New phone scam warrants new protocols

You get a call from someone claiming to be from any government agency, such as the police, FBI, or IRS, asking for your social security or money.

Is it real?

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Congratulations, Mr. President — may you lead our nation well

First, an admission: I have no idea what I’m talking about.

Oh, plenty of readers will say, “So what else is new?” But this time it’s different, because as I write this, it is 8 a.m. on November 3, Election Day in America, and although you know what happened next, right now I don’t.

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.

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.

Breaking news: Louis L’Amour is still dead

The bad news is: Louis L’Amour is still dead.

The good news: I’ve made my peace with it — a necessary healing because, after all, I’m the guy who killed him.

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 …

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Roses often get a bad rap. Although it really isn’t in my nature to convince people to like certain plants, please hear me out. It is early November and as I drive around your community during the day and walk around my own during the evening, I see hundreds of beautiful blooms of roses still standing proud. Roses have been flowering since June and are continue to sprinkle our landscape with gorgeous fuchsia, yellow and peach flowers.

It’s “Za Za” dahling

Due to this whole crazy Covid-19 situation, Nancy has resorted to virtual shopping. She is becoming quite adept at ordering things she see’s on Amazon, Groupon, and Facebook ads. Who would have thought that some items are not exactly as they appear on the internet? Such was the case with a Local Flavor coupon we purchased for a restaurant. We drove up to what we thought would be a fine dining restaurant, and to our surprise, it looked nothing like it did on the internet.

Prestige is here

And this is where we find ourselves…the theaters in 2020 seem to be cancelled. My hopes were raised that the rest of the studio slate was coming out. Then “Black Widow was pushed to next May. But no matter, there is Bond … then no Bond until April.

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.

Ask an Angel: November 5, 2020

My husband and I are in our 70s. We’ve made some wonderful memories with our grandkids this summer with social distancing visits outdoors. Now that the weather is turning cooler, we’re concerned that our visits won’t be as frequent.

Hang Your Hat: November 5, 2020

Letters for the week of November 5.

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.

Hey, Hey, My, My

There’s a lyric in a song I like very much that goes: “They give you this but you pay for that.” Recognize it? It’s from “Hey, Hey, My, My” by Neil Young. Although my preferred rendition of the song is the cover by the modern band Battleme. And in their version the line goes: “You pay for this and they give you that.” Either way, it means the same thing: you didn’t get what you paid for.

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.

A burning image of bucket-list American blues

One of the special pleasures in life is checking off item by item on your bucket list.

I’ve been lucky to live long enough and to travel extensively enough to wear my bucket-list pencil nub down quite a bit. Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, Sydney Opera House, Brandenburg Gate—the list has narrowed quite a bit since I was a young, wonder-eyed boy.

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.

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