MY SUN DAY NEWS
A group of 16 who have a shared interest in birds, donned binoculars, wore protective gear, and headed out to the Del Webb Sedge Meadow and Grove Nature Preserve Trail. It was one of the Sun City Birdwatchers Club regularly scheduled walks, on Aug. 26, and they attend such walks at area preserves. The Sun City Nature Preserve area’s three-fourth mile path has been improved as wood chips were added last year.
A group of 16 who have a shared interest in birds, donned binoculars, wore protective gear, and headed out to the Del Webb Sedge Meadow and Grove Nature Preserve Trail.
It was one of the Sun City Birdwatchers Club regularly scheduled walks, on Aug. 26, and they attend such walks at area preserves. The Sun City Nature Preserve area’s three-fourth mile path has been improved as wood chips were added last year.
I’ve always admired the tiny, white, star-shaped blossoms of Sweet Autumn Clematis, the vine that spills over fences and ledges in a profusion of sweet-smelling blooms in late summer.
Years ago, a neighbor shared a tiny little sprout, digging it up near her fence. Cradling it like a baby, I took it home, where I lovingly put it in the ground. But for years, it just didn’t get going the way I thought it would. I needn’t have worried. The perennial vine, years later, has firmly taken root.
Some people see the words “Some assembly required” and consider it a deal-breaker, but for me it’s a challenge.
Especially when it’s two identical gizmos that require assembly, and you can challenge yourself to beat your record time in building the second one.
Tickets are officially on sale for Sun City Huntley’s upcoming Casino Royale night, bringing the high-stakes energy of a Las Vegas casino floor directly to the local community. The event will take place on Friday, October 2, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Prairie Lodge.
Huntley’s Police and Huntley Fire Protection District and Huntley American Legion Honor Guard leaders recalled the impacts of the terrorists’ attacks on September 11, 2001, at a village ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of that fateful day. Huntley Mayor Tim Hoeft also gave remarks. Terrorists killed about 3,000 people, using four airplanes at the World Trade Center towers north and south, the Pentagon in Arlington,Virginia and passengers and crew fought back to crash an airplane at Shanksville, Pennslyvania.
Huntley’s Police and Huntley Fire Protection District and Huntley American Legion Honor Guard leaders recalled the impacts of the terrorists’ attacks on September 11, 2001, at a village ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of that fateful day. Huntley Mayor Tim Hoeft also gave remarks.
Terrorists killed about 3,000 people, using four airplanes at the World Trade Center towers north and south, the Pentagon in Arlington,Virginia and passengers and crew fought back to crash an airplane at Shanksville, Pennslyvania.
The Sunflower Garden Charter Club has always played an active role in the Sun City community. And this year is no exception. Elaine Rowinski is the newly elected president of the club. Rowinski said, “With me on the executive leadership team are vice president Marsha Natkins, recorder Darlene Pratt, and treasurer Joy McGahan.”
The Sunflower Garden Charter Club has always played an active role in the Sun City community. And this year is no exception.
Elaine Rowinski is the newly elected president of the club.
Rowinski said, “With me on the executive leadership team are vice president Marsha Natkins, recorder Darlene Pratt, and treasurer Joy McGahan.”
A total of about 100 Sun City area veterans, representing all branches of military service – US Army, Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard, stood by groups at the edge of the Veterans Memorial softball diamond’s infield.
The Sun City model railroad was all aboard this year to celebrate the United States’ 250th year. This year, the club hosted an open house. Organizers decorated the main building with patriotic displays and added decorations outside at the G-scale model train exhibit. The entrance was filled with patriotic decorations to welcome visitors. Outside, a 20-by-50-foot American flag hung from the building’s upper railing. The flag stood out not just for its size, but also for its historic design with 48 stars.
The Sun City model railroad was all aboard this year to celebrate the United States’ 250th year.
This year, the club hosted an open house. Organizers decorated the main building with patriotic displays and added decorations outside at the G-scale model train exhibit. The entrance was filled with patriotic decorations to welcome visitors. Outside, a 20-by-50-foot American flag hung from the building’s upper railing. The flag stood out not just for its size, but also for its historic design with 48 stars.
