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MY SUN DAY NEWS

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News & Features Columnists Editorials Hang Your Hat Obituaries My Huntley News

November 19, 2020

News & Features

Valor quilters and the McHenry County Historical Society team up to honor Huntley veterans

This community, like places all over the country, paused on Veterans Day to honor those who served. Veterans Day is always on November 11, the anniversary of the armistice ending World War I in 1918. But unlike past remembrances in the 102-year history of the holiday, no one is inviting crowds, hosting parades, but instead preferring to offer virtual ceremonies, or hosting in person events requiring masks and observing social distancing in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Bravery, compassion, humor

Avid readers of the Sun Day may very well be aware of former Sun City resident, Paul Souchek, whose colorful life has filled the Sun Day’s pages with tales of his time in 36th Infantry Division of the Army during WWII to his active involvement in various Sun City organizations such as the Scandinavian Club and other activities alongside his wife, Joan. Although today Souchek spends his days entertaining nurses and other staff with his humorous stories at the Alden of Huntley Senior Living facility, Souchek’s daughter, Linda Cook, explains that despite battling some medical setbacks, “[it] doesn’t slow him down.”

Sadly, Souchek’s wife passed away August 21 of this year after 73 years of marriage, but as Souchek recounts, was able to have one last touching moment with his beloved partner.

You’ve got snail mail

A few weeks ago, I reached out to an old friend over text. I asked her how she was and told her to update me on her life. The pandemic has made it both easier to reach out (we’re lonely, we want connection) and harder (we’re stuck in our little COVID routines and small circles of people).

Yet, even after a while, she still hadn’t replied.

HOWL-O-Ween recap

Dogtoberfest is the ultimate fall festival, uniting pets, Halloween, Oktoberfest, and the community with a dog costume contest.

Residents brought out their pets to strut their stuff in costume on October 20.

Early voting in Sun City saw mixed bag of wait times

Early voting was available in Sun City from October 26-29. More than 80 million Americans have cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election, by Thursday, October 29. This was a record-breaking turnout, accounting for more than 58% of the total voter turnout of 138 million from 2016. Only 47 million voted before Election Day in 2016.

Due to COVID-19, all 2020 General Election voters were encouraged to cast a ballot before Election Day, either by mail or during early voting.

2020 Thanksgiving plans as varied as the menus for Sun City residents

Things don’t always go according to plan on Thanksgiving Day. Entrees are forgotten in the fridge, new recipes don’t work out, and sometimes those turkeys take longer to cook. The food, the family, the travel, the emotion, and now 2020 has brought an additional element to feel stress and anxiety as Thanksgiving Day is nearing.

Thanksgiving is the day when we feel most grateful for the blessings in our lives. Some residents have not seen extended family for months. Thanksgiving conjures up pictures of big happy reunions but how safe is to make it a reality?

New restrictions won’t “curb” all services at Jameson’s

Governor Pritzker announced tighter COVID-19 restrictions for Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kankakee counties that went into effect on Friday, October 23. The restrictions closed bars and restaurants for indoor dining. Jameson’s, located in Kane County, has once again closed for indoor dining.

Walter Myszkowski, a manager at Jameson, said, “We followed every protocol in our restaurant to keep our employees and diners safe. I have been told by our customers that they felt safe dining at Jameson’s.”

Contributions are a Turkey Day delight for families in need

On the morning of November 14, a truck will stop at the Grafton Food Pantry in Huntley and put the wheels in motion for hundreds of people who might otherwise not have a Thanksgiving. Forgive if you will the cliché because the wheels are key to the Grafton Food Pantry Thanksgiving Dinner giveaway, a two decades old tradition.

The truck driver will oversee the packing of 170 to 175 boxes of frozen turkeys into his truck at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. From there, the driver will deliver the turkeys and boxes of trimmings to Grafton Food Pantry where several dozen pantry volunteers will unload the boxes for the turkey giveaway.

COVID metrics present tough times ahead for holiday plans

Doubling down on COVID-19 and taking added precautions are what you’ll hear today and for the next few weeks from the Public Health Administrator in McHenry County and the director of the Kane County Health Department as we come ever closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The breakneck speed in which COVID related negative news in late October has popped is jarring because many parts of Illinois were moving forward, stepping toward normalcy.

Huntley High School seeks pen pals for medical academy

Yes, Huntley High School has a Medical Academy. We have over 20 classes the students can take while they are in high school that have a medical theme. We also require students to do volunteer hours and job shadows. However, with this pandemic we have had to do some creative out of the box thinking …

What people need to understand about bipolar disorder

This past October 6 through the 12 was National Mental Health Awareness Week.

Here are comments discussing the reality of one form of mental illness, bipolar disorder or manic-depressive Illness.

No trick

In the past, Sun City’s Grandma, Grandpa, and Me (GG&ME) Charter club has hosted a very special Halloween event.

The Halloween Party is one of the club’s more popular events. The club would invite members and family to come in costume and enjoy the crafts, games, prizes, refreshments, and entertainment. Trick-or-treating in Sun City would begin right after the party. Grandkids would relish this opportunity since this would occur the week before traditional trick or treating in their own neighborhood; a second Halloween. This year, Covid-19 has impacted this tradition.

Storm surge

2020 has altered many vacation plans, graduations, weddings, and even birthdays.

Pam and Ed Richard, like many residents, have been following social-distancing guidelines since March to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. As with many families, the Richards were aching to see family. They decided to take advantage of everyone’s good health to visit family in Louisiana. In planning for the visit, they booked a hotel, creating a social bubble helping them feel comfortable interacting with Ed’s brother, his wife, and children.

