About one year after Sun City opened in April, 1999, the fire district built what is now called station 3, located at Regency Parkway and Farm Hill Drive. This location is about one city block from Sun City’s eastern boundary and has been the primary source of fire-rescue service to Sun City.

The board recently expanded its written communication with residents through the Lifestyle Magazine and the community website, with more detailed reports on board meetings, more details in the staff’s weekly e-mail messages, and similar initiatives.

The following is a report on discussions held and actions taken by community directors.

In corporate America, they frequently are dominated by strong personalities and the financial bottom line. In today’s government, one party loses and another wins amid a tumult of criticism and finger-pointing. In professional sports, if you don’t win, you quickly become expendable.

But in Huntley and Sun City, we just had a transition that was quiet, mutually respectful, peaceful, and totally seamless.

It is designed to remind residents that they will see golf carts frequently throughout the community, especially in the warm weather months. The signs also warn visiting drivers of the presence of golf carts.

There will be no written ballots sent to each household. There will be no opportunity for residents to choose among five candidates for four open positions. There will simply be an acclamation vote by the current board in late fall. There was a contested election for less than two days last week, after the announcement about the number of candidates on July 31.

On July 26, the Huntley village board unanimously approved a complicated set of ordinances to create a legal Rural Event Venue category in the village code. Trustees amended the village’s zoning ordinance to 1) add Rural Event Venue to the definitions, and as a special use in a residential estate district; 2) created a special use permit for a Rural Event Venue in a residential estate district, and 3) added a site plan review section for proposed site improvements to accommodate a Rural Event Venue.

How about remodeling your existing space and rearranging furniture and equipment?

Yes, that might work, the Sun City Pencil & Palette Club decided recently as it tried to figure out how to accommodate its growing program of art and drawing activities in the Art Room in Prairie Lodge.

The wheels of justice roll along slowly, provoking endless debates among legal experts and the public regarding what some consider unreasonable delays in the criminal courts system.

But now, the milk economy, like so many others, has slowly been changing. The environment is much more competitive, and changes in consumer buying habits in the last 20 years or so were harbingers of the future. But Dean Foods soldiered on, remaining the nation’s second-largest processor of fluid milk behind Nestle in the last decade.

The Sun Day learned last week that Dean Foods is planning to leave Huntley. The company’s intentions were recently communicated to the village and have been confirmed by the Sun Day with a Dean Foods spokesperson in Huntley. Dean Foods and a related transportation operation is one of Huntley’s largest employers and has been located on Mill Street in the village for many years. No additional information was available by press time for this report.

Now, as the committee and board finalize those plans, the ballots are “rotating.”

It’s actually two different ways to accomplish the same thing – make sure this year’s election is not decided primarily by ballot position. Remember the background: In 2017, there were 10 candidates for four open positions on the board. The order of candidate names on all the ballots was determined in a lottery drawing before the ballots were mailed to residents.

Late this past spring, the board embarked on a project to improve and expand its communication with those same residents.

At Prairie Lodge, a new solarium will be unveiled this month, and flooring in several activity spaces is being upgraded. Over at Meadow View and the Arcadia Condo building, the parking lots are being resurfaced.

Eighteen of the establishments passed the checks by refusing to sell liquor to the underage participant. One of these establishments is Jameson’s Restaurant and Pub, located in Prairie Lodge.

Simple, says Lance Lamb, a Huntley businessman. You think globally, travel extensively, and really like a high-quality beer.

At every game in in Sun City’s three softball leagues, they are introduced by name, as athletes. Most of them played in prominent slow-pitch softball leagues in their younger days, especially in Chicago, and some won championships. Some of them are in the sport’s Hall of Fame.

When two neighbors found themselves in violation of a Sun City ordinance when their lawn went uncut, Sandra McCollum was alarmed.

Now, Huntley is expanding and changing everywhere, and the long-vacant 17-acre site near the village’s town square may get in on the action.

According to Bonnie Spasojevich, it’s “an event to showcase volunteer opportunities and charter clubs” as advertised by the Sun City Activity Committee.