Today, Joob is a 100-pint blood donor, an accolade he reached. 

Byrd said, “It would be nice to bring awareness to how many military veterans we have living among us. For those veterans that responded to my email, a flag with a tag identifying the veteran’s name and branch of service was placed in front of their mailbox for the holiday.”

Darlene Pratt, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, said, “Our sales were so well supported, we were able to increase the number of scholarships from the two planned to three.”

Reflecting on her journey, Wade shared, “The whole event was enjoyable. It was a little overwhelming, especially the school bus ride to East Peoria. But it was a great feeling knowing my family and friends were supporting me.”

Having once taught first, second, and third-grade children, she later felt the pull to switch gears and embark on a new path.

Scherkenbach said, “I decided to return to school and work on getting a master’s degree in counseling, focusing on gerontology. I went from one end of the age spectrum to the other. I got three different internships as part of my program. Those were at the Palatine Township Senior Services, Condell Intergenerational Day Center, and The Barrington Area Council on Aging (BACOA). After finishing my degree, I was employed at BACOA for 20 years.”

Not to be outdone, the Monday night bridge group also celebrated Snow’s centennial birthday with more cake on June 3.

Sandi Karnatz said, “John is an amazing man and bridge player. He likes to play no trump. Everyone who plays with him knows that.”

The hours of practice and crew of volunteers, ushers, ticket sellers, sound and lighting teams, and generous support to the musical programs all played an essential role in the production’s success.

Ary said, “We invited veterans from the community, allowing students to interview them and show veterans how much their service is valued.”

Sixteen veterans representing the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy branches of service participated in the program.

Eggers said, “I started this project 40 years ago. I purchased this kit, which was a replica of the Yacht Mary. It is 1/54 scale of the original, a gift from Amsterdam for King Charles II. It was not a fighting ship. It was a pleasure ship.”

Thuringer said, “My mother crocheted and was a seamstress. Everyone she loved got a beautiful crocheted blanket. We have a special round crochet blanket that is a treasure. She crocheted so many different things for my daughters. My daughters both came home from the hospital in the most beautiful, crocheted blanket woven with hues of soft colors and an outfit that mom had made.”

At a high school reunion, Bailey reconnected with Debbie Phillips. Bailey said, “We immediately bonded again, both having in common the love of animals, especially cats. I found out that Debbie wrote a book about her cat, Heidi. It was a children’s book, ‘The Empty Bed: Tails of Heidi’. It was so cute, and I loved the story and the illustrations.”

Wrigley, a St. Bernard, was a beloved figure in Sun City. His gentle nature and friendly demeanor earned him the title of ‘mayor’ and ‘mascot’ of our community. His massive size was matched only by his even bigger heart, which he shared freely with everyone he met. 

Harriet Ford, President of Grafton Food Pantry, emphasizes the crucial role of our community in this effort.

The judging panel, including dedicated community volunteers from Sun City, played a crucial role in the selection process. Their commitment and expertise were instrumental in identifying the most outstanding authors. Their names include Judy Cieciwa, Julie Ford, Pat Hector, Dolores Kuta, Mary Nogar, Diane Nolan, Sandra Pelka, Kathy Render, Joan Riffner, Valerie Tomanica, Barbara Yarbrough, Dolores Kuta, Karen Hutchings, Darcy Chadwick, and Heather Elder.

Kane said, “I completed the final 2½ miles on March 2, 2024. This time, it took 61 days. The coldest run was on January 15, at -6 degrees F. You just dress for it. There’s no bad weather, just bad clothes. The warmest day was January 2 at 54 degrees F.”

Vice-President Marsha Geist of the Sunflower Garden Club said, “The Sunflower Garden Club has been very active in fundraising and this past year has donated over $10,000 to various organizations.”

Scott Ravagnie, Fire Chief at Huntley Fire Protection District, said, “This was a five-year project. The engine was donated back to the fire department after several owners. All the parts are original except for the diamond tank. The truck was made originally for the war. It had a green interior then. It works; the engine has been redone.”

Nancy Kutska is the director of Strutters and the producer of the show. Kutska said, “The show will feature jazz, tap, and ballet numbers. We will also have some guest performers.”

Donley said, “I started woodworking in 1962. I had changed jobs. My wife wanted a secretary office desk. I started it, but it was stored in the basement until I had time to finish it.”

Kelly said, “My father used to talk about his time in the Navy all the time. He was an American naval officer. Upon graduation from the University of Illinois in the spring of 1942, he enlisted in the Navy.”

Shemerdiak was initially assigned to the Great Lakes and then to Farragut Naval Station in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho. This was the second-largest Naval Training Station in the world. It was built in North Idaho during WWII following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Over 293,000 sailors received basic training at Farragut during its 30 months. The last recruit graduated in March 1945, and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946. The site became Farragut State Park in 1966.

Belue said, “My daughter crochets, and she needed something to not only store her skeins of yarn, but also make it easy to pull the yarn through as you work. So, I started working on a design. I wanted a box shaped piece that would hold several skeins of yarn with a cover, and she could feed the yarn without fraying it.”