MY SUN DAY NEWS
After serving as the mayor of Roselle from 1993 to 2017, totaling 24 years, Gayle Smolinski has traded the gavel for a quieter life in Sun City, bringing a lifetime of public service experience with her. Smolinski’s path to leadership actually began in the newsroom. “I graduated from Bowling Green University with a degree in journalism and public relations,” she noted. Initially, her career focused on writing, but her ambitions soon evolved. “I did do some writing, but I became interested in helping my community,” she said, marking the start of her public service journey.
After serving as the mayor of Roselle from 1993 to 2017, totaling 24 years, Gayle Smolinski has traded the gavel for a quieter life in Sun City, bringing a lifetime of public service experience with her.
Smolinski’s path to leadership actually began in the newsroom. “I graduated from Bowling Green University with a degree in journalism and public relations,” she noted. Initially, her career focused on writing, but her ambitions soon evolved. “I did do some writing, but I became interested in helping my community,” she said, marking the start of her public service journey.
One trio of Chicago sports trivia experts ended as the winner of the monthly Chi-Town Sports Trivia Group gathering March 6 at Huntley Area Public Library.
The winning team for the monthly gathering was John Hudal and Jim Suerth of Sun City and Gary Konca of Pingree Grove. They answered the most questions correctly on Chicago Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls and the wildcard category, college sports nicknames.
For more than a dozen years, alumni of the Huntley Citizens Police Academy have been assisting at village events.
Civic groups represented included the Huntley Police Department Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (CPAAA), was on hand at the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce’s EXPO to get the word out on their efforts.
I’m a 68-year-old guy who used to be proud of my walking streak. I’d head out every morning, rain or shine (well, almost every morning), and I was logging two to three miles a day. My blood pressure improved, I slept better, and I just felt more like myself. Then this past winter hit hard. Snow, wind, and cold temperatures made it almost impossible for me to head out, even if only for a short walk around the block. I told myself I’d just take a short break and wait for conditions to improve. Well, that “short break” turned into months.
So, we are in the midst of another wild bout of weather, as we glade through turbulence into April. As of writing this, we have been through summer, fall, winter…and hopefully spring. But as no doubt your grandkids are about to take a midseason break, maybe we should set aside some time for beach vacations and parties ourselves. I, on the other hand, am going to a lake house a couple days after this is turned in for much needed rest and relaxation. Just because we are all older, that doesn’t mean that Spring Break shenanigans are off the table. And that goes for the characters in these shows.
Nancy has been having an intense craving for a good burger. Believe it or not, she heard that Applebee’s has added some very creative burgers to their menu. She suggested to me that we give it a try. I, being the restaurant snob that I am, reluctantly agreed. Years ago, Applebee’s was in every neighborhood. Now not so much. As luck would have it, there is one on Randall Road in Elgin. We decided to give it a try and headed out with visions of hamburgers dancing in Nancy’s blonde head.
On a recent sunny day, Chris and I sat out on our paver patio. We felt the sunshine on our faces as we threw the ball for our English Springer Spaniel. This time on our patio offered us a few moments of pure bliss. Patios are often used as an extension of our home. Outdoor rooms, created through the use of landscaping or hardscaping, are used for entertaining, eating or simply relaxing. These outdoor spaces, though, do need to be maintained. Just as we maintain the inside of our homes through regular cleaning, painting and redecorating, our outdoor areas require maintenance. This column details the steps to evaluating and maintaining patios and other surfaces created using pavers (bricks).
On a recent sunny day, Chris and I sat out on our paver patio. We felt the sunshine on our faces as we threw the ball for our English Springer Spaniel. This time on our patio offered us a few moments of pure bliss.
Patios are often used as an extension of our home. Outdoor rooms, created through the use of landscaping or hardscaping, are used for entertaining, eating or simply relaxing. These outdoor spaces, though, do need to be maintained. Just as we maintain the inside of our homes through regular cleaning, painting and redecorating, our outdoor areas require maintenance. This column details the steps to evaluating and maintaining patios and other surfaces created using pavers (bricks).
Letters of kindness found in the Sun City Community.
