.’ Program’s purpose is to help isolated seniors with transportation difficulties access to achieve the best that they can be through socialization programs that operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday with warm breakfast and lunch served and transportation available,” Cheryl Levinson, clinical director, said.

“Our ‘R.E.A.C.H. Too’ Memory Loss Program also involves a specialized day program for seniors diagnosed with dementia, as well as programs for their caregivers,” she added.

The Caregiver Support Groups usually meet at Drendel Ballroom in two different sessions: the fourth Monday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to noon (contact Inez Young at 815-385-4672), and the second Monday of each month at the same time (contact Ann May at 815-338-3590). On June 21, a “R.E.A.C.H. FOR A Free Day at FAMILY ALLIANCE” will take place. To register, call 815-338-3590.

Sun City sprawls across both McHenry and Kane counties, and the rules and regulations for both are relatively the same. Just about everything can be recycled today, so instead of listing all the items that can be recycled, here are some that absolutely cannot be recycled: utensils, propane tanks, wire hangers, small appliances, bakeware, ceramics, mirrors, and light bulbs to name a few.

To find a full list of rules and regulations on recycling in McHenry County visit www.mchenry.edu/recycling/index.asp or call Waste Management of Illinois at 1-630-724-8400 with any questions. For Kane County rules and regulations, visit www.countyofkane.org/pages/recycling/default.aspx and click on the Kane County Recycles Green Guide link right under the recycle logo. You can also call Kane County Recycles at 630-208-3841.

On Saturday May 19, there will be a Residential Electronic Waste and Recycling Event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McHenry County Government Center, 667 Ware Road in Woodstock. Attendees can recyle: televisions, Styrofoam, computers, cell phones, typewriters, microwave ovens, and more. There is a limit of 10 electronic items per resident. For a full list of all of the items accepted, please visit www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/health/Pages/MCDHindex.aspx or call Kristy Hecke, Solid Waste Manager at 815-334-4585.

Cutline: Betty Barnett brought her dog, Princess, home from Anderson Animal Shelter in Elgin seven years ago. Since then, she has worked to support the shelter through its fundraising efforts. (Photo by Mason Souza/Sun Day)

Anderson Animal Shelter in Elgin is collecting used jewelry, handbags, and dog clothes through the summer and will sell the pieces on September 7 and 8 at the American Legion Hall at 22 South Second St. in Geneva. The sale runs in tandem with Geneva’s Festival of the Vine.

“What you find, though, in many cases, is we older people give our jewelry to our grandchildren to play with,” Barnett said. “So sometimes you hate to not give it to the grandchild, but this is certainly a worthy cause.”

Sun City residents can drop off their jewelry at Barnett’s home, located at 12662 Rock Island trail. Those who donate jewelry will receive a 25 percent discount at the sale.

A baker herself, Barnett is also seeking baked goods from residents to sell alongside the jewelry as part of an accompanying bake sale.

“When they contact me, what I usually try to do is make sure that I’m not getting 50 percent brownies and 50 percent chocolate chip cookies, but pies, cookies, brownies, cakes, coffee cakes – whatever is their specialty,” she said.

The sale is the biggest fundraising event Anderson hosts. Last year, sales brought in $21,000 to the shelter. The jewelry that does not get sold at the festival is sold at the shelter’s annual gala in November. The money raised goes to provide basic needs for animals at the shelter, like food, medical care, and spaying or neutering.

“It’s truly a wonderful event; it’s organized so well. I’m hoping I can get people from Sun City to also attend the event,” Barnett said of the sale.

Anderson Animal Shelter accepts contributions throughout the year, and volunteers with the shelter encouraged those who don’t have jewelry to give other supplies or cash. More information on the shelter’s needs can be found at their website, andersonanimalshelter.org.

This most recent burglary took place on April 6 on Cold Springs Drive. Though the resident had been out of town since March 27, Sgt. Michael Hewitt of the Huntley Police Department said the recent burglaries did not sync with “snow bird” residents’ vacation schedules.

Hewitt said there is only one obvious trend in the burglaries: the thieves are looking for the same items. Likewise, his advice to residents remains the same as before.

“The pattern that we’ve seen is all cash and jewelry, and if you have those kind of items, lock them up in a secure safe,” Hewitt said.

What has changed since the burglaries is an increased vigilance among residents. Hewitt said calls to 9-1-1 reporting suspicious people or behavior have increased in the past two months.

Hewitt also noted that interest in Neighborhood Watch in Sun City has picked up since the March 7 meeting. Anyone interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group can contact Hewitt at 847-515-5334.

Meanwhile, Huntley Police have been deploying surveillance units consisting of officers in plain clothes and plain cars patrolling Sun City. These undercover officers have approached some people in Sun City but found they all had a reason to be there.

Though police provide specialized protection, there are some things residents can do on their own to ensure their security. George Laegeler, president of Integrated Security Specialists, has spoken to Sun City residents in the past and has heard their concerns on home security.

ISS offers home evaluation and installation of customized security systems for homes. Laegeler said customers ask for anything from a comprehensive security and home analysis setup to a couple of locks.

“Anything that makes [burglars] think twice or go somewhere else is better than nothing,” he said.

One thing Laegeler does not recommend is simply buying home security stickers and putting them on windows when property is not actually secured with any system.

Having an actual security system active with a keypad visible from the front door is better, but Laegeler cautions people to keep vigilant about leaving security systems on.

“If the customer doesn’t set it religiously, [thieves] look through the window and they can tell that it’s not on, because they forgot to turn it on,” he said.

Anyone installing security systems in a home is required by law to have a state-approved license. This is enforced to prevent opportunists from finding new target homes by pretending to install systems.

Many modern homes in the area are built with basic locks. A Certified Master Locksmith, Laegeler offered a few options for upgrades.

“What the builder provides is pretty poor; it’s basic security at its best,” Laegeler said. “And if you go to Home Depot, they’re going to have that same quality, maybe one step up, and then that’s about it. And if you go to a locksmith, there’s about two grades above that, so there’s definitely better quality.”

Double cylinder deadbolt locks, which require a key to unlock from both the outside and inside, were a topic of discussion at the March 7 meeting.

“Security-wise, that works extremely well,” Laegeler said of double cylinder deadbolts. “If you talk to a fireman or a fire department or anybody else, they’ll tell you that’s the worst thing in the world because when your house catches on fire, they find you on the floor because you can’t find your keys.”

Laegeler said any residents looking to install such a lock should make certain to know where their keys are at all times to prevent such a misfortune.

Most importantly, Laegeler advised residents to remove the opportunity for thieves to enter their homes by keeping homes secure, keeping valuables hidden, and keeping vacation plans known to only trusted parties.

“There’s a random thief that’s just looking for houses. If he finds an open door, that’s an excellent opportunity. If he decides he’s going to kick down the door, that’s a different opportunity. If he knows who you are and he knows what’s inside your house because he has knowledge of it, those are the hardest to stop because they’re the most determined,” Laegeler said.

Stingrays assistant coach Len Lencioni brought home two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal at the Illinois State Swim Meet at The University of Illinois in Chicago. (Photo provided)

Len narrowly missed two medals, taking fourth place in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard breaststroke events. He also received two 7th place medals: one each in the 50-yard freestyle and in the 100-yard Breaststroke swims. He was able to score points for the Stingrays in all of his eight competitions. The Stings finished with 45 points, placing the Sun City swim club in 21st place out of the 36 teams that participated.

The Stingrays are currently preparing for a demonstration of synchronized water skills and movements to be performed in conjunction with the Feeling Great Is Ageless Expo on Wednesday, May 23rd, from noon to 1 p.m. at Prairie Lodge’s indoor pool. Admission is free. Plan to come early, as seating is limited. Check it out – you won’t be disappointed!

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain spoke at a May 2 meeting of the Edgewater Veterans group. The mayor discussed a wide range of issues, including the decision to end Elgin’s senior rebate program. (Photo by Hannah Sturtecky/Sun Day)

He opened his talk with some notices pertinent to the veterans. First, the sad news of the burial of Alex Martinez, the first Elgin veteran to die in combat in the past 50 years. Martinez, a 21-year-old corporal, was killed in Afghanistan in April.

