MY SUN DAY NEWS
The 25th Anniversary of Sun City is not just a number, it’s a testament to lots of collective dedication and hard work. Over the past quarter-century, Sun City has transformed into an exceptional resort-style community for active adults aged 55 and over. The lifestyle has evolved, enriched by the addition of events, classes, charter clubs, a myriad of activities, and a 94,000-square-foot clubhouse. With over 5,400 homes spread across 2,200 acres, Sun City Huntley stands as one of the largest and most amenity-rich communities in the region, and a true source of pride for all residents. Ā Ā
Regular visitors to this column learned long ago that the landscape on Planet Kerth is a bitāwell, ābizarreā is too judgmental.
Quirky? Twisted? Wonky?
Nope. Letās go with askew. I can live with askew.
Cup stacking, also known as speedstacks, is not just a sport; it’s a thrilling adventure that hones hand-eye coordination, ambidexterity, quickness, and concentration. Speedstacks is a global competition in which players strive to outdo their personal best. This unique activity taps into both sides of their bodies and brains, fostering essential athletic and lifelong skills.
One morning, they were suddenly here. Cicadas lay strewn across our lawn, the driveway, and the sidewalk. They lined the tree trunks in a frozen parade, some leaving their empty shell to keep their place as they flew off to higher heights. We knew they were coming, but it didnāt make it any less jarring to see the tiny holes in the soil where they had suddenly emerged after their 17-year-long buffet of tender tree roots. Theyāre not a welcome sight for many, and cautious homeowners along neighborhood streets have carefully wrapped young saplings in white nets as a way of protecting trees in their infancy from the attack of cicadas.
One morning, they were suddenly here. Cicadas lay strewn across our lawn, the driveway, and the sidewalk. They lined the tree trunks in a frozen parade, some leaving their empty shell to keep their place as they flew off to higher heights.
We knew they were coming, but it didnāt make it any less jarring to see the tiny holes in the soil where they had suddenly emerged after their 17-year-long buffet of tender tree roots. Theyāre not a welcome sight for many, and cautious homeowners along neighborhood streets have carefully wrapped young saplings in white nets as a way of protecting trees in their infancy from the attack of cicadas.
On My 11, Sun City residents answered the request from the Grafton Food Pantry and the United States Postal Service to help stamp out hunger. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and postal workers and the generosity of community members, this year’s food drive once again helped fill the shelves of the Grafton Food Pantry.
It finally happened. It. Finally. Happened. For the past 25 years I have driven through this beautiful community while admiring the hundreds of trees planted along each side of the street. For the first time last week, I admired the gorgeous arches formed as a result of parkway trees, planted on opposites sides of the street, now being tall and wide enough to touch each other. This glorious sight coupled with the wonderful feeling of driving under blocks of majestic trees now mature enough to form a dense canopy was tremendously rewarding. As Del Webbās Sun City Huntley celebrates its 25th year, the trees planted so many years ago are a testament to the residents who have nurtured them for the past two and a half decades.
It finally happened. It. Finally. Happened.
For the past 25 years I have driven through this beautiful community while admiring the hundreds of trees planted along each side of the street. For the first time last week, I admired the gorgeous arches formed as a result of parkway trees, planted on opposites sides of the street, now being tall and wide enough to touch each other. This glorious sight coupled with the wonderful feeling of driving under blocks of majestic trees now mature enough to form a dense canopy was tremendously rewarding. As Del Webbās Sun City Huntley celebrates its 25th year, the trees planted so many years ago are a testament to the residents who have nurtured them for the past two and a half decades.
Hi there, Iām reaching out because I find myself in a bit of a dilemma and could use some guidance. Iām a grandfather who eagerly awaits the summer months when my family comes to visit. We live quite a distance apart, so we only get to see each other about twice a year. Itās a precious time for me, especially since I get to spend time with my grandson, whoās now in his early teens, around 14 years old.
Spring is finally here, and with it, many houses have green and gray stains on their vinyl siding. This is algae, mildew, and mold. It grows best on the north side of the house because that side is away from the sun. It is worse in years with a lot of rain. There is a product that removes these stains with very little work. It is a product called Wet & Forget. It removes mold, mildew, and algae stains gently over time from roofs, concrete, brick, siding, tennis courts, awnings, boat sails, and wood decks without scrubbing or pressure washing.Ā
You are about to enter another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of taste. You are about to enterā¦ the āCantina Zone.ā We wanted to shake up our restaurant reviews and not go to the same old places that have liver and onions as one of their daily specials. Boy did we find it!!! This very eclectic venue is in the downtown Crystal Lake area with a menu that would stump Rod Serling. We are referring to Cantina 52.
You are about to enter another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of taste. You are about to enterā¦ the āCantina Zone.ā
We wanted to shake up our restaurant reviews and not go to the same old places that have liver and onions as one of their daily specials. Boy did we find it!!! This very eclectic venue is in the downtown Crystal Lake area with a menu that would stump Rod Serling. We are referring to Cantina 52.
To paraphrase a great woman, itās summer and I donāt have the slightest clue as to what to watch. With the recent eighty-degree weather, one wants to spend some of this time by a pool curled up with a novel. However sometimes you just want a cool drink and to rest in front of a television in an air-conditioned home. Some recent multiplex offerings havenāt piqued my interest as they should. Most blockbusters arenāt designed to be mentally stimulating.
Note: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.
Letters for the week of May 30.
Inside a pole barn, a dedicated group of aviation enthusiasts has undertaken a monumental endeavor to resurrect a piece of history. The rare B-17E, fondly known as Desert Rat after the name found painted on the side of the planeās fuselage, was initially built as a bomber aircraft delivered to the Army Air Forces on April 14, 1942, before being converted into a cargo plane. The restoration project is led by Desert Ratās owner, Mike Kellner, who first found the plane chopped up into pieces back in 1984 in an overgrown field near Bangor, Maine, according to Desert Rat restoration volunteer, Bill Stanczak.
Inside a pole barn, a dedicated group of aviation enthusiasts has undertaken a monumental endeavor to resurrect a piece of history. The rare B-17E, fondly known as Desert Rat after the name found painted on the side of the planeās fuselage, was initially built as a bomber aircraft delivered to the Army Air Forces on April 14, 1942, before being converted into a cargo plane.
The restoration project is led by Desert Ratās owner, Mike Kellner, who first found the plane chopped up into pieces back in 1984 in an overgrown field near Bangor, Maine, according to Desert Rat restoration volunteer, Bill Stanczak.
Daughters and sons hold close, cherished memories of their mothers, whether it be a trip, a celebration, or a note in a lunch bag. Some are lucky to have special sentimental items. Candi Thuringer has kept