Sun City resident’s dream job right on track

When Sun City resident and model railroad aficionado Mike Ptak landed the train engineer role at Goebbert’s farm, he didn’t know he would be immortalized in a children’s book; now he and local author Deb Skog are both living the dream.

The Call of the Wild

“T’ree vair’ good dogs,” Francois told Perrault. “Dat Buck, heem pool lak hell. I tich heem queek as anyt’ing.” Maybe you’ll instantly recognize this dialogue from the classic book, The Call of the Wild, by Jack London. The Call of the Wild is described as a short adventure novel, published in 1903. The book is …

Sun City residents support hospital staff with meal donations

While traditional volunteer opportunities have been canceled, in times of crisis, we all want to help. Sun City Residents have responded by running errands for neighbors, making masks, and providing meals for the busy staff at Northwestern Hospital in Huntley.

Sandy White had an idea.

Park & Watch

Although some might see drive-in movie theaters as a relic from the past, others like Sun City resident, Diane Scott, see them as a family friendly form of entertainment bringing back memories to a time when she and her siblings could enjoy a film outdoors in their family car while wearing their pajamas and enjoying familiar movie snacks.

While popularity in such theaters has dwindled, drive-ins, such as the Golden Age Cinema in McHenry, have seen a recent surge in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic due to not having the same limitations of mass gatherings like their indoor counterparts.

U.S. Citizenship Application Delayed Even Further by COVID-19 Closures

In April, Jenny Reynoso celebrated her 18th birthday. A senior at St. Edward Central Catholic High School, Reynoso was home in Elgin, much like the rest of students in the U.S, learning remotely in compliance with shelter-in-place orders because of COVID-19.

Sun City ‘Zooms’ through board meetings

For Sun City’s Board of Directors, meetings to discuss important topics within the community will continue on as usual.

The method in which the most current meeting was conducted, however, is an entirely different story.

“A woman came over and asked me for my autograph,” Kmet said.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of health information

A slow erosion of our liberties is a price we’re paying for coming out the other end on the coronavirus pandemic. Some of our civil liberties may be eroded; it’s just too early to tell for how long. However, the list of what we are not allowed to do seems to be getting longer based on the governor of each state reacting to the numbers of coronavirus cases. Right or wrong, our fundamental belief in medical privacy called HIPAA is the latest target for eroded rights.

Put on a happy face

If you happen to get in your car and drive through Sun City, most likely you may only see a couple of cars, an empty parking lot at the Lodge, and a few people walking.

But you also might see resident Todd Kane, sporting a rainbow top hat to match his Skittle-colored beard, smiling and holding a sign that says, “Don’t Worry Be Happy.”

Peace Corps service cut short by COVID-19 threat

It was just a normal Monday morning, and Brad Christin was getting ready to go to work. Suddenly, the quiet morning was interrupted by an onslaught of texts and emails on his phone.

Christin, 23, a Peace Corps volunteer, was living in Capitán Miranda, Paraguay. But on that Monday in March, as COVID-19 Coronavirus made its way across the globe, Brad knew from the countless texts and emails that his 27-month service in the Peace Corps was going to be cut short after only 18 months. He was leaving South America and going home.

Local teen uses 3D printer to make face shields for healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19

When Gail Tepper and her husband, Artie, first heard that their grandson was part of a growing movement to help make masks for healthcare workers, they couldn’t be prouder. Describing the teen as, “a wonderful, kind and caring young man that is very knowledgeable with computers,” it was no surprise to the Teppers that his efforts would catch the attention of the Great Big Story, a media company whose micro-documentaries and short films have been viewed by millions of people on websites like Facebook and YouTube.

A Lesson in Kindness

February 13 started off like any other Tuesday morning for Sun City resident Jan Scialabba who also works at the Member Services Desk at Prairie Lodge. Two buses where expected to arrive that day, prepared to take fellow residents to the Chicago Auto Show. Nothing out of the ordinary for the seasoned Member Services Desk professional.

Quarantine bingo: Being inside, not going out

The doors to apartment units in the hallways are open and only a few feet inside are residents playing bingo. Hallway BINGO has become one of the more popular activities at Heritage Woods and White Oaks at Huntley. The irony of hallway BINGO as an activity at assisted living facilities is BINGO’S popularity usually brings residents together because of its ease of playing and odds of winning.

Ready or knot, here they come

For Linda Campbell and her husband, staying active outdoors was just another part of their daily routine, and they regularly joined others in Neighborhood 18 who also enjoyed going on walks and runs. In light of the recent coronavirus pandemic however, mandatory stay-at-home orders and social distancing seem to pose obstacles in the way of those wanting to maintain their physical health.

Hoping to preserve as much normalcy as possible, Campbell stumbled onto a creative way to continue to stay active with other neighbors while following social distancing protocols.