Next, Kaptain addressed the Elgin Veterans Memorial Park, which will have its waterfront design revealed at 4 p.m. on May 18. The project, which represents phase II of the park’s development, is set to cost between $62,000 and $67,000.

Several changes are coming to Elgin in the form of taxes. Among the first Kaptain discussed was the city’s property taxes.

“I said for five years that the property tax was unfair in Elgin,” Kaptain said. “It was too high, and the council for it has not touched property tax in 17 years. Because of the [Grand Victoria] riverboat, they left the multiplier the same, so every time your home value went up, your taxes went up.”

Elgin is on a five-year plan to reduce the city’s portion of property tax bills by 25 percent. In order to fulfill this plan, Kaptain explained Elgin will have to find funds elsewhere.

As part of Elgin’s $268.7 million budget enacted last December, Elgin will see a 3 percent tax on alcohol sales, a use-based electric utility tax, and a sales tax increase from .75 to 1.25 percent. Each of the tax increases will become effective July 1.

Kaptain said these new taxes are replacing what was originally taken from residents’ property taxes.

“I don’t like hiding things in the property tax; I want people to know what they’re paying for and where that money goes,” he said.

The increased sales tax is used to make up for funds formerly raised by the Grand Victoria Casino, whose revenue has been decreasing in recent years. Money raised from the tax will go toward a dedicated street improvement fund.

Kaptain criticized politicians for investing in roads only when they are up for re-election.

“I’m ending that,” he said. “We’re spending what’s in the sales tax, [and] I want to spend the same amount every year.”

Kaptain drew attention not only to city roads, but what runs beneath them. He told the audience that in some parts of Elgin, the sewers are over 100 years old and past their life expectancy.

“We have areas in town that are like Swiss cheese. And a lot of neighborhoods in town, it’s not the streets that fail, it’s the water that’s underneath,” he said.

A proposed storm-water utility tax would be used to pay for the sewer work.

Not all plans for Elgin have a low profile. Artspace is a project currently under construction in Downtown Elgin set to be complete this October. When finished, Artspace will be a 55-unit apartment space for artists on limited income. Kaptain credited the idea to former Elgin mayor Ed Schock.

“The reason I supported [Schock] is they did this in 30 other communities, and it worked 30 times; can’t do any better than that,” he said. “It improved the community; it improves the tax base; it takes a piece of property that was paying no taxes in the city of Elgin because it was owned by Elgin Community College, and now it’s going to pay tax back into the city.”

Another project in the works is the new Riverside Drive Promenade. The promenade would take the place of an old parking deck, offering a new roadway, pedestrian and bike paths, and a riverfront view to businesses.

The project, which has an estimated total cost of $13.05 million to $14.34 million, will be paid for by an $8 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and a $1 million grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The rest of the cost will be paid through money from Downtown Elgin’s tax increment financing district.

If Kaptain was going for a theme in his message to the group, it may have been that all Elginites must pull together to solve the city’s economic problems.

He told the group that this year’s $200 property tax rebate for residents 65 and older would be the last given.

The annual rebate began as a promise made in 1997 based on the amount the casino was pulling in at the time. According to Kaptain, it was decided then that if the casino made over $13,250,000 in a year, the rebate would be awarded.

“Our senior rebate this year was $840,000. Now we get $12 million from the riverboat, so about one out of every twelve dollars went to that senior rebate,” Kaptain said.

Members of the Elgin Veterans group pause for a moment of reflection before the start of their May 2 meeting. The group consists of about 110 members and meets on the first Wednesday of every month. (Photo by Hannah Sturtecky/Sun Day)

The decision to end the rebate was based not only on a lack of funds, but the idea that the money was not used in the best way.

“I had a lot of problems with it; I think the people that needed [the money] didn’t get it, people who, for example, rented didn’t get anything. You have to pay property tax to get something from it,” Kaptain said.

Kaptain’s idea was also influenced by Maj. Ken Nicolai of the Salvation Army, who informed him that 150 people in Elgin receive meals from Golden Diners, a program that delivers food to seniors who are deemed unable to cook or travel to receive food themselves.

The problem? 50 seniors eligible for the program are unable to receive food from it due to a lack of funds.

“And I said, ‘Something’s wrong in this town if we have 50 people that can’t get a free lunch service and we’re giving away $800,000,’” Kaptain said. “So what I asked [Nicolai] to do is come back to us at the city council and make recommendations on how to use that money to help those who need it most.”

Continuing this theme, Kaptain informed residents that not-for-profit organizations that were previously tax exempt would begin paying the electric utility tax in July and a proposed stormwater utility fee if it were to become active.

Born in Paw Paw Michigan on September 14, 1920, Cosman moved with her parents Burton and Ruby Smith to rural Itasca, where they started a farm. It was there that Cosman met her husband Elmer, and the two were married on November 26, 1942.

The Cosmans later moved to Dundee Township, in an area that is now at the intersection of County Line and Randall Road. At that time, the area was still undeveloped, and Randall Road was merely a one-and-a-half-lane gravel-and-dirt road. Cosman’s daughter, Mary Lou Harp, remembered getting stuck in the road while moving in.

Though they lived in – as Elmer put it – the boondocks, the family needed little more than each other’s company.

“We’ve always been a very close-knit family, and I guess raised on a farm, you always worked together, you did things together,” Harp said.

Harp remembered several family vacations and trips together. It was this close-knit bonding that would bring the family together once again.

Cosman moved to Del Webb in 2000, and Harp followed her to the community not long after. Harp said her mother enjoyed playing card games like Hand and Foot with other residents.

Cosman’s best-known legacy in Huntley is the Cosman Cultural Center, constructed in 2003. As part of the Huntley Park District, the center is a house for the performing arts, with a theater that can seat 288 people. A music and performing arts enthusiast, Cosman made the donation for the center’s construction in an effort to give the arts a place to thrive in Huntley.

Thom Palmer, the Park District’s executive director, said it was always a pleasure letting Cosman know of the center’s upcoming events and enjoyed bringing her vision to life.

Harp remembers her mother as a strong woman who loved nothing more than spending time with her family.

Cosman is survived by her daughter Mary, son Bruce, brother Robert, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

When they open their 11th season at Eakin Field this Saturday, they will have one of the largest and most prestigious guest lists – including large contingents from the Huntley Fire and Police Departments, possibly Mayor Chuck Sass, and village trustees, administrators, and representatives of many village businesses, who sponsor teams each year.

Above and below: Sun City softball teams get in a little preseason warm-ups before the 2010 season. (Sun Day File Photo)

In short, it takes a village to get the league started the right way.

Every year, the league prays and hopes for nice weather and usually gets it. “It was cold and windy last year, but it was dry,” Bob Kennedy, president of the league’s seven-member board, said.

There are few sports that demand, and get, the fierce loyalty that softball players feel toward the sport. Most of the Sun City players have played softball since childhood. Some are graduates of the famous Windy City 16-inch league that has produced so many outstanding national championship teams. “I’ve played softball for 40 of my last 48 years,” Kennedy said. “I grew up playing the game in Madison, Wisconsin, and I continued when I moved down to the Chicago area. As long as my legs and arms work, I’ll play.”

Some players are well into their 80s. Pete Karambelas is a good example. He’s 86 or 87 and one of the best players in the league at 5-3 and about 135 pounds. He pitches, roams the outfield, and runs the bases with the best of them. He plays because it’s a symbol of his ability to hold off Father Time and enjoy his retirement far beyond what most men are able to.

They play because of the camaraderie of friendly competition and of Sun City neighborhoods. “We offer opportunities all summer to socialize and build relationships and to play our favorite sport,” Kennedy said. “We build our teams around neighborhoods so that friends and neighbors play with friends. It’s our neighborhood concept.”

This year, the league has 240 players on 22 teams in three divisions, including four women. “We’ve had a couple of women for a few years, and this year, we added two more,” Kennedy said.

The league even has its own version of the New York Yankees.

“The Adjustors won the American Division of the Evening 16-inch league last year, and they have kind of dominated the division in recent years. We keep teams together year after year, so a team has a chance to win a lot of games.”

“The Fuelers won the regular season and post-season tournament last year in the National Division and are strong again this year,” Kennedy said. “The Lumbarjacks beat the Adjustors last year in the playoffs, so they are another good team. The Bears won the morning 16-inch league last year.”

