To all the friends and relatives that have helped me these past few months while I have been recovering from two major surgeries: I have always been fortunate to have many friends but never have I had so many that have cooked, baked, written, stopped to see me, driven me, visited me in the hospital and at rehab, and said lots of prayers for me. I cannot thank all of you enough and wish I could name all of you here. You know who you are and I always will. I hope someday I will be able to “Pay It Forward.” Tim, Colleen, and my wonderful Grandchildren who came everyday to see me in the hospital and at rehab until school started. Hannah and Maggie and Jack still came to see me after school. How lucky I am to have them.
God bless each and every one of you, and if I missed anyone, don’t feel left out because all of you are in my heart.
Betty Blocksom
Sun City Resident
Now that the Halloween festivities are behind us, it’s time to seriously start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Unfortunately, the holidays are sometimes accompanied by stress and frustration and concerns as to what to give whom and how much to spend. But I’ve found a great solution. Instead of that beautiful scarf and glove set that you might have bought for your sister (who usually loses them anyway) or that tie you might have bought for dad (does he still wear ties?) pool your gift-giving money together and donate it to a local charity. And the more family members that can participate in the actual giving end of it, the better.
I recently had the opportunity to bring a donation to our local Grafton Township Food Pantry, and I was not prepared for the heartfelt, sincere appreciation with which I was greeted. Our Neighborhood 28 held their annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 22, and instead of the usual Chili or Brownie Bake-off and 50/50 raffle, we held an auction, selling 21 new or slightly used items. Our very own Ralph Wehnes (we call him “The Mayor’ of N.28) was the auctioneer and provided fun and laughter as he teased and joked with residents who many times outbid themselves. But we raised $626 for the food pantry. It was overwhelming to see our residents not only paying for their purchased items but throwing in extra money and even writing checks directly to the food pantry.
The following Monday I delivered the remaining unopened hot dog buns and our proceeds, and I left the food pantry nearly in joyful tears. Their eyes lit up when they saw the several packages of hot dog buns, but when I handed them the money envelope, they couldn’t thank me enough. They explained that while the donations are less and less, the number of people they serve keeps increasing.
So, if you want to make a difference this holiday season (and feel really good doing it), why not take a donation to the Grafton Township Food Pantry. You will see how your donation is put to use, and see the hard work and joy that the local volunteers take in helping the community. The rewards are far greater than you can imagine.
Dolly Cardascio
Neighborhood 28
A community the size of Sun City, Huntley should have a dog park. I would be willing to pay as much as $50 per year to have a safe place to walk or run my dog. What would be needed is a large fenced-in area separated by another fence, with one side for dogs weighing 5 to 40 lbs and the other side 41 to 100 lbs. We would need someone to mow the grass in the warm months, a supply of poop bags as other dog parks have, a few garbage cans, and several benches for us to sit on while our dog/s run and play. I would be happy to work on this project with the help of board members or other dog owners.
If you have not heard about the problem that took place in NB 22 in mid September, let me tell you. Someone may have dipped dog biscuits in anti-freeze and distributed them around the lawn area next to the street and mail boxes. A dog got very sick and the Huntley police was called. They took several samples of the dog biscuits and found they were dipped in some kind of liquid. No tests were done. There have been no other incidents reported to date and the perpetrator has never been found.
This dog park would keep our dogs safe. We should and could also get the support of all the people who seem to hate dogs. There are times I am afraid to walk my dog because some residents think nothing of approaching me and telling me not to walk my dog on or near their property. As a dog owner, I always pick up after my dog. Residents seem to think that the property along the curb is their property, when it is not. That area is public property.
(Ms. Barnett verified the appropriate portions of this letter with the Huntley Police Department.)
Betty Barnett
Sun City Resident
At the October 26 Community Association Board of Directors meeting, an election committee report was given. We were told the “disappointing” number of ballots submitted, the number of votes each candidate received, and the fact that the committee worked very hard and that they were criticized for things they did and criticized for things they didn’t do. End of report.
I agree–the committee worked very hard. But so did the seven candidates who were running for the three positions on the Community Association Board. I have so much respect for the seven of us who had a major theme for the duration of the campaign–concern and caring for the community of Sun City. There were times during our presentations that I felt the seven of us would function very well as a cohesive Board of Directors. There was passion, financial knowledge, common sense, willingness to listen, and fresh, new approaches apparent at each venue. Congratulations to us all. My hope is that the seven of us will continue to be an integral part of our community, whether we are board members or not. It has been an honor to campaign with all of you and it will be an honor to serve on the board.
Linda Davis
Neighborhood 8