Thinking outside the box

In response to the stay-at-home order issued for the state of Illinois until April 30, clubs in Sun City were forced to make the difficult decision to suspend activities for the time being. For some residents, this sudden loss of meaningful social interactions may have the potential to lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation which could affect one’s physical health and mental well-being.

Sun City sewers make face covers for community

A global shortage of face masks is prompting concern for the safety of health care workers. With the nation facing an acute shortage of masks, and with new suggestions for the public to wear masks when they go out, Sun City residents are pulling out their sewing machines to fill the void.

Keeping checking fraud in check

When the calendar switched over to 2020, I, like many other college students nationwide, promptly forgot what year it was and started dating all my papers as if it was still 2019. An easy enough mistake to make, when it’s easily correctable with the backspace button and the only documents affected are your English papers. When it comes to papers of more bearing, such as checks, the consequences can be more dire, and this year more than ever.

Washing Your Hands of COVID-19

The Del Webb residential community in Huntley has a history of enduring not only medical crises, but wars and recessions. They are survivors and they lead the way in presenting a tough exterior for whatever comes into focus from the media spotlight. Now the focus is on coronavirus, known as COVID-19 and what is called the protocol of social distancing.

Paczki Paradise

Sun City resident Kathy Boyce never imagined her once small celebration of a common Polish tradition would grow into a much larger and highly anticipated annual event.

For those unfamiliar, paczki are a must-have decadent treat commonly eaten on Fat Tuesday in America, the day before Lent begins. This Polish tradition of indulging in these round, sugar-filled pastries, has been around since the Middle Ages and has only continued to grow in popularity as more and more people get hooked on these delicious fried dough desserts.

The eagles have landed

While you might not be fortunate to spot them ourselves, there could be eagles living right in your own backyard – literally.

“In all my life long travels I never saw a bald eagle other than in a zoo until now when this special visitor came and sat in the tree right across my backyard,” said Joan Krecioch, who spotted a bald eagle sitting in a tree in her Sun City yard.

Other residents have only hoped to be so lucky.

Fire and ice

Alex Schank is a retired firefighter of 30 years, but he continues to help save lives.

Schank has served as a ski patroller for 43 years. His dad took him skiing for the first time at age 6.

Schank said, “I started skiing regularly in high school and then in college. My wife, Rita, and I went out West during those college years and skied those slopes. I enjoy skiing very much and I started my daughters young.”

Love at FURst sight

The sound of excited barks and meows echoed all throughout the innovative Young at Heart pet adoption center in Woodstock as Sun City resident and long-time volunteer, Allen Podraza, demonstrated the home like environment created to limit stress for the senior cats and dogs residing at the center.

Deck the halls … and walls and tables and chairs and doors and more

Quick now, Sun Citians, how long does it take to decorate Sun City’s Prairie and Meadow View Lodges for the holiday season?

The job includes about twenty-five trees of different sizes throughout the building’s interior, plus decorations on fireplace mantles in Fountain View Lodge and the social lounge, hallways and galleries, Drendel Ballroom, fitness center, etc.

The answer? The Sun City Garden Club can do it in two hours with 200 of its members.

Residents celebrate Christmas around the world

Gerry and Jan Smith, Sun City Veteran residents of 20 years, orchestrated a Sun City trip to the Museum of Science and Industry.

How long have they been facilitating trips for Sun City Residents?

Jan said, “We’ve been doing this from the beginning. We moved here before the Lodge was built.”

Woodchucks get noticed by major broadcast network

The holidays are right around the corner, meaning it’s that time of year for joy and festivities. For many, it also brings the daunting task of gift shopping – an activity that tends to hit the hardest for the nearly 39.7 million Americans that live in poverty and simply don’t have the means to provide presents to their children this holiday season. However, Sun City’s very own Woodchucks charter group has come up with a solution to combat this problem on the local level.

The Pioneers

October marked the month Sun City celebrated 20 years of continuing to provide a unique lifestyle to many, but November 10 presented some residents with yet another opportunity to celebrate a different type of milestone.

When Sun City broke ground back in 1999, people like Nancy Visconti, eagerly jumped at the chance to be one of the first to close on a house in the newly established resort-style community. Although much has changed throughout the years, the memories created amongst the pioneers of Sun City remained.

Model in train-ing

In 1951 the most wanted Christmas gift was a View-Master. But for most boys, the ultimate gift was a Lionel Train Set.

Mike Ptak was lucky to receive that gift when he was just a one-year-old. He still hasn’t found a better toy.

The right socks

Do you know that socks are the most requested item by homeless shelters? And they are also the least donated item.

For most, clean socks are not given a second thought. But for the homeless, having a clean pair of socks provides warmth and comfort, protecting skin from infections.

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