“The best players are in the American Division of the evening 16-inch division, the next-best are in the National Division, and it goes down a bit from there,” Kennedy said. “Each team plays an 18-game schedule in the regular season from mid-May to September, and then we finish up with playoffs in each division in September.”

In addition to its jazzy opening day, the league collaborates with National Night Out officials in Huntley to stage the event at Eakin Field, complete with an all-star game played by selected players from the evening league. This event is held on the first Tuesday in August.

The league’s seven-member board is one of Sun City’s busiest year-round. Kennedy, as president, takes care of team rosters and scheduling. Pat McKay is in charge of field maintenance. Fred Thomas is in charge of umpires, Tony Nicosia is communications director and keeps tabs on scorekeepers, Don Keene takes care of the league’s webpage, and John Boyle is treasurer.

“Our season goes from April to September, but the board works virtually year-round,” Kennedy said. “Right after the September playoffs, we start putting together registrations and rosters for the next season.”

And in 11 seasons, no one has a hit a ball out of spacious Eakin Field on the fly. The story is still told about an outfielder chasing a well-hit ball on the warning track near the fence in left field a few years ago.

“He turned to try and catch it; the ball hit him in the head and bounced over the fence,” Kennedy recalled.

In the last couple of years, the league has adopted a new rule. If a batted ball goes over the fence on one bounce, it’s a home run.

“We adopt ASA (Amateur Softball Association) rules, but we aren’t afraid to modify them to suit our players and Eakin Field,” Kennedy said.

Nobody has hit a ball that way yet, he said. “But it probably will happen sometime,” he concluded.

For this column, I interviewed Elmer Britton. Elmer has 80 years of vegetable gardening experience. In my book, this qualifies him as an expert. Vegetable gardening was done out of necessity for many of those 80 years. His vegetable gardening began in 1932. It was a way for his family of 15 to feed themselves. As Elmer states matter-of-factly, “Vegetable gardening was a must. Without it, we would have had no food.”

In Bartlett they had 24 acres of very rich low land on which they grew a wide variety of vegetables including: tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, green beans, watermelons, sweet corn, popping corn, squash, and potatoes. They even experimented with celery.

At eight years old, the one thing Elmer learned from that experience was to take instruction from his father. In addition to 12 children working the soil, they also had a team of 2 horses. Using the team of horses and a single bottom plow, he learned the value of preparing the soil well prior to planting. I was also reminded of this recently when someone said to me, “You plant a $5 plant in a $50 hole.” Yes, high quality plants are important, but the quality of soil is more important. Mushroom compost and Peat moss are excellent soil amendments. They add valuable nutrients to the soil.

When planting day arrives each spring, Elmer takes his time marking the rows. He uses two stakes, a string, and a wooden folding ruler. He carefully measures out the distance between each row, varying the distance depending on the type of vegetable. Zucchini need more room between the rows and hills, green peppers need less. “Don’t plant pumpkins and muskmelons near each other,” Elmer reminds us. “They can cross-pollinate, and you can end up with very strange looking and tasting fruit.” For fine seeds such as lettuce and carrots, Elmer uses a coffee can filled with moist sand. He mixes the seeds with the sand and then using his hoe on an angle creates a very small trench. He then gathers a handful of the sand and seed mixture and carefully spreads it out along the small ditch. This helps to spread out the seeds and prevents them from germinating too closely.

Procrastination is not possible with vegetable gardening. A little weeding each day will keep your garden clean and the plants healthy. Take into consideration the width between your rows and the width of your rototiller when planting. Hand cultivation is a necessity. There are commercial products available to assist with weed suppression. Preen makes a product designed to suppress weeds in vegetable gardens before they germinate.

“Rain is the best form of watering a garden can get,” Elmer said. If supplemental watering is needed, water in the morning. This helps to prevent the spread of disease in your garden. It is vital that you keep the garden clean. These days Elmer is assisted by his great grandchildren. He helps them with the planning, and they help him with the weeding and harvesting.

Planting and growing vegetables in containers is becoming more and more popular. Container vegetable gardening is a great way to successfully grow your own produce. Although you don’t necessarily need a fancy container, there are container systems that are specifically designed for growing tomatoes and green peppers. I recently saw on a Sun City patio two large planters filled with lettuce. The homeowners had the foresight to plant lettuce seeds early last winter and are enjoying the lettuce this spring. Walking out to your own patio and harvesting cherry tomatoes for lunch is one of the true joys in life.

“Harvesting is the easiest part of the whole job,” Elmer tells us. During the harvesting season, your garden needs to be checked daily, and the fruit and vegetables need to be picked promptly. Elmer’s wife Jean is standing ready in the kitchen to process the fruits of Elmer’s labor. She has canned each of the last 65 summers.

Thinking of planting a few vegetables this year? Take Elmer’s lead. Now is the perfect time for you to put those thoughts into action and enjoy the own fruits of your labor.

Thanks, Grandpa, for this interview and all the knowledge over the years.

Bill and Natalie Witty began dating after they met while volunteering with the U.S. Power Squadrons, a non-profit group that educates people on boating safety. (Photo provided)

They were only friends at first; Natalie helped organize some fundraisers and Bill was working his way through the ranks – he is a past rear commander today.

The passing of Natalie’s husband marked a turn in their lives, however. “By this point, [Bill and I] had known each other for about eight years,” she said. “He encouraged me to get more involved with the group…and I eventually did. He swore me in about 25 years ago. And then we started to date.”

“You make friends and they encourage you to go on with life,” Natalie added regarding her husband’s passing. “Life goes on, that’s the key. Bill’s a very patient man. He asked me out once or twice and I didn’t go. And then, I did.”

Natalie and Bill tied the knot 22 years ago but have been active members of the organization, a non-profit volunteer-based organization whose mission is to promote maritime safety and safe boating through education, ever since.

The volunteering came in addition to full-time jobs for both: Bill, before retiring at age 80 (he’s now 87), worked at a photography business for over 40 years. Natalie, now 69, was part of the wine and spirit industry, serving as an office manager for Terlato Wine Group, based in Lake Bluff, Ill., for 27 years.

“You have energy and time and the desire to want to do something constructive. And [after retiring], we just kept this going. There’s a lot to the Power Squadrons that you get involved in, and that’s what great about it. You can pick and choose what you’re interested in,” Natalie said.

The organization primarily teaches boating courses to the American public. “That’s our first purpose,” Natalie said. Classes offered teach those interested a variety of topics regarding safe travel on the sea, including piloting, navigation, seamanship, and engine maintenance.

In order to become a member of the Power Squadrons, one must first take the basic “America’s boating course.” Natalie said as soon as her first class finished, she started enrolling in more specific classes. She’s made it through the junior navigation course, with a “JN” affixed to her title. Bill has completed all courses, with senior navigation being the final course, and “SN” follows his title.

“There’s more than just those courses, though,” Natalie said. “There’s also weather, sailing, marine electronics, and cruise planning. There are a lot of classes to choose from. It’s good education, especially if you are out on the water. You want to have a good education.”

Though Natalie and Bill both have an extensive boating education, they do not boat as often anymore. The two owned a boat together, but sold it a couple of years ago.

“In this area, you can really only use a boat for four months out of the year. We don’t really go out on the water anymore, but if we’re invited to go, we’ll go,” Natalie said.

Bill and Natalie serve on various committees through the district and national office, while maintaining their membership to the Skokie Valley Sail and Power squadron.

The national organization is broken up into 33 districts, which serve specific portions of the United States. The district that the Wittys belong to, the 20th district, serves as north as Racine, Wisc., as south as Springfield, and serves Rockford, Two Rivers, and Clinton, Iowa.

Bill currently works on the publication support committee, which is part of the organization’s education department, and serves on the communications committee. Natalie is the chairman of the district planning committee, a member of the district nominating committee, and serves on the national vault committee.

In addition, the two travel around the country to attend all the national meetings. In years past, they have added Florida, North Carolina, Reno, Washington, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Portland to their list of “places visited.”

“We’ve been able to make some magnificent friends, too. This organization makes for a very good social life,” Natalie said.

Members of the District Executive Committee gather for a picture during their May 4 meeting. (Photo provided)

Though Edgewater does not host specific boating classes, Natalie said maritime skills are still important for anyone to learn.