Several serious public health outbreaks occurred this summer and continue with headlines announcing the alarming rates of Cyclosporiasis, sharply rising rates of Measles cases and and one new worry — the New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak.
When customers stop by the Huntley Art Hub Gallery, one of the Shops on Main, owner Cindy Rafkind tells them to look high and look low. Her bright, sunny space inside the Hackett House, provided by the Village of Huntley’s Incubator Program, is small, hovering around 200 square feet — but it is filled to the gills with colorful art on the walls and shelves of unique jewelry, woodwork, stained glass, pottery, and more, representing artists from Huntley and the surrounding area.
Our process for choosing restaurants to review is very complex. We see ads on Facebook, we receive recommendations from our loyal readers, and we google like crazy. But when all is said and done, the restaurant is decided by whatever Jim and I have a taste for. Jim has been whining for days wanting to go to a place for breakfast food. I spotted on Facebook a café in McHenry that serves breakfast and lunch, so off we went to Kim and Patty’s Café.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day. Now it is back to business as usual. However, some of us don’t want the warm season to end yet. Mother Nature certainly doesn’t. Despite all the blockbusters, some smaller studios released some gems for us.
My wife and I are of an age where we’re starting to think about our last chapter in life. We’re in our late 70s, our kids are grown, and we’re considering moving to a senior living community. Our house has become too much to manage, and we’d like to be surrounded by an active community where we can make new friends and enjoy life.
Whether you realize it or not, you most likely have a plant in your yard that was grown by Midwest Groundcovers. As wholesale company, they supply local garden centers and landscapers with high quality plants that are bred to perform well in our area. Their plants add beauty, increase biodiversity, provide for a healthier living environment and allow for joy when incorporated into the landscaping around a home.
It’s been a long time, but the Adjusters are once again champions of the Sun City Softball League 16-inch postseason tournament. In a tense battle, the Adjusters took home the title with a 5-4 victory over the Lumbarjacks. The champs went 5-0 in the tourney, winning it for the first time since 2014.
It’s been a long time, but the Adjusters are once again champions of the Sun City Softball League 16-inch postseason tournament.
In a tense battle, the Adjusters took home the title with a 5-4 victory over the Lumbarjacks. The champs went 5-0 in the tourney, winning it for the first time since 2014.
Marking a 175th anniversary, otherwise known as a demisemiseptcentennial, is akin to celebrating a half birthday, creating an excuse for fanfare between the traditional milestones. So, as we look back at Huntley’s 175 years, along with traveling its well-known roads, let’s take a few side streets, and immerse in the town’s history, celebrity, mystery, and oddity, those things you find when you step off the beaten path.
Yesterday, our 22 year-old son drove off to start a new life in Kansas City, MO. In his car was not much more than his clothes, a guitar, and a crock pot.
Yesterday, our 22 year-old son drove off to start a new life in Kansas City, MO.
In his car was not much more than his clothes, a guitar, and a crock pot.
As our Illinois summer inches into autumn, it’s time once again to talk about corn. Especially with a boy or girl heading into a new season of their life, like high school or college. As in: “If you were corn, what kind of corn would you be?”
As our Illinois summer inches into autumn, it’s time once again to talk about corn. Especially with a boy or girl heading into a new season of their life, like high school or college.
As in: “If you were corn, what kind of corn would you be?”
“It’s a new season,” Travelers 16-inch softball team manager John Pickelman told the squad, gathered at the third base dugout at Veterans Memorial Field. The second night of the first round of Sun City Softball League 16-inch playoffs was about to begin as the Travelers, seeded third, took on the sixth seed Coyotes Aug. 18. A good-sized crowd filed in to watch the contest, but the Coyotes came away with a 12-8 win. Tourney play for the eight teams, double elimination format, continued the next two weeks, leading up to the best-of-three game championship series September 10 and 11, and if necessary, September 14.
