On August 14, an email from the Sun City Board of Directors arrived in my inbox. This email started by reminding us of the âshelter in placeâ guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The message then went on to describe the conduct by ânumerousâ residents at Jamesonâs Restaurant on Easter Sunday.
The more I read, the more appalled I became with how residents of this community conduct themselves. Before Iâm accused of painting this community with a broad brush, I find this behavior by any of its residents reprehensible and unacceptable. Having experienced similar behavior in other instances during the short four years weâve lived in this community has caused me to reach a conclusion. Itâs my opinion that the Board of Directors should mandate that all new residents, and periodically that all current residents, complete a short class on how to âbehave in the sandbox.â
The conduct cited in the email included âcursingâ and âharassingâ restaurant employees, âpushingâ into the restaurant lobby and not leaving when requested by employees and generally threatening employees. My personal experiences allow me to add, disrespectful, and in some cases illegal, driving habits, and rude and crass behavior in association common areas. The early reference in the email message was âfew,â later in the message the reference was ânumerous.â I would agree with the latter rather than the former.
Weâre fortunate to have Jamesonâs Restaurant as part of our community and they deserve our appreciation not criticism for factors outside their control.
I applaud the Board of Directors for including the excerpt from the Association Operating Rules and Regulations but I question the effectiveness.
While I wouldnât go so far as to say the residents of Sun City are like a group of New York City cab drivers, I would say that weâre not the harmonious, above reproach community we purport ourselves to be. Realtors should advise prospective home buyers that this form of conduct exists in this community. Some may say Sun City is no better no worse than society in general. I would have to disagree and say that per capita Sun City is worse as demonstrated by this offensive behavior.
Jim Zimanek
Sun City resident
Suddenly, like turning off a light switch, everything went dark. Our lives changed as we adjusted from light to dark. The virus turned everything into a virtual darkness. In spite of what happened we all learned how to see in the darkness. We saw what we had to see. We adjusted to the âabnormalâ as it became the new ânormal.â
Adjustments and changes were not easy for anyone. So the pool exercises that my wife and I had been doing for almost 20 years were now being done at home. Walking in the pool has been replaced by walking on land. Doing the YouTube exercises created by Kathy OâToole and Barb Dvorak have been welcome boredom busters.
Continuing those regimens on a regular basis has not been easy for anyone. But doing them âsome timesâ was better than âno times.â
In my home a support system has helped enormously as my wife, family, friends, the telephone, TV, access to the internet, trips to the doctor, trips to pick up prescriptions, and food in the refrigerator have helped pass time during our social distancing requirement.
For those of us who have been unaffected by the virus there is much to be thankful for. Consider the hundreds of thousands of people who have been infected and, sadly, we mourn those whose lives have been cut short.
No one knows how long we will be in this virtual darkness.
As has been said over and over, âWe are all in this together.â
Jim Darow
Neighborhood 5
On April 12, the Tribune writer Eric Zorn wrote âJ.B. Pritzker lapsed into cheap political pandering in his crisis briefing Thursday,â – End quote – What a time to Play politics. The governor talks about, as a leader you must be prepared. HERE is his leadership: The state has a 1 hr rainy day fund. The 135 billion+ out-of-control pension fund because of the market collapse is now projected to be 300 billion, worst in country. The Gov. allowed the primaries to take place. Left the experts out. How many thousands were infected because of waiting in line to vote and how many died because of political considerations by our Gov. Also McDonalds found a million masks. The State could not. The state was not prepared for unemployment claims. The system collapsed. IL Is 31ST in virus testing. The Gov. claims no tests. Where did the other states get theirs? Yes real leadership. Our Gov will be remembered as the man who took the toilets out of his 2nd mansion to reduce real estate taxes.
John Mayerhofe
Sun City resident
What am I missing? Re-opening the economy is not like a Reopening of a business on a specified date. Who will determine when the doors reopen?
The virus has its own time table as it continues doing harm.
Until dealing with the virus has approached some measure of control or hopefully elimination, reopening the economy is a political âfeel goodâ fantasy.
The pent up demand is a reality, but those who choose to remain safe will dictate the extent of the recovery. The state of being normal is contingent upon the development and availability of a vaccine. PERIOD.
Continued adjustments to determine what ânormalâ represents continues to be everyoneâs challenge.
Jim Darow
Neighborhood 5