“By the time people move out here, they’ve already taken boating classes. We’re trying now to attract new members through advertisements in newspapers and if there’s a recreational show or a boat show. We always have booths with lists of classes available through the entire district,” she added.

One of the main goals the Wittys hope to instill in those interested is the need for education on boating.

“A lot of people who are out on the water have not taken a course about safe boating, and they think they know what they’re doing. What we’re trying to do is to teach people to be responsible. There are ‘rules of the road’ with boating, much like there are for cars,” Natalie said.

In addition, any resident who owns a boat and is looking for a free vessel safety check – a program co-sponsored by the Power Squadrons and the U.S. Coast Guard – or is looking to further their maritime education or knows someone in the family who would benefit is encouraged to call the Wittys at 847-841-1345 or visit the Fox Valley Sail and Power Squadron’s website at foxvalley.uspsd20.org

“We’ll steer them in the right direction,” Natalie added, no pun intended.

If your 911 light switch – the one that flashes the outside light to help the 911 responders find your house – stops working, it may not be broken. There is a reset lever in the lower left corner of the switch. If the switch does not turn the outside lights on, try pulling this reset lever down with your fingernail and push it back up. If a power surge trips the switch, this reset should restore the switch to working condition. If this does not fix the problem, you will have to replace the switch. If you turn on the lights and you see a bright flash in the switch, it has probably failed and has welded the contacts together. If this happens, you will not be able to turn the lights off, and you will need to replace the switch.

The original switch was made by Leviton, but they no longer make that switch. There is a replacement switch made by Pass & Seymour, model TM8LOCATORW, the last letter indicating switch color. The switch is available from:

Westside Electric Supply, Inc.
1530 N. LaFox St.
South Elgin, IL 60177
Phone: 847-468-1000

The switch costs $34.52 and will fit right into the place of the old one. It is as easy to install as any light switch with two wires to connect. Be sure to trip the circuit breaker before removing the old switch. If you have never replaced a light switch, get someone who has to change this one for you.

Please do not use this switch to flash your outside lights to help the pizza delivery man find your house. It is only for 911 emergencies to help the vehicles find your house.

Mulch Volcanoes

If you or your landscaper have put new mulch around the plantings in your yard and it looks like a volcano around the base of your trees, you have a common problem in Sun City called “mulch volcanoes.” While you may like the looks of these structures, they are killing your trees. Please go to www.mysundaynews.com and reread the Ask the Woodchucks article on the damage these mulch volcanoes are causing and how to remedy it.

Washing machine review

It has come to our attention that there are still some washing machines in Sun City that are attached to the water line with rubber hoses. These hoses are subject to failure as they age, and when they fail, they pour water into your laundry room at an alarming rate. They are easily and inexpensively replaced with braided metal hoses that have a much longer life.

It is also a good idea to turn off the water to the washing machine when it is not in use. When the water is on, there is full line pressure on the hoses, and the water pressure in Huntley is high. This water pressure will find any weakness in the hoses and cause them to burst.

Pet screen

If you have pets that scratch your door or window screens, there is a good solution. There is now a heavy duty screen material that will stand up to all but the largest and most aggressive pets. You can have your screens rescreened with this material at Ace Hardware.

Light bulbs

In a recent article I told you about the different types of energy-saving light bulbs. I cautioned about the fact that CFL light bulbs take a few minutes to come to full brightness. On a recent trip to buy 65-watt equivalent recessed light bulbs, I found some that are marked “I am instantly bright.” These solve that pesky problem.

If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home, submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages one to 14. For every child who drowns, four more are hospitalized for nearly drowning. Sixty-one percent of all childhood drowning deaths that occur among the one-to-14 age group occur among children ages four and under. And past studies have found male children have a drowning rate two to four times that of female children.

Now that we have your attention, let’s talk about pool safety and specifically what you can do about it.

Before you and/or your child or grandchild get in the pool, you should first take a few minutes to talk about “Pool Rules.” Your emphasis should be on the rules that affect safety. Let them tell you some rules. Hopefully they will recite rules such as: no Running, no eating or chewing gum, no backward jumping or somersaults, no jumping off the pool ladder, no swinging or hanging from the pool handrails.

Next, ask them to give you the reason for each rule. No running = might fall and get hurt or slip on wet floor, no eating = choking hazard, no backward jumps = might jump on someone or hit head or chin on edge of pool, no jumping off pool ladder = might slip on step and fall behind the ladder steps, no swinging or hanging on rails = slippery when wet, might fall. Use your imagination and bring the explanations to their level of understanding. Rules are not meant to take away the fun from a pool visit. They are meant to keep everyone safe and considerate of others’ enjoyment.

Never let your grandchild enter the pool until you say “OK.” This is a hard lesson for a restless 3-year-old but an important one for them to obey. You don’t want them in the water until 100 percent of your attention is on them.

Parents and grandparents frequently over-estimate their child’s swimming ability. For many children, the only time they see a pool is during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Those not participating in pool activities during other months most likely will forget what was learned the previous summer. Proceed cautiously, especially at the beginning of the outdoor pool season. Remember, you are the one who is watching your child 100 percent of the time. Your eyes are on them at all times. Don’t get distracted. It just takes a second or two for a child to get into trouble – choking on water, getting bumped by another, getting a cramp.

There are a number of specific things the adult should do at the pool.

Enforce hourly pool breaks. Children do not do a good job of monitoring their fatigue level.

Have the child drink water during that pool break. It’s easy to forget that we need to hydrate ourselves when we are surrounded by water. Discourage any drinking of pool water. The chemicals in the pool are quite different from drinking water and might cause a tummy-ache.

Use the “Reach Supervision” rule. An adult is always within reaching distance of a child. That usually means the adult needs to be in the pool with the child. There should be at least one adult in a bathing suit who is supervising that child.

If you’re dealing with an older, larger child or an adult, follow the “Reach, Throw, Don’t Go” guideline. Reach with a noodle, towel, pole, ring buoy toward the distressed swimmer. Throw a ring buoy, noodle, kickboard, anything that floats. The “Don’t Go” rule is especially important for a younger child to follow. Even if they are willing to help their older sibling who suddenly got a cramp or is choking on swallowed water, emphasize the importance of not going after the distressed swimmer but instead getting an adult to help. Never put yourself in jeopardy when trying to help someone in the pool. A distressed swimmer will likely pull you under. Then who will help the two of you?

All it takes is a sudden cramp, swallowed water, or a bump from a fellow pool user for someone to get into trouble. Distressed swimmers usually don’t yell for help. That’s why our eyes should be on each other to make our pool visit a safe and happy one.

Today’s recipe comes from Carolyn Schachtner. Carolyn writes:

I was born and raised in Vincennes, Indiana. My family moved to Chicago during the height of the 1940′s recession where work was more plentiful. I graduated from Hirsch High School in Chicago and then went to Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where I earned a B.S. degree in Education. While at NIU, I was introduced to my husband, Bob, who was a lifelong resident of Huntley. We were married in April of 1956 and set up housekeeping in Huntley. Bob worked for Dean Foods for 45 years, never missing a day of work. We had a home on Grove Street in Huntley, where we raised four children.

I worked as a teacher in the Huntley Elementary School District for 16 years. I received my master’s degree in special education from NIU and worked for the Special Education District of McHenry County for 10 years. After retiring from teaching, I worked at the Huntley Library in its beginnings on Algonquin Rd. When my husband died in 1998, I looked into buying a townhouse in Sun City. After living in the townhouse for three years, I sold it and bought a house in Neighborhood 12.

I have never regretted my move to Sun City, making many new friends here while continuing my friendship with longtime Huntley residents. I have gotten involved with the Sew ‘N Sews, the Strutters tap dancing group, and the Sun City bridge groups. Life here is so good, where I continue to collect recipes from my new friends.

Recently, I returned from Florida and am settling back into Illinois. I see in my yard that I have rhubarb coming up, so I hunted up my favorite rhubarb cake recipe. It came from a fellow cooking enthusiast, Roberta Staab, who lives in Huntley. I have known her for over 50 years. We met as young brides through our husbands, who both worked for Dean Foods. We have swapped many recipes over the years. Her recipes are usually handed down from her mother or friends and can be counted on to be good. Here is the recipe:

RHUBARB CAKE

Mix well in this order:

1-1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk (Add 1 T. vinegar to 1 c. milk to make the sour milk)
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1-1/2 t. vanilla
1-1/2 c. chopped rhubarb

Pour batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan.

