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News & Features Columnists Editorials Hang Your Hat Obituaries My Huntley News February 23, 2025
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Woodchuck uses workshop to create for others

John Belue, a Sun City resident and member of the Woodchucks Charter Club, enjoys spending time in the Millgrove Workshop, using the equipment available to grant his daughter’s wishes.

Belue said, “My daughter crochets, and she needed something to not only store her skeins of yarn, but also make it easy to pull the yarn through as you work. So, I started working on a design. I wanted a box shaped piece that would hold several skeins of yarn with a cover, and she could feed the yarn without fraying it.”

How many batteries does your house have?

As electronics move into every corner of our lives, most of them require batteries to operate. As these batteries die, the consequences can be from a minor annoyance to catastrophic failure in your house when the heat goes off and the pipes freeze. To avoid these problems, large and small, you need to know where all the batteries are located and when to change them.

Summer is here?

Recent fluctuations in temperature and barometric pressure makes this question inevitable. What really is this season? At time of writing, we have experienced multiple ebbs and flows in heat and cool. Multiplexes, however, have been in a cold spell with nothing of note gracing their screens. Usually blockbuster season isn’t until May, so it was a surprise to see what very well may be the biggest movie of the year drop in Dune: Part Two.

Ask an Angel: March 21, 2024

I am reaching out to seek your expertise and guidance regarding the care and well-being of my aging parents. As my parents are getting older, I find myself increasingly concerned about their health, safety, and overall quality of life. While I strive to support them to the best of my ability, I recognize that I don’t always know what I’m doing.

Check in at Checkers

A long, long time ago, in a suburb far, far, away, there lived two young foodies. They traveled near and far in search of new restaurants. This was a big adventure since there were no cell phones or GPS, they had to rely on Jim’s map reading skills and Nancy’s nagging. They ventured from their comfortable Hoffman Estates home all the way to what they considered the boonies of Woodstock. The reason for this trip was a restaurant called Deeter’s which featured excellent German/Swiss cuisine.

Move ahead a few millennia, and lo and behold, these two young foodies are now ancient and use a GPS in conjunction with Nancy’s nagging. As fate would have it, they now live in the boonies of Huntley, and Woodstock is their close neighbor.

Total eclipse of the park: preparing for a rare solar event

We all have those ‘Where were you when’ memories. For some it may be, ‘Where were you when man first walked on the moon?’ or others ‘Where were you on September 11, 2001?’ Although not nearly as globally significant many of us remember the answer to the question, ‘Where were you when you first experienced a solar eclipse?’

We take it for granted that whether or not we see it, the sun is above us in the sky each and every day. Clouds may obscure our view, but we know that the sun is there shining bright. This star influences our planet in several key ways. It determines our seasons, influences the climate, drives our weather patterns and assists in controlling the ocean currents. All living plants are dependent upon the sun and could not survive without it.

White Sox Fan Club member hits home run with prized possession

The Chicago White Sox Fan Club meets monthly and has since February 26, 2019. The atmosphere at this meeting included pizza, beer and White Sox talk.

“This is our sixth year since I came up with this wild idea. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Glenn Grobli, club founder, said.

What to do with old greetings

Instead of sitting in a shoe box or in an old drawer, a greeting card can keep on greeting, according to one Sun City resident.

Donna Bordsen is offering an opportunity to put those cards to great use.

The ham that took it on the lam

I lost a ham today.

I know that’s not the kind of confession you expect to hear every day, but there it is:

Today, I lost a ham.

“How does someone lose a ham?” my friend Anne asked when I told her.

Why social media is boring me to pieces

I’d like to thank Elon Musk for purchasing Twitter. Ahem — I mean ‘X.’

As soon as Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters carrying a sink (the caption to the video read, “Walking into Twitter HQ. Let that sink in,”) it was clear that Musk was more concerned with crafting Dad-jokey quips than he was about making the platform better, or at the very least keeping it clear from hate speech and disinformation.

Sun City resident’s service tells an inspiring story

A vital component of any thriving community is the willingness of residents to donate their time. Bonnie Bayser is a prime example. She rolled up her sleeves when she moved to Sun City in 2003. Her willingness to get involved and commitment to the community has been constant.

Bayser said, “I like to keep busy. The first committee I volunteered for was the Activity Committee, now Lifestyle. I have been on the Facility Advisory Committee, Fitness, Election, Liaison to Modifications, Wellness, and currently on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee.”

Diving into Blue Zones

The Blue Zones — they’ve been in the news lately, especially with the recent 4-part Netflix airing of “Live To Be 100 – Secrets of the Blue Zones.” Magazine articles, podcasts, and videos have been popping up discussing virtues of the Blue Zone diet and healthy habits from PBS to Forbes and Newsweek.

So what are the Blue Zones?

Sun City residents tap into free tax prep help

Since 1968, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has provided free tax help to over 78 million taxpayers, focusing on older adults. Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year to ensure they know about and understand the latest changes and additions to the tax code. 

Andy Snarski, local coordinator for AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Volunteers in Huntley, is helping seniors file tax returns electronically. Heartland Bank has provided space in the lower building level at 12101 Regency Pkwy, Huntley, IL.

The dos and don’ts of landscaping

When raising my children, I emphasized that you don’t take no for an answer. You overcome your obstacles, create opportunities, and persevere through situations. While respecting rules is always the way forward, you don’t necessarily need to listen to what other people tell you is or isn’t possible. I say all that in preparation for telling you what is or isn’t possible in your own yard.