“It’s a new season,” Travelers 16-inch softball team manager John Pickelman told the squad, gathered at the third base dugout at Veterans Memorial Field.
The second night of the first round of Sun City Softball League 16-inch playoffs was about to begin as the Travelers, seeded third, took on the sixth seed Coyotes Aug. 18. A good-sized crowd filed in to watch the contest, but the Coyotes came away with a 12-8 win. Tourney play for the eight teams, double elimination format, continued the next two weeks, leading up to the best-of-three game championship series September 10 and 11, and if necessary, September 14.
A committee of resident volunteers teamed up to organize an exciting day for Sun City pet lovers, all to support animals in need. The upcoming Sun City Pet Expo will take place on Saturday, September 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Outdoor Pavilion. The event is entirely free and open to the public, featuring a wide variety of family-friendly activities, demonstrations, and opportunities to support local animal welfare organizations. Friendly, leashed pets are welcome to join in on the fun.
Huntley First Responders and the Huntley American Legion Post 673 are preparing an event on Sept. 11 to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorists’ attacks on 9/11, 2001. The Huntley Fire Protection District (HFPD), Huntley Police Department and the Huntley American Legion Post 673 will combine to host an event at 10 a.m., at the Veterans Monument at Huntley’s Town Square. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be at HFPD Station No.1, located at 11118 Main Street, at the apparatus floor.
Huntley First Responders and the Huntley American Legion Post 673 are preparing an event on Sept. 11 to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorists’ attacks on 9/11, 2001.
The Huntley Fire Protection District (HFPD), Huntley Police Department and the Huntley American Legion Post 673 will combine to host an event at 10 a.m., at the Veterans Monument at Huntley’s Town Square. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be at HFPD Station No.1, located at 11118 Main Street, at the apparatus floor.
August is fading fast. Mild as it has been, the heat still feels like vernal. With all the rain, the humidity hasn’t subsided. But for all the hallmarks of late summer, the slowly changing sundown still heralds the end. Spooky season is around the corner as you, no doubt, have seen in any retail space. The brisk way we race to the next holiday without savoring the here and now. When I saw All Hollow’s Eve decor the moment I turned down a Target aisle, I recoiled like a vampire to a cross. Way too early! If we must concede, let’s at the very least watch some creepy fare that are part of the sunny times.
Recipes are the key to any success that I have in the kitchen. Whatever I cook, regardless of how many times I have made the dish before, I always have a recipe. I view a recipe in the strictest sense as something that I simply must follow as I bake or cook. My skill set doesn’t allow for any deviation. Recipes recently allowed us to enjoy delicious baked parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes, sloppy joe sandwiches and key lime cheesecake. Our family has enjoyed scrumptious meals thanks to purpose-driven recipes.
Jim and I are big fans of bocce ball. It is the only sport Jim doesn’t totally suck at. Nothing matches the thrill of seeing the bocce ball zig zag its way down our newly renovated bocce courts. It is also a great time to relax and chat between throws with friends and neighbors. During a recent game, our friend Lucy nonchalantly mentioned that her son and his two cousins own a Mexican restaurant. We told Lucy we would like to review it, and she said she hoped it would be a good review. That’s when Jim said, “it depends how well you play today.” Only kidding… We checked their menu online and a few days later we ventured out to Primos Locos in Elmhurst.
The Sun City Stingrays Swim Charter Club recently channeled the ultimate spirit of American grit to honor the nation’s historic semi-quincentennial. The club launched an aquatic challenge on April 25, rallying its members to collectively swim and water-walk a monumental 250 miles. Crushing that initial milestone with waves of enthusiasm, the determined athletes refused to slow down, instantly resetting their sights on a second goal.
The Sun City Stingrays Swim Charter Club recently channeled the ultimate spirit of American grit to honor the nation’s historic semi-quincentennial.
The club launched an aquatic challenge on April 25, rallying its members to collectively swim and water-walk a monumental 250 miles. Crushing that initial milestone with waves of enthusiasm, the determined athletes refused to slow down, instantly resetting their sights on a second goal.