Mix 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c chopped nuts, 1/2 T. melted butter, 1 t. cinnamon.

Sprinkle above mixture over cake before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

This cake can be served with whipped cream as a dessert or plain as a coffee cake.

Enjoy!

Carolyn Schachtner

As he watched, the gentleman carefully divided the hamburger in half, then counted out the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them. Then he poured half of the soft drink into the extra cup and set that in front of his wife. The old man then began to eat, and his wife sat watching, with her hands folded in her lap.

The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs.

The old gentleman said, “Oh, no. We’ve been married 50 years, and everything has always been and will always be shared, 50/50.”

The young man then asked the wife if she was going to eat, and she replied, “Not yet. It’s his turn with the teeth.

On my first “cruise” of the Dollar Stretcher site, I came across an article on savvy steps to save on gas. The article quoted from findings and recommendations of the Federal Trade Commission. Here are a few tips it offered for us to “stretch” our gas dollars:

1. You can increase your gas mileage by 4 percent if you maintain your vehicle in accordance with recommendations provided in the owner’s manual for the vehicle. For example, use the proper octane level and change the oil and filters in accordance with the recommended schedule. Many of us change our oil every 3,000 miles, but some vehicles only need it every 7,500 miles.

2. You can add an extra 3 percent to your gas mileage by keeping the tires at the right inflation levels and maintaining proper wheel alignment

3. When you drive faster than 60 mph, your gas mileage decreases. Ronnie Kweller, spokesperson for the Alliance to Save Energy, was quoted as saying: “Every five miles over 60 mph is like paying another 20 cents per gallon for gas.”

4. Use smartphone applications to research the cheapest gas prices in your area. I recently downloaded the free application GasBuddy and found it to be very accurate. Without traveling too far, you can save five or 10 cents a gallon at each fill-up.

5. Take advantage of the loyalty programs offered by credit cards for “cash back” or “points” that can be later redeemed for cash. Some service stations will have a cheaper price if you pay by cash. Take the lower option and optimize your savings.

This was just a small sample of tips offered on the Dollar Stretcher website. If you have a favorite resource that you use for money saving ideas, send it in so we can share it with our Sun Day readers.

Keep those letters coming, folks. Send in your questions and ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142, or, by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.

To determine a deficiency, we need to be tested at least once a year by ordering the Vitamin D, 25-Hydro blood test. In spite of what the range says, we should never be below 82. Below 50 is serious deficiency, with optimal range between 115-128.

Next up is one of my favorite vocalists and songwriters, Michael Franks.

Michael grew up in California, where at 14, he bought his first guitar for $29.95 with six private lessons included – the only music education that he received. In high school, he began singing folk/rock, accompanying himself on guitar. He never studied music in college or later, but earned a bachelor of arts degree from UCLA in comparative literature in 1966 and a master of arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He returned home to teach part-time at UCLA. During this time, Franks started writing songs.

Michael’s uniqueness manifests itself in composing the music and writing the lyrics for his songs, especially his humorous lyrics. He played guitar, banjo, and mandolin on his first album in 1973, called “Previously Unavailable.” In 1975 Franks released his second album, “The Art of Tea,” which featured Joe Sample and Larry Carlton. Since then, Franks has recorded more than 15 albums. His best known works include “When I Give My Love to You,” “Popsicle Toes,” “Monkey See, Monkey Do,” “Tiger in the Rain,” “Rainy Night in Tokyo,” and “Tell Me All About It.”

His biggest hit came in 1983 with “When Sly Calls (Don’t Touch That Phone)” from the album “Passionfruit,” which is my personal favorite.

To take a bite of “Passionfruit,” go to YouTube and type in

“Michael Franks with Brenda Russell – When I Give My Love to You.”

For another tasty treat, type in “Michael Franks – Eggplant.”

Try bouncing around to hear some of Michael’s other creations, like “Baseball” and those mentioned earlier.

That’s “All That Jazz and More” for now. My next column will spotlight the works of the master, Stan Kenton. Please send your comments to me at greengeezer9@comcast.net. I’d love to hear from you.

To begin with, let’s talk about the dog’s nemesis, the tick! Did you know that ticks are not insects? They are actually part of the arachnid family and can live in temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

How can you prevent ticks from getting on your dog? The truth is that you can’t, but there are ways to minimize the risk. Do daily checks all over your dog’s body. Catch those little buggers right away! You can also use OTC monthly topical treatments, but remember that OTC topical treatments contain toxic chemicals and may be harmful. Another solution is to use all-natural supplements such as brewer’s yeast, garlic, or apple cider vinegar. You can use all-natural herbal topicals such as eucalyptus, tea tree, or citronella.

In order to help keep those critters at bay, one must also protect the environment the live in with natural environmental preventatives such as Nematodes that feed on tick larvae, and Diatomaceous earth, a non-toxic powder.

While ticks can’t be totally avoided, with a little effort, we can make the summer more enjoyable and healthy for our dogs.

Robin Massey is a canine specialist for over 17 years and is the owner of F.Y.D.O.LAND dog care centers.

Q. I miss doing some of the gardening I used to do when I lived in my own home. I can’t move like I used to, but I’d don’t want to give up working in the garden. Any suggestions?

A. I love to work outdoors and dig in the dirt as well. I do understand the limitations on the body, though! Our bodies may not want to cooperate, but that doesn’t mean we have to surrender our favorite things. There are many ways to participate in gardening that will bring the joy back into your life. Container gardening is the ideal situation to bring God’s creation into your life. Nature speaks to us on so many levels, doesn’t it? Here are some gardening tips for seniors:

Safety First! That means it is very important to warm up before gardening.

Simple chair stretches before you begin will help avoid the risk of hurting yourself.

Wear gloves, especially if you have delicate skin.

If it’s cold outside, dress warmly.

If it’s hot outside, work in the shade and wear breathable cotton clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.

Keep a bottle of water nearby. Keep yourself hydrated.

Avoid repetitive motions.

Do not remain in the same position for an extended period of time. Take breaks.

Use adaptive tools and/or lightweight tools to help you reach and dig. These will also reduce the risk of injury.

Containers can be placed on a raised surface so you don’t have to bend to do your gardening.

Start small with your container garden. Don’t get carried away with all the choices that you see at the garden shop. Buy one or two plants at a time, and go from there.

Soil is softer after it rains, so that might be a prime time to work on your garden.

Know your limits, and don’t overdo it.

Don’t forget the services of a non-medical home care agency. Once your dirt is in place, a caregiver can help sow seeds or pot plants where you want them and even help you maintain your flowers. The next step will be for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

If you think you might be doing some gardening sometime soon and would like a pair of free gardening gloves, please give me a call. We will have a limited number available at my office for you to pick up. If you are in my South Elgin neighborhood, I’d love to meet you!

Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.

My mother sat next to me and I remember her leaning over and whispering, “Sit still, Sondra. Why do you keep wiggling around in your seat?” I didn’t answer her. How could I tell her that this beautiful, larger-than-life man was MAKING me wiggle. I felt the heat rise to my face and my ears were starting to burn. He sat across the table from Loretta Young. If their conversation was romantic, at eight years old I would not have known it. I remember he was eating and it embarrassed me to see him chew. A wave of shyness came over me, and somehow, for whatever reason, I knew I was in love.

My understanding older brother knew how I felt about Tyrone Power and took me to see every movie he ever made. Brother Bernard didn’t even wait until it came to the neighborhood movie; he took me to all the premier openings in New York City. During his time with the Air Force in World War II we missed some, but that was okay because I was beginning to substitute David Pressman (the boy across the street) for Tyrone Power.

Early teenage years were not romantic. Most of my friends were part of the Frank Sinatra craze. They “swooned” to his music. They screamed at the sight of him and the going joke at the time was, “Did you hear about Carol?” “She died of constipation because she heard Frank Sinatra sing, ‘Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me’” (Duke Ellington). They thought it was all so romantic.