A Fireside lunch

Being the consummate foodies that we are, there is a meat market on Route 47 in downtown Elburn that we love to take a road trip to. We usually have a few items on our shopping list, but we always wind up buying lots of other “necessities.” These include four different kinds of hot dogs, bratwurst, thuringer, and pre-made pork schnitzel which is to die for. This shopping spree usually works up quite an appetite, so we decided to go a little further to Sugar Grove to try the Fireside Grille.

The snub of the year

A complete tragedy; that is the phrase you hear when someone or something is overlooked for accolades. Awards, of any kind, are fickle and subjective. Prizes for art have always felt a bit stranger: what makes this piece better than that? Critics have brought up some under-appreciated films recently, some of which I agree. Past Lives was one of my favorites of last year but earned some Oscar nods. May December only got one. Priscilla and Fallen Leaves both got a big goose egg. My recommendation this week though; this was criminal.

Ask an Angel: March 7, 2024

I’ve been an avid reader of your columns and your expertise has always provided valuable guidance. Today, I find myself in need of some advice as I’m about to undergo surgery followed by a short-term rehab stay. It’s a bit daunting, I admit, but I’m trying to approach it with a positive mindset.

Green means let’s go have some lucky fun!!!

St.Patrick’s Day is just a few weeks away! March 17th, to be exact. There is so much to do! Shop, eat, and learn some fun facts along the way this St. Patrick’s Day!

Glow up

Sometimes, getting a lift might come with wings.

Angel Flight Central (AFC) is located in the Midwest, but collaborates coast-to-coast, helping people in need by arranging charitable flights for health care or other humanitarian purposes. The chapter serves Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana.

David Shadle, a Sun City resident and retired pilot, was instrumental in starting the Great Lakes Wing of AFC. He is a charter member of Angel Flights and a volunteer pilot.

Who — or what — do you love most in the world?

I hope you had a pleasant Valentine’s Day last week.

For me it was a nightmare.

In the cards

If you’ve waited in line to take a class, it’s probably one taught by Karen Czerwinski and Linda Dungey. Their Sun City class often had a waiting list. Residents registered monthly to create handmade cards for all occasions. Czerwinski and Dungey taught their last class in November 2023. Their creativity and hard work preparing for great classes will be missed. A Sun City resident, Chris Wojtas, said, “Karen and Linda, our previous teachers, were wonderful, and we were sorry to see them retire.”

Class attendees were happy to see that in the November Lifestyles Magazine, a greeting card class taught by Jane Hancock was starting in January 2024.

T time

Sun City resident Cheryl Ross has been bitten by the crafting bug.

“I never had time before retirement,” she said. “I came here and took a class on a Cricut machine. I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ It’s too complicated.”

But then, Ross got a Cricut Explorer and started crafting.

Doing away with dread

I’ve been thinking about dread lately, namely how much I’m dreading these months leading up to our next presidential election. I dread the endless rhetoric, the talking heads regurgitating empty promises and attacks and criticisms ad nauseum to fill the hungry belly of the 24-hour news cycle. I dread the ads, the bumper stickers, the way I will sidestep social conversations about politics like I’m tiptoeing through a minefield.

Even the word “dread” sort of sits in the mouth like a lump of wet clay and falls out with a thud.

Anticipation builds as plans unveiled for haute Italian eatery in Huntley

Last January, the Village Board approved a resolution expressing Huntley’s intent to sell the former village hall building located at 11704 Coral Street. Per the resolution, the building would be sold to a private developer subject to a redevelopment agreement for the conversion and expansion of the existing office building into a restaurant use.

At the direction of the village board, staff have been in the process of finalizing a Purchase and Sale Agreement and Redevelopment Agreement with True North Properties, Inc. to accommodate the conversion of the former village hall to a restaurant use.

Potato pancake palooza

Getting a puppy is fun and exciting. However, once she comes home, that’s when the fun begins. First thing: housebreaking. We hung a string of bells on the patio door and taught Rosie to ring them when she has to go out. Unfortunately, she loves the outside and rings those bells every 15 minutes. If we don’t take her out, she sits in front of us and looks at us as if to say, “do you feel lucky”?

Updating the outside of your home

Chris, my husband, and I have been updating our home this winter. As we have lived here for over 20 years, it was time for the inside of our home to be refreshed. Our gold fixtures are being replaced with brushed nickel, we are installing hardwood flooring in place of carpeting and the beige walls are being painted over with shades of grey. While we aren’t trendy people, it does feel good to be making these improvements. The inside of our home will soon reflect the beauty that we have created on the outside. Just as there are interior design home trends, there are also gardening trends. Here is a preview of the top gardening trends for 2024.

Serial thrillers

Greetings all, we are about to head into another month with still no movies to choose from. The theaters have been inundated with schlock. All of this done, presumably, pull focus onto Oscar pics before the big ceremony. The strikes in Hollywood have started to show their consequences. Luckily, streaming has been picking up the slack with prestige miniseries, harkening back to the days when network television would break up the monotony of their scripted dramas and sitcoms. So, let’s liven this very strange season shall we?

Ask an Angel: February 22, 2024

I’m reaching out as a daughter who is facing a unique challenge with my elderly parents, and I could use some advice. My primary concern revolves around my mom’s reluctance to get dressed. This situation is complicated by her dementia diagnosis and is ultimately hindering my dad’s ability to leave the house.

My mom doesn’t feel up to getting dressed, and my dad often has to miss out on family events as a result. He asks me to convince her to get dressed so they can go out together. It saddens me that they’re missing out on things and we don’t know how much time we have left with them.