When Paul Nowak moved to Sun City eleven years ago, his wife, Virginia, gave him a soft push to get out of the house. Though his previous passions centered on Corvettes and a career with Winchester firearms, Paul decided to join the Woodchucks Charter Club despite having zero experience with the craft. When he admitted his lack of knowledge to the shop veterans, he says that they joked, “Good. We won’t have to break any bad habits.”
When Paul Nowak moved to Sun City eleven years ago, his wife, Virginia, gave him a soft push to get out of the house. Though his previous passions centered on Corvettes and a career with Winchester firearms, Paul decided to join the Woodchucks Charter Club despite having zero experience with the craft.
When he admitted his lack of knowledge to the shop veterans, he says that they joked, “Good. We won’t have to break any bad habits.”
Imagine your perfect day. Better yet, dare yourself to imagine your perfect week, month, or year. Would you do the things you were supposed to do, or the things you wanted to do? It’s safe to say very few would provide an answer to this question containing the word “work,” unless it was “work on my novel” or “work on my abs.”
The west-side Chicago neighborhood where I grew up was a lot like Ireland. Well, there weren’t many Irishmen there — mostly Germans and Italians. But there were Protestants and Catholics.
The west-side Chicago neighborhood where I grew up was a lot like Ireland.
Well, there weren’t many Irishmen there — mostly Germans and Italians. But there were Protestants and Catholics.
The project to remodel a section of the HO Gauge layout at Sun City’s Kishwaukee Valley & Eakin Creek Model Railroad Club began in late fall of 2024. David Applegate, Club Member and project coordinator, said, “Club President Dale Svoboda, then the vice president, observed that no new buildings had been built in many years and that visitors would ask from time to time if any part of the layout represented a real town.” The layout’s architecture and businesses were purposefully made to evoke 1950s America. This era represented a unique transition where steam locomotives remained in service alongside emerging diesels, allowing members to operate both with historical accuracy.
The project to remodel a section of the HO Gauge layout at Sun City’s Kishwaukee Valley & Eakin Creek Model Railroad Club began in late fall of 2024.
David Applegate, Club Member and project coordinator, said, “Club President Dale Svoboda, then the vice president, observed that no new buildings had been built in many years and that visitors would ask from time to time if any part of the layout represented a real town.” The layout’s architecture and businesses were purposefully made to evoke 1950s America. This era represented a unique transition where steam locomotives remained in service alongside emerging diesels, allowing members to operate both with historical accuracy.
The Sun City Softball League is excited to kick off its upcoming season on May 11 at Veterans Memorial Field at 5:30 p.m. “We are always excited anytime we start playing at the beginning of the year because it’s a brand new season, and that’s what we look forward to,” said Chuck Hund, president of the Sun City Softball League.
The Sun City Softball League is excited to kick off its upcoming season on May 11 at Veterans Memorial Field at 5:30 p.m.
“We are always excited anytime we start playing at the beginning of the year because it’s a brand new season, and that’s what we look forward to,” said Chuck Hund, president of the Sun City Softball League.
Last month the February Health Report focused on the new 2025-2030 Food Guidelines. Both positives and negatives were reviewed, with the biggest concern voiced by nutritional experts that the new Dietary Food Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were being shaped by agricultural and food industry ties. Potential bias, resulting in overemphasis on meat and animal protein and new recommendations for increased meat, protein, and saturated fat intake.
Sun City resident Pat Bosi was honored on February 20 at the CAI Illinois Condo-HOA Conference & Expo. During the event, Illinois’ premier gathering for community management, Bosi officially received her Dedicated Community Association Leader (DCAL) designation.
Nancy is now in the preparation stage for her hip replacement surgery. Among other things, she cooks like a mad woman and freezes delicious dinners to enjoy while convalescing. This results in a huge shopping list of vegetables needed to prepare her dinners. Since any produce you buy in the Huntley area has a shelf life of a day and a half, we made the trip to Hoffman Estates where there is a huge produce market on Roselle Road that she loves to shop at. As long as we are out there, what else could we do but stop for lunch. We decided on Yu’s Mandarin in Schaumburg.