Through the heartache of rejection and the sweetness of acceptance we learned about romance. What I did not learn until many years later was that music is the very essence of romance. It lingers. It’s part of you forever. It transforms you from your lovely memories of yesterday and delivers you to right now as you danced with Al Fishman,

(Irving Berlin’s “Dancing Cheek to Cheek); as you kissed Martin Perez, (Glen Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade”); as you thought of your brothers at war, (Sammy Fain’s “I’ll Be Seeing You”); as you walked hand-in-hand with Billy George, (Jule Styne’s “I Don’t Want To Walk Without You, Baby”); as you reminisced about the letters and dates with soldiers, sailors and marines (Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye”).

It may have all started with Tyrone Power, wiggling and burning ears, but for me, as long as the music is heard, every day, “Life Is a Fine Romance” (Jerome Kern).

(Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

HUNTLEY – Is necessity the mother of invention? Robert Anderson might say so. Throughout the past 30 years, Anderson has channeled his creativity into crafting numerous useful inventions, ranging from household items to athletic devices, each of which serves a practical purpose.

“All of my inventions are simple,” Anderson said. “They work and they make a lot of sense, and there‘s nothing too crazy about them. All of mine are right down to earth.”

Robert Anderson. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

Although Anderson has drafted dozens of inventions, several main creations stand out as especially successful. His first official invention, a portable security sports cable for locking skis, was one he developed 30 years ago while on a family ski outing.

“When I bought the family skis, I thought, ‘Gee, how are we going to lock them?’ I decided to invent my own device to lock and carry downhill skis, and it’s the only security sports cable that allows you to use your own padlock. You can also carry the cable in your pocket, so when you’re getting something to eat, you can still lock your skis,” he explained.

In 1988, and for a few years thereafter, Anderson held a patent for his ski lock and sold this invention locally at park district shows and ski shops. However, Anderson cautions that selling inventions in a corporate store is more of a struggle for an inventor who is an entrepreneur.

“When I first got the patent, I thought I had it made. But if you’re only a little guy, you don’t usually stand a chance. You often have to be a name brand.”

Despite these commercial roadblocks and his full-time career as a pipe fitter, Anderson continued to create. One of his other inventions is a laundry hamper that is tall enough to hold many days’ worth of laundry, with a trapdoor at the bottom to allow easy access.

“With the typical laundry hamper, it’s too tall, and your arm’s not long enough to reach in to get the clothes out. We’ve been using mine, with the trapdoor, for 30 years. My wife loves it,” he said.

Additionally, Anderson described his exercise equipment invention for kids, which is a set of swings, rings, and horizontal bars that can be attached to household structures, such as support beams in a basement.

Anderson invented this indoor gym for his own children, and he feels that too many youngsters fall to the forces of television without healthy activities as alternatives. Anderson hopes that his health-conscious creation for kids will one day reach Michelle Obama, whom he feels shares a similar view on the importance of childhood health.

Not only does Anderson hope youths remain active, but he is also athletic himself. This summer, he will make a 471-mile bike ride, for which he trains daily. He also hopes to someday bike across the United States to raise money for U.S. inventors and support domestic business. To prepare, he still runs, bikes, and hikes on a weekly basis.

Anderson invented the ski lock cables after buying his family skis and wanting to keep safe on trips. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

“I was known to wear my own kids out,” he joked.

Anderson’s family was his first priority at the outset of his invention dreams. However, he also intends for his inventions to serve as a basis for helping the unemployed and the homeless obtain jobs. For instance, Anderson crafted a rug drying platform that elevates a garage carpet away from winter slush. This is an invention that he feels would be possible for homeless shelter residents to make.

“This could be work for people who are in shelters. That might be a good place for homeless people to make these things and sell them right there,” Anderson suggested.

In line with his job-creation efforts, Anderson believes his inventions should always be used to help people. He shared this personal philosophy with his own children when they were selecting careers.

“I told them, God is watching, so do good for mankind,” he said.

Much to my mother’s displeasure, I sought after rub-on tattoos at every fair, festival, or vending machine I went to or could find. My mother thought they made me look dirty, which was exactly the cool look I was going for (at least we understood each other). But the darned things faded so fast, and a tattoo hardly looked butch when it peeled away from your skin. Rub-ons just didn’t cut it.

Needless to say, about five minutes after I turned 18, I was in the chair of a tattoo parlor in Chicago under the gun of a guy named Spider (not kidding, his name was Spider). Spider had some type of skin-colored growth the size of a nickel on his neck that he had tattooed into an eyeball. Crafty. For the three hours I was in that chair that eye stared at me, affirming my decision. Spider, an eyeball tattoo, a guy in the chair next to me, smoking while getting a dragon inked around his leg from ankle to thigh. It was everything I dreamt of and more. Before we started, I asked Spider what a tattoo felt like. Without answering, he took his gun and zapped me with it and said, “Like that.” Terrific! Let’s do it.

My tattoo is on my upper right arm (just under the shoulder) and is of three Japanese letters, and I have no idea what it says.

Shortly before I got my tattoo, I was ruminating over what I should get. I’m partial to tattoos of words over pictures (given my interests, go figure, right), so I knew I wanted to start there, only I couldn’t think of the appropriate message to permanently display on my body. I was going to have this my whole life. I couldn’t screw it up. And given my mom’s opinion on the matter, “Love Mom” was out of the question.

One afternoon a girl I was dating at the time came over to my house immediately after school and gave me something she made me in art class. It was three Japanese letters painted on a little plaque. She told me it meant happiness. I loved it and thought it would make a perfect tattoo. Only I didn’t know much about the Japanese language and apparently neither did my then-girlfriend, because I learned later that in most of those Asian languages, one symbol equals one word. On her plaque there were three. And later I discovered the real Japanese symbol for happiness is two symbols (幸福). And neither one of them is on my arm today.

A few weeks after I got my tattoo, my family took a vacation to Disney World. Hot weather, lots of swimming, I was eager to show off my tattoo to all who cared to notice it. While standing in line for a ride, a group of Japanese tourists came up next to me and, after a little while, noticed my tattoo. They nodded at it, whispered among themselves, and chuckled. Just great.

For all I know, my tattoo says “I’m an idiot” or “kick me.” But I still like it and have changed its meaning to mean something to me personally. Go ahead, call it rationalizing, but when you have something permanent on your body that you put there and have no idea what it says, you can only fall back on rationalizing.

I still love tattoos and had I had money in my twenties, I think I may be a walking book, words tattooed all over my body like actor Guy Pearce in Memento, who tattooed notes all over his body due to his character’s short-term memory loss.

Now that I’m in my thirties, my position on getting tattoos is somewhat different. I’m a little more restrained. Or so I thought.

At Easter breakfast, my sister-in-law proudly announced that her daughter (my niece) “is now officially a tattoo artist.” Apparently, my niece did her first two tattoos the day before Easter. I didn’t know this about my niece, and I don’t think my family did either, because our reaction was kind of similar to the reaction Molly Ringwald got in 1988’s For Keeps, when her character at the dinner table said, “I’m pregnant. Can you pass the turnips?” We were shocked, is all, and once that passed and everyone was saying congratulations, I was quietly thinking, family discount.

Chris La Pelusa
Managing Editor

Though it seems ironic on the surface that a success coach would be coached, the Edgewater resident said she could not attest to her own services if she herself was above working with a coach.

Sandy Switzer, success coach and Edgewater resident, is planning to offer free workshops at Edgewater every other month. (Photo by Mason Souza/Sun Day)

It’s leaders like Switzer and high-profile celebrities working with coaches that help to distinguish the practice from therapy.

“I realize now that I want to be at point B, but I’ve been at point A for too many years,” Switzer said, explaining the needs of a coach’s client. “And something’s getting in my way, and I have a feeling it’s me.”

Switzer found a natural progression from elementary education to life coaching. After earning a Master’s in education, Switzer was leading staff development at schools where she taught.

“What I found myself doing was more coaching other instructors,” she said. “Rather than teaching them how to do best practice or how to inspire the children, I found myself inspiring them so they could inspire others.”

In 1996, Switzer made the switch to the corporate world and began coaching at Flexible Steel Lacing in Downer’s Grove, Ill. Switzer needed to be flexible herself, as she trained everyone from the CEO to factory floor workers.

Today, Switzer coaches privately and since 2004 has taught and worked as an academic coach in the adult professional studies program at Judson University helping students return to school.

“I’m kind of the ‘you can do it’ coach, and then I work with them attitudinally, and I also work with them on better writing skills and better college reading skills,” she said.