It was one of those days when we were caricatures of ourselves. On a hot afternoon, my husband and I waited in line for coffee at our favorite little locally owned coffee shop. As we age, our coffee orders get more and more pretentious: Now we throw in “oat milk” or “half sweet” or “do you have a light roast?” at the barista, hoping she’ll notice that her customers are truly discerning coffee consumers. (She never seems impressed.) Anyway, we’re ordering our pretentious drinks when I see my husband carefully punching in his card number on his phone. “What are you doing?” I asked him.
It was one of those days when we were caricatures of ourselves. On a hot afternoon, my husband and I waited in line for coffee at our favorite little locally owned coffee shop. As we age, our coffee orders get more and more pretentious: Now we throw in “oat milk” or “half sweet” or “do you have a light roast?” at the barista, hoping she’ll notice that her customers are truly discerning coffee consumers. (She never seems impressed.)
Anyway, we’re ordering our pretentious drinks when I see my husband carefully punching in his card number on his phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
I suppose you might gaze at a wicker laundry basket and ponder all the ways it suggests “family” to you, but my basket says “family” in a way that might not occur to you. That’s because I keep an old wicker laundry basket on the patio, and I fill it not with laundry but with garden weeds until I figure out what to do with them next — compost, or yard-waste bag for disposal? But before the basket gets full enough for me to make that disposal decision, it gets visited daily by the latest addition to the family.
I suppose you might gaze at a wicker laundry basket and ponder all the ways it suggests “family” to you, but my basket says “family” in a way that might not occur to you.
That’s because I keep an old wicker laundry basket on the patio, and I fill it not with laundry but with garden weeds until I figure out what to do with them next — compost, or yard-waste bag for disposal? But before the basket gets full enough for me to make that disposal decision, it gets visited daily by the latest addition to the family.
For 45 years, Sun City resident Rob Dombro dedicated his life to scientific research. As a research chemist, he split his lengthy career among the petroleum, polymer, and environmental industries, with milestones taking him from the Chicago area, to Clinton Iowa then to Springfield Illinois. Today, Dombro has exchanged his lab coat for a paintbrush, channeling that same lasting passion into a vibrant second career in photography and water media.
For 45 years, Sun City resident Rob Dombro dedicated his life to scientific research. As a research chemist, he split his lengthy career among the petroleum, polymer, and environmental industries, with milestones taking him from the Chicago area, to Clinton Iowa then to Springfield Illinois.
Today, Dombro has exchanged his lab coat for a paintbrush, channeling that same lasting passion into a vibrant second career in photography and water media.
Bocce Ball is a sport which has a rich tradition and is thriving in Sun City. According to local Sun City Bocce Ball Club enthusiasts, Bocce Ball was developed in its current form in Italy. Bocce is derived from the word “bacio” which means to kiss, which is what you try to do when you roll the Bocce balls. Bocce Ball has been documented as early as 5200 B.C. in Egypt. Bocce is the third most popular sport in the world after soccer and golf. An estimated 25 million people in the US alone play Bocce Ball.
Bocce Ball is a sport which has a rich tradition and is thriving in Sun City.
According to local Sun City Bocce Ball Club enthusiasts, Bocce Ball was developed in its current form in Italy. Bocce is derived from the word “bacio” which means to kiss, which is what you try to do when you roll the Bocce balls. Bocce Ball has been documented as early as 5200 B.C. in Egypt. Bocce is the third most popular sport in the world after soccer and golf. An estimated 25 million people in the US alone play Bocce Ball.
The artistic genius of Sun City residents will take center stage this fall at the third annual Colors of Sun City Gallery Exhibition. This two-day event, put on by the Pencil and Palette Charter Club, showcases the amazing talent right in Sun City. The exhibition will take place in Prairie Lodge, occupying the Fountain View, Birch, and Cedar rooms, on Saturday, September 19, from 1-5 p.m., and will continue on Sunday, September 20, from 1-4 p.m. Admission is completely free, though voluntary donations are accepted.