Each spring, it seems, I need to learn a new language all over again. The winter days spent baking and working on genealogy-based projects are over and I lean into outdoor pursuits such as gardening. Words such as Parthenocissus, aquaponic and soil amendments are part of my vernacular once again. Attending gardening events helps to make that transition smoother and much more enjoyable. For this column, Brenda Dahlfors, Program Coordinator with Illinois Extension serving McHenry/Lake Counties, has agreed to answer a few questions about Gardenfest an upcoming gardening event. Gardenfest takes place on Saturday, April 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McHenry County College.
Last spring, my parents moved into an assisted living community. At the time, we all felt hopeful. The place is beautiful, the staff seems kind, and there are activities, outings, and resources everywhere you look. We truly believed this move would improve their quality of life and relieve some of the caregiving stress I’d been carrying for years. But instead of improving, they seem to be declining.
Last spring, my parents moved into an assisted living community. At the time, we all felt hopeful. The place is beautiful, the staff seems kind, and there are activities, outings, and resources everywhere you look. We truly believed this move would improve their quality of life and relieve some of the caregiving stress I’d been carrying for years.
But instead of improving, they seem to be declining.
Let me say this from the start, I have a love/hate relationship with director Jim Jarmusch. He has, simultaneously, had me enthralled and baffled. Sometimes this happens within the same film, for good or ill. He has a tendency for just barely tying his loose plot threads up. However, they keep fraying at times despite his best efforts well before the credits roll. Jarmusch’s typical hipper-than-thou attitude can make general audiences less inclined to venture through his filmography. Even after watching his latest, Father Mother Sister Brother, I am still not sure how this one ranks among his others.
This St. Patrick’s Day, don’t just wear green; go green! While rummaging through your closets for something green to wear, this holiday could inspire some spring cleaning. Local thrift stores are all the rage right now, which enables us to reuse and recycle clothing. Plus, they are a lot cheaper than department stores and almost always accept donations. Feel good and do good!
Jim Gruber, who lives in Sun City, has loved art all his life. His seventh-grade teacher noticed his talent and helped him get into sketch classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Those classes gave him a strong start, with weekly assignments and feedback from professionals. Gruber found his artistic identity while attending Hirsch High School in Chicago. He said, “I earned the nickname ‘The Art Guy.’ Although my father was a businessman who first wanted me to go into business, he always supported my creative dreams. He even built me a custom art table to help with my work.”
Jim Gruber, who lives in Sun City, has loved art all his life. His seventh-grade teacher noticed his talent and helped him get into sketch classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Those classes gave him a strong start, with weekly assignments and feedback from professionals.
Gruber found his artistic identity while attending Hirsch High School in Chicago. He said, “I earned the nickname ‘The Art Guy.’ Although my father was a businessman who first wanted me to go into business, he always supported my creative dreams. He even built me a custom art table to help with my work.”
On an unseasonably warm weekend, my husband and I “went to the trees” by hauling our little teardrop camper to a favorite state park. Situated on a bluff overlooking a lake, I read a book next to a crackling fire while geese honked to each other as they flew overhead. It’s that sweet spot between winter and spring when the temperature fluctuates throughout the day, making it necessary for casual but constant wardrobe changes: winter coat in the chilly early morning, then just a sweatshirt as the sun rises in the sky; for a brief window of time at lunch, I daringly sport short sleeves before a shiver goes through me. I think better of it and put the sweatshirt on again, but this time with the zipper open.
Drive north on Route 53 toward Palatine Road, and you might not even notice the gentle climb that the pavement takes toward the horizon. As hills go, it is nothing to an automobile. It would be even less to an Olympics downhill skier. But it is a special slope to me. And with the Olympics medals finally awarded, it is time for me to step forward and accept the daring downhill glory long owed to me.
Drive north on Route 53 toward Palatine Road, and you might not even notice the gentle climb that the pavement takes toward the horizon. As hills go, it is nothing to an automobile. It would be even less to an Olympics downhill skier.
But it is a special slope to me. And with the Olympics medals finally awarded, it is time for me to step forward and accept the daring downhill glory long owed to me.
A day after neighbor-to-the-north Woodstock Willie predicted an early spring, Sun City Birdwatchers Club members were in agreement, so that several species of birds could be seen ASAP. The Sun City Birdwatchers Club, led by President Amy Sanecki, met Feb. 3 at Prairie View Lodge. Several shared their thoughts on their interest as they worked on bird-themed jigsaw puzzles, Bingo and other games.