Taking a page from one of her influences, author Cheryl Richardson, Switzer seeks to coach clients to not only achieve academic or work goals, but personal and spiritual ones as well.

With clients ranging from 23-year-old students to Edgewater retirees, Switzer never heeded the advice to “find her niche” as a coach. Instead, she believes there is no stage in a person’s life she cannot help navigate.

Common concerns Switzer sees across the board are the “what now?” question, the search for internal harmony, how to take life as it comes, and how to foster positive relationships.

“I think your life experience plus good training allows you to help people to move along,” she said.

One of the trends coaches follow today is positive psychology, which focuses on human thriving rather than dysfunction. In order to stay abreast of this field and the latest in coaching, Switzer returned to school as a student, learning about new developments at the Coaches Training Institute in 2006.

Switzer’s methods gained her the attention of Jim Rohn and others in the field of coaching, who asked her to contribute a chapter to the book “Yes You Can! Reaching Your Potential While Achieving Greatness.”

“‘Yes You Can’ really struck me because as a child my favorite book was ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ and so [with] the title, I thought I could really contribute to that book with that philosophy,” she said.

One way Switzer breaks things down for clients is by condensing her method into four letters, her “ABCS:” Accountability, Barriers, Creating a plan, and Setting goals. Though she has her own philosophy on coaching, Switzer’s style is to let clients do most of the talking.

“Unless they ask me for my advice, I don’t give it. I just keep asking them,” she said.

Coaches ask the kind of open-ended questions — “What do you want?” “Where do you want to go?” — that can frustrate clients. Those pesky questions, however, can lead to the client discovering things they previously never realized.

Those moments of clarity are the greatest reward for coach Switzer. She recalled how a client from Edgewater had one such epiphany.

“Just this past week, she said, ‘Sandy, you helped me to discover what I need to do, how I need to do it, and when I need to do it,’” Switzer said. “‘And you haven’t told me any of it, but you helped me to discover it.’”

Switzer hopes to enable more people to reach that enlightened state, and she is doing so by setting a goal of offering 30 complimentary coaching sessions in 60 days.

“That’s the only way people are going to experience it, and if they don’t decide to go forward, that’s fine, but at least they’ve had an opportunity to experience coaching,” she said.

Switzer is bringing coaching and motivation to Edgewater as well. She plans to offer free workshops every other month on a different topic for residents. Her latest workshop was “Over 55 And Wiser, Not Over 55 and Old: Attitude is Everything” on April 26.

For all that Switzer has on her plate, one thing is clear: her coach must be very busy.

For more on Sandy: www.sandraswitzer.com

Suddenly, the wind begins to roar, your body feels weightless, and your heart threatens to jump out of your chest. Though terrified, you will yourself to open your eyes and realize you’re freefalling from 13,000 miles up with a parachute strapped to your back. Congratulations, you are skydiving.

Sun City resident Lyle Emory always wanted to feel the rush of skydiving. While vacationing recently in Florida, Emory took the plunge in the wild blue yonder. (Photos provided)

Lyle Emory, N.15, always wanted to feel that rush.

“It’s always something that I thought would be neat to do,” he said.

On a recent trip to Florida, Emory saw an ad in the paper about skydiving, “and I thought, ‘Hey, there’s my chance.’” Once his wife heard about his plans to jump out of a plane, she started trying to convince others to talk him out of it. Unfortunately, her plan backfired because now so many people knew that Emory was going to jump that he felt as if he couldn’t back out.

Once at the skydiving company in Florida, Emory watched a safety video and signed a mountain of paperwork.

“I may have signed away the house and grandkids for all I know…. I didn’t read all of the fine print,” he quipped.

The video explained what Emory and his tandem jump partner would do and what would happen once in the plane. Once they reached the optimum jump altitude, the professional tandem jump skydiver would hook up to Emory, the door would open, and they would jump.

On embarking the plane, Emory mentioned feeling nervous but excited at first. With every passing minute that the plane ascended, the nervousness grew as the earth became smaller and smaller.

“Once that door opens up and he says, ‘Okay, we are going now…’ then I was scared,” Emory said.

As Emory and his partner stepped into space, the wind roared past their ears, making conversation impossible. They jumped out at 13,000 feet and free fell for 8,000 feet at 120 miles per hour.

The chute opened, and for the last 5,000 feet, Emory glided gracefully to the earth below.

“It’s a carnival ride . . . once he opened the chute,” Emory said.

Upon landing, Emory took the opportunity to mention the rush he felt to his jump partner.

“I said, ‘Boy, when you jump out of that plane, it [sure is] exciting.’ And he said, ‘It’s exciting every time,’” Emory said. “I think I’ll probably do it again next year.”

First, I’d like to say a word of thanks for all the positive responses I received on the first edition of this column. It was suggested that I profile only one artist or group per column. With that in mind, in this edition, let’s examine one of the all-time greatest jazz groups ever: The Dave Brubeck Quartet, featuring Dave on piano, the late Paul Desmond on alto sax, and my personal favorite, the late Joe Morello on drums. Bassist Eugene Wright was part of the group for most of its existence.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet. (Photo provided)

One only needs to hear the 5/4 strains of “Take Five” to immediately recognizes it as this group’s signature tune from their most famous album by the same name. For those non-musicians, the time signature of 5/4 simply indicates that there are five beats to every measure instead of the most commonly used 4/4 time. So, as you listen to this tune, count the beats, and you will be able to recognize the downbeat or beat #1 every five beats. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yeah, right!

Enough of the technical stuff, let’s talk about their history and chemistry. Dave and Paul were the heart of the group in the early 1950s until they eventually disbanded in 1967. Joe came on in 1956 and was there for the duration. When you listen to Dave and Paul, note how they harmonize and feed off each other as they improvise. Listening to them is very mesmerizing, as they are so in sync, especially in “Take Five.”

As I mentioned previously, Joe Morello was and always will be my favorite drummer, and I was fortunate to meet him. The year I graduated from high school, he and the band came to Chicago and were appearing at the Blue Note, one of Chicago’s premier jazz spots. My percussion instructor and Joe were close friends, which gave me the opportunity to introduce myself to him during a band break. It was then I realized that Joe was almost totally blind.

Joe took the time to talk his trade and even demonstrate a technique, one I learned about from my instructor: his amazingly fast finger movement with his left hand. With this inventive technique, Joe was able to play beats faster with just one hand than most drummers could perform with both hands. I had first noticed this when listening to his solo on the cut called “Sounds of the Loop” from the album “Jazz Impressions of the U.S.A.”

This cut really shows off the most extraordinary trait Joe possessed: being the most “melodic” drummer I’d ever heard. By that, I mean he was able to turn the sounds he produced into a melodic line, similar to someone playing actual notes on a wind or brass instrument. In this tune, Joe’s solo is simulating the chaotic Chicago Loop noises with a furious ending filled with rim shots, fast bass drum patterns, and stuff that makes me say OMG.

Paul Desmond was responsible for getting Joe the gig with the band, as he told Brubeck about this guy who played great brushes and would fit in perfectly with them. Paul and Dave soon found out that Joe wasn’t one to stay in the background; he wanted to solo and experiment with different techniques. The first time Joe sat in, it was apparent to both Paul and Dave that his skills complemented their style perfectly, and, as they say, the rest is history.

The heart and soul of the group, of course, was Brubeck. Much of the group’s repertoire came from his creative mind, but the group’s success and magic came from the way the other guys were drawn into Dave’s musical web, each contributing their own artistry in a team effort. At 91, Dave is still playing and amazing audiences with his artistry.

That’s it for “All that jazz and more” for this week. I’ll pick it up next time with my favorite combination singer/songwriter/lyricist – Michael Franks. I know, you never heard of him, right?

Sammy

Jane Tenant, the Special Events and Class Coordinator in the Lifestyles Department, has scheduled this event for 6-10 p.m. Friday, May 18 in Drendel Ballroom. Everyone is encouraged to dress in their poodle skirts, bobby socks, neckerchiefs, pony tails, jeans, and plaid shirts. Pull out your granny dresses and go-go-boots. Let’s party!

Come share a shake with your favorite squeeze in the old-fashioned malt shop and enjoy burgers, curly fries, and hot dogs. Sip on a phosphate in the ice cream shop. Dance the jitterbug to the live band music of the StingRays in your penny loafers and saddle shoes.