WWII veteran shares battles, bobbles, and best memories

To be in the audience of Sun City resident and storyteller Bob Gordon is to be in the presence of a master. Turning one hundred on December 23, Gordon has tales that span both the decades and the globe, and he regales his vivid and often humorous anecdotes with near perfect recall.

A veteran of World War II in Guam, Gordon detailed his years in intelligence.

Doing it right at Valley Hi Nursing Home

Since the first COVID-19 cases were reported earlier this year in the U.S., Valley Hi Nursing Home in McHenry County has not had a single resident test positive for coronavirus.

The “resident centered” county-run long-term facility in Woodstock made news because Valley Hi stands out from other similar nursing homes across the country that have not been free of COVID cases. National statistics show 42 percent of COVID deaths have occurred in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.

Prepare to lift your spirits with some Halloween Bingo!

The current pandemic has certainly taken its toll in terms of forcing events to either get cancelled or postponed for this year. With that in mind, residents of Sun City who have kept up to date on ongoing shows and events within the community may have taken notice to the Halloween BINGO event being held in the Drendel Ballroom on October 21.

The pandemic’s isolationism is leading America into a mental health crisis

The Coronavirus lock-downs continue to spread widespread unemployment resulting in large income losses among our citizens.

But in addition to the forestalling of physical health and social issues being resolved, the largest crisis facing our country today has become a psychological one.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Holiday season traditions such as Christmas concerts may not survive the COVID social distancing test for large gatherings, yet any holiday traditions we can hold onto may give us the feeling of hope this Thanksgiving and Christmas. A small red pot dangling from a pole symbolizes the hope our community can come together and support those in need. However, the Salvation Army of McHenry County won’t have enough of those “small red pots dangling from a pole” manned to meet their goal if volunteers don’t sign up soon to ring bells for the Red Kettle campaign.

Oh, brother!

Just after 8 p.m. on a December night in 2019, Robin Rinaldi-Esta composed a private Facebook message, took a deep breath, and pressed “send.”

“I wrote, ‘I think you are my brother. You look exactly like my Dad,’” remembers Rinaldi-Esta.

Parkside Pub describes the highs and lows of Covid-era restaurant life

“Could I have five more ketchup packets?”

A customer at Parkside Pub in Huntley was just served a burger and fries and caught the server’s attention. The customer figured two ketchup packets on her plate weren’t enough. The number of ketchup packets served to a customer won’t break a restaurant’s budget but it’s part of the complete picture of COVID related costs for restaurants and how restaurants struggle to stay on budget.

Board approves camera installation and spillway construction

Residents that have kept up to date with the SCCAH Board of Directors meetings may already be aware of the Board’s new and old business highlights that took place at the September 23 meeting.

For those unfamiliar, the Board has approved the motion to install cameras in the Prairie and Meadowview Lodges, as well as the Millgrove Woodshop. The camera installations are part of a series of phases to monitor the improvement of security and cost savings as stated by SCCAH Board President, Dennis O’Leary.

Pebbles painted with positivity popping up around Sun City streets

Painted rocks? The idea is simple: get a rock, paint it, hide it, and then leave a hint on Facebook so others can find it. It’s a trend that is popping up all across the country.

In Huntley, Sun City residents post their treasure finds on The Facebook Page Wildflower Lake Neighbors in Huntley. Who is responsible for all those painted rocks hidden all over Sun City?

Sewing hope for the community

Dozens of sewing champions in Sun City have dusted off their sewing machines to make thousands of surgical masks this year. Marilyn McIntyre said, “Even though formal charter club activities have been suspended during the pandemic, members of the Sew ‘n Sews club have been working independently sewing, quilting, and knitting. It is estimated that a number of women made over 5,000 masks during the spring from the fabric they had on hand.

The international race for a successful vaccine, part 3b: Striving for a high percentage of Americans to receive a vaccination

With Phase 3 vaccine candidates approaching closer to U.S. authorization dates, health and industry leaders are consumed with the necessity of having as many of our population willing to be vaccinated. Besides protecting themselves from the Covid-19 virus, these Americans would also be helping to establish our country’s effective herd immunity level.

Political Place: October 8, 2020

Note: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.

Life with Intention

During the stay-at-home order, most people cleaned their closets, caught up on their reading, did puzzles, and learned about Zoom. Cathleen Chay wrote a book.

While we may see an influx of pandemic-inspired novels after this worldwide crisis, Chay brings a unique perspective to living life and gives her readers a way to reach calmness in her collections of poems in her new book published this month, Life with Intention.

Let’s Get a REAL ID

Limiting travel because of COVID-19 restrictions has had an impact on the human psyche. You’re itching to get away, anywhere just to see a new environment. But you may have become confused over a few key facts swirling in your head. Sun Day is here to unclutter.

The international race for a successful vaccine, part 3: Are aggressive vaccine timelines unrealistic?

National Geographic explains that there are more than 150 coronavirus vaccines now being developed around the world. Hopes, therefore, are high that to ease the global crisis, at least one will be brought to market in record time!

The magazine continues, “Several efforts are underway to help make that possible, including the U.S. government’s (and President Trump’s) Operation Warp Speed Initiative, which has pledged $10 billion and aims to develop and deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by January 2021.”

Neighborhood Watch plans parade to honor first responders

Sun City’s Neighborhood Watch is planning a new event, the Sun City’s Sirens & Lights Parade, to honor, thank and show support for our Police, Fire Departments, and first responders.

A motorcade of fire engines and police motorcycles will blare their emergency sirens and flash their lights as they follow the 5.5-mile route in Sun City on Tuesday, October 6 at 4:30 p.m.