Residents of Neighborhood 18 put on their thinking caps
On Jan. 31, the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Horse, neighbors in Monarch Ridge gathered to have a fun time playing trivia. Trivia is derived from the Roman days, meaning a place where three roads meet.
Questions ranged from history to music to buzzwords to gaming and beyond. What were the first names of Johnny Carson’s first three wives?
Neighborhood 18 is celebrating its 10th anniversary during 2014. The Activities Committee is planning many special events, including a party on Oct. 10 for all current and past residents.
Diane Faubl
Neighborhood 18
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Meeting an Alpine ski legend
With ski racing events about to begin in Sochi, Russia’s Winter Olympics, I would like to describe an exciting encounter my husband and I and another couple shared this past September.
While visiting Vail, Colorado, Nick, and I were privileged to meet Pepi Gramshammer, an Austrian ski racing legend, ski instructor, and founder of numerous Vail ski programs and events. What made the experience that much more delightful was that Nick and I had just finished eating lunch with our very close Sun City/Huntley friends, Hal and Nancy Moore. Furthermore our delicious food that day was served at Mr. Gramshammer’s renowned Vail Village restaurant named appropriately “Pepi’s.” The eatery adjoins Pepi’s hotel named Gasthof Gramshammer.
Upon meeting Mr. Gramshammer, my husband, also a certified ski instructor, who has spent countless years, months, and days of skiing at Vail, reminded Pepi that they had both met each other – in what seemed a lifetime ago – on a Vail ski chair. Nick remembered that Pepi’s legendary credentials included having been a ski racer for five years on the Austrian National Ski Team. Gramshammer, now 81, was also a ski racer in the U.S. for seven years.
Seeing our enthusiasm at meeting him, our native-born Austrian celebrity began imparting more interesting info about his life.
“When I came to the United States, I spent two years racing and living at Sun Valley’s Ski Area in Idaho from ‘60-‘62. Then I came to Vail. I’ve been here 57 years, and I’m always promoting this beautiful area,” Gramshammer said.
When I told the veteran skier and entrepreneur that I had begun my own alpine skiing experiences back in the mid ‘60’s, Gramshammer finished his conversation by stating “I opened my restaurant in ‘64.”
As we said goodbyes to our ski legend, the four of us made promises to return to Vail this winter and to make our own legendary ski memories. My husband has already begun his multi-months’ yearly winter ritual. Nancy, Hal, and I are still contemplating about a possible vacation this March that could produce Vail skiing and/or snowshoeing fun for all of us!
By Joanie Koplos
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The Last Masters Swim Meet of 2013
When most Sun City/Huntley seniors were finishing their sleep in preparation for numerous Christmas activities, three members of the Stingray Swim Club were waking up on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 5 a.m. in hot pursuit of swim ribbons. The last Masters Meet of 2013 meant that Nancy Moore, Mark Schark, and Joanie Koplos had decided to drive over 53 miles to the Lemont Park District Pool (The Core). There, the Tri Smart Masters Swim Meet would begin at 8.
The trio’s efforts were not in vain. Here are our Sun City/Huntley swimmers’ individual placements in the age group where they competed, which resulted in a total of seven 1st place and four 2nd place finishes:
Nancy Moore (Women’s 70-74): Four 1st Places: 500 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 100 IM
Mark Schark (Men’s 50-54): One 1st Place: 50 Backstroke; Two 2nd Places: 500 Freestyle and 200 Freestyle
Joanie Koplos (Women’s 70-74): Two 1st Places: 200 IM and 50 Butterfly; Two 2nd Places: 500 Freestyle and 100 IM
Way to go Stingrays!
By Joanie Koplos
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