Among the highlights will be a demonstration by the Huntley High School Cheerleaders and the marching band. There will also be a guest appearance by the Sun City Pom Pom Squad. The Sun City group Idols Encore will perform song and dance routines, as well as the Blues Brothers, which is actually made up of two ladies – one tall and one short – wearing sunglasses.

To remember this auspicious occasion, there will be a photo opportunity with you and your sweetie snuggled side by side in the back seat of a classic car. Several couples will perform a jitterbug demonstration, and throughout the evening, you can stroll through the area and view the ongoing slideshow, Remember When, or check out the high school Hall of Fame. All who wish to attend are urged to contribute and drop off a high school photo to be displayed in the Hall of Fame.

During the evening between 7-10 p.m., there will be a Trivia Contest, so be ready to test your memory of the good ole days from yesteryear.

Jane reflected on the first high school reunion party. “About seven years ago, a core group of people and party planners gathered together and put on the first reunion, which really brought the community together. Joan Riffner gathered the group, and it was so successful they decided to follow up with another one. It became so big it had to be held at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake,” said Jane.

Joan and Betty Frank, another chairperson, decided, “Let’s do this again.” They felt it was fun and very appealing to the new people. The StingRays have played at previous events, and the department thought it would be fun to bring them back.

Another highlight of the evening will be a demonstration done by about a dozen synchronized swimmers. How are they going to pull this off in Drendel Ballroom? By exercising everyone’s imagination using fencing built to simulate a pool.

The cutoff date for registration is May 11, and tickets are $28/person. There is pre-registration only. Food will be offered buffet style with a cash bar and soda. Either purchase online at www.SCCAH.com or purchase and pick up the night of the event. Tickets can be picked up anytime at Customer Service in the Prairie Lodge. Call Customer Service at 847-515-7650. There will be a “Will Call File” set up.

Jane wanted to be sure to mention what a “great pleasure it was to be working with so many talented, willing, and capable people. I so appreciate the support of the community.” Jane said, “Come out, have fun, and look back on yesteryear.”

Tony Troy tightens the loose legs on a chair from the Arcadia condominiums. (Photo provided)

Twenty-four residents brought their wobbly chairs, broken tables, and sticky dresser drawers to the Ask the Woodchucks repair day. We hold this event twice each year. As usual, most of the problems were wobbly and broken chairs. We are always amazed at the previous repairs that never seem to fix the problem, or maybe we only see the unsuccessful ones. An oversized nail pounded through the leg into the end grain of the stretcher never works. Squirting glue all around the outside of a loose joint only makes the subsequent repair more difficult.

After some discussion about how to proceed, we usually remove the legs and stretchers from the chair. We then usually spend considerable time removing unsuccessful repairs and cleaning the tenons and the mortises. Occasionally we have to make new stretchers. The next step is to dry fit the chair back together to make sure everything fits and that all four legs reach the ground.

Gerry Macozzi and John Sterling work on a tobacco cabinet to reattach the top. (Photo provided)

We are now ready to glue the chair back together. We use either yellow carpenter’s glue or in some cases Gorilla Glue. Clamps are then added to make sure the joints are fully engaged and they don’t move while the glue dries. We usually also clamp chairs and tables to the workbench, legs down, while the glue dries to make sure they don’t rock.

Tony Troy, a Woodchuck and a resident of Arcadia, brought in four chairs from the common area to tighten up the loose legs.

We had an unusual object to repair at this year’s repair day. It was an antique tobacco cabinet with a copper-lined humidor. The top had become detached, most of the copper sheeting was loose, and the wooden framing around the copper was loose. All these problems were repaired.

Jim Jessup assembles a chair after tightening the legs. (Photo provided)

One thing we can’t do in the shop is apply stain or finish to a piece of furniture. This applies not only to residents’ furniture brought to Ask the Woodchucks, but to furniture built in the shop by members. This is a rule we made 10 years ago to prevent messy spills, odors, and to eliminate the danger of flammable oil-based finishes. When a repair disturbs the finish or when a new part has to be made, we explain to the resident how to stain and add finish to the affected area.

If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home, submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.

About 6 million elderly people suffer from clinical depression. We are not referring to the brief feeling of “having the blues,” which almost all adults have gone through at one moment or another in their life. Clinical depression is the type of depression that can last weeks, months, or even years untreated. Health problems, fears of death, loneliness and isolation, a reduced sense of purpose, anxiety over financial problems, and a recent bereavement – any of these issues can put you at risk for this common mental illness as you grow older. Genetic inheritance, hormone changes, and brain chemistry also may come into play here. According to a study in a 2007 Science Daily article, brain imaging of healthy and clinically depressed people revealed that clinically depressed individuals appear to have more difficulty regulating their emotion brain circuits and, thus, seem unable to recover from negative stimuli.

Recognizing clinical depression in the elderly starts with knowing the signs and symptoms. Depression’s red flags include the following:

You may have at least one of the following symptoms:

1. Overwhelming sadness where there is “no light at the end of the tunnel”
2. Losing interest in hobbies or other pleasurable pastimes/social withdrawal and isolation

You may have at least four of these symptoms:

3. Repetitively occurring physical problems, like stomachaches or headaches
4. Fatigue/low motivation
5. Weight loss or loss of appetite/sometimes weight gain
6. Sleep disturbances (too much or too little sleep)
7. Loss of self-worth and neglecting personal care
8. Increased use of alcohol or other drugs
9. Fixation on death/suicidal thoughts or attempts
10. Sexual problems
11. Trouble remembering, thinking, or making decisions

Don’t confuse grief, which has its moments of happiness, with depression, in which the feelings of emptiness and despair are constant. Don’t confuse depression with dementia, which shares many similar symptoms, including memory problems, sluggish speech and movements, and low motivation.

If needed, see a professional in the field of psychiatry to understand the differences that can help you to distinguish between these two issues. In addition, medical problems can cause depression either directly or as a psychological reaction to the illness, especially if it is chronic, painful, disabling, or life-threatening. Some examples of these are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.

You are also more at risk of developing depression if you are taking multiple medications. Older adults are more sensitive to mood-altering side effects. Please check with your pharmacist about this possible danger.

“Clinical depression may be the patient’s only mental illness, or sometimes a person’s mental illnesses may overlap each other,” Cindy, NAMI’s office administrator, said. “It is always very important, therefore, that all meds have to be kept being taken. It is common [for patients] not to keep taking them [their psychiatric medicines]. They think they are well.”

Medicines are the most important way the psychiatrist manages the illness/es.

You are never too old to adapt to change. Overcoming depression often involves finding new things to enjoy, learning to adapt to change, and staying physically, mentally, and socially active. Bringing your life into balance so that you can handle stress and pressures of daily life is important. Other self-help tips are:

1. Get enough sleep and exercise
2. Maintain a healthy diet
3. Participate in activities that you enjoy
4. Volunteer your time
5. Take care of a pet
6. Learn a new skill
7. Create opportunities to laugh

In many cases, these healthy lifestyle changes can be as effective as antidepressant drugs in relieving depression, without these psychiatric drugs’ dangerous side effects. Also, counseling and therapy programs work well on depression because they address the underlying causes of the depression, rather than just the symptoms. Support groups for depression, illness, or bereavement connect you with others who are going through the same challenges.

The very nature of depression interferes with a person’s ability to seek help. For depressed seniors raised in a time when mental illness was highly stigmatized and misunderstood, it can be even more difficult – especially if they don’t believe depression is a real disease, are too proud or ashamed to ask for assistance, or fear becoming a burden to their family.

If an older person you care about is depressed, you can make a difference by offering emotional support. Listen to your loved one with patience and compassion. Don’t criticize feelings expressed, but point out realities and offer hope. You can also help by seeing that your friend or family member finds a good doctor, gets an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and takes meds and therapy as prescribed. Offer your senior moral, social, and physical support. Seek immediate help and call 911 or 1-800-892-8900 (Mental Health 24-Hour Crisis Line) if you suspect your friend or relative is in danger of self-harm.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is here to help McHenry and Kane County seniors who are in need of support groups to help their recovery. Support group sessions are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota St., Crystal Lake. For information on more depression-help programs, please call Susan Ling, Program Director, at 815-308-0851 or email her at www.namimchenrycounty.org.