Where did I come from? Stories worth telling are worth passing down

Some years ago, my eight-year-old son asked me, “Where did I come from?” For those of us 55 and better, we may still recall this question our children asked us. Based on the way my son ate his meals back then, I was tempted to tell him that he came from cave dwellers.

The flu waits in the wings

You may grow weary of wearing a mask, staying at least six feet apart socially, washing your hands often, and using disinfectant on surfaces to minimize the chances of coming in contact with COVID-19. While health departments and Governor J.B. Pritzker ask for vigilance in your efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, another virus is only a few months away from entering the picture.

An unmitigated mental health crisis, part II

May (when this story was researched and written) was Mental Health Awareness Month. For this part of the story Sun Day has turned to Scott Block, executive director of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, Jane Farmer, executive director of Turning Point, Phyllis Seyler, program manager of NAMI-McHenry County, and Dr. Melissa Katz, clinical director of Samaritan Counseling Center of the Northwest Suburbs.

An unmitigated mental health crisis

You won’t need to listen very long before you hear this plea, “Get the country open again.” This is not a lone voice pleading the case for resuming a normal life. After staying home week after week building to month after month, we’re hearing more of a collective shout that has registered with people throughout the U.S. “Get the country open again,” has become a rallying cry.

“No one else outside the walls of my home suspected anything. After all, how could the girl with straight A’s and awards for citizenship, leadership, and perfect attendance raise suspicion of a problem at home,” Mary said.

A Way With the Census

The 2020 U.S. Census will not contain a question on citizenship, but is this enough to engage the Latino population? This is just one of the questions that face the McHenry County Complete Count Committee in striving for a complete count.

Quality Programs Define NAMI-McHenry County

A call for improvements in the world of mental health may seem a natural one after the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.

The reaction to mass shootings in general seem to be based on the status of gun control regulations and perceptions that mental illness leads to violent behavior. The responses are two-fold; tighten laws for access to guns and improve the mental health system.