A day after neighbor-to-the-north Woodstock Willie predicted an early spring, Sun City Birdwatchers Club members were in agreement, so that several species of birds could be seen ASAP.
The Sun City Birdwatchers Club, led by President Amy Sanecki, met Feb. 3 at Prairie View Lodge. Several shared their thoughts on their interest as they worked on bird-themed jigsaw puzzles, Bingo and other games.
At the January 28 member meeting, the new Whisper Creek Golf Club owners Sam and Max Patel officially introduced themselves and their plans for the course’s future. “Our vision for Whisper Creek is clear,” Sam Patel said. “We want to restore the club to its original luxury standard.”
At the January 28 member meeting, the new Whisper Creek Golf Club owners Sam and Max Patel officially introduced themselves and their plans for the course’s future.
“Our vision for Whisper Creek is clear,” Sam Patel said. “We want to restore the club to its original luxury standard.”
As we travel through life, the causes for celebration change through the years. When you are young, you celebrate such occasions as graduating college, getting married, and the birth of a child. When you reach the “golden” years, you celebrate such things as getting a ten-percent senior discount, solving a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune, and being able to tie your own shoes. Nancy had a reason to celebrate recently when she was cleared for surgery to have her hip replaced. She has waited months due to health reasons. What better way to build up her strength than with a nice juicy steak. She limped into the Mini-Mobile and we sped off to the Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill in Deer Park.
As we travel through life, the causes for celebration change through the years. When you are young, you celebrate such occasions as graduating college, getting married, and the birth of a child. When you reach the “golden” years, you celebrate such things as getting a ten-percent senior discount, solving a puzzle on Wheel of Fortune, and being able to tie your own shoes.
Nancy had a reason to celebrate recently when she was cleared for surgery to have her hip replaced. She has waited months due to health reasons. What better way to build up her strength than with a nice juicy steak. She limped into the Mini-Mobile and we sped off to the Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill in Deer Park.
I’ll be turning 70 next year, and lately I’ve found myself thinking a lot more about my heart health. Heart disease runs in my family, and it’s hard to ignore that my dad passed away from a heart attack in his 80s. I know genetics isn’t everything, but they’re always in the back of my mind.
A few days ago, while driving a warning message appeared on the dash board. It read ‘Change Oil Soon.’ The sticker on the windshield revealed that it was one month past the time when I should have taken my truck in for an oil change. I asked myself “How did I let this happen?” Within hours the oil change was complete and I was given a second chance to maintain my truck properly. Spring is like a second chance for gardeners. It is a time to either improve upon what was done differently or perhaps change course entirely. Changes of any size and scope can have a lasting impact. Our landscaping is a result of what was done or not done previously. Each year builds upon the previous year. This spring take a few moments to consider what you want to do with your second chance.
A few days ago, while driving a warning message appeared on the dash board. It read ‘Change Oil Soon.’ The sticker on the windshield revealed that it was one month past the time when I should have taken my truck in for an oil change. I asked myself “How did I let this happen?” Within hours the oil change was complete and I was given a second chance to maintain my truck properly.
Spring is like a second chance for gardeners. It is a time to either improve upon what was done differently or perhaps change course entirely. Changes of any size and scope can have a lasting impact. Our landscaping is a result of what was done or not done previously. Each year builds upon the previous year. This spring take a few moments to consider what you want to do with your second chance.
There is no mistaking that I love music; all different kinds. When asked about whether I was watching the big game or not, I quipped “Oh, you mean the football match interrupting the Bad Bunny concert?” This art form has been a part of me since I was a little kid. However, it is time to talk about “stan” culture, the type of toxic fandom that exists within the sane worlds of these artists. These people turn loving a musician into bloodsport. Disproportionately, female pop stars make up their core. There are some men (looking at you, BTS and Justin Bieber). These aren’t the ones we are discussing today. We are here for Taylor Swift and Charli XCX.
We tracked Walmart store brand prices for 10 items over the last year and found that the prices were remarkably stable – and quite low. All 10 items cost only $21.32 on Feb. 15; but as a practical matter, what can you do with those items? As it turns out, you can do a fair job of feeding two people three meals a day for seven days using only these 10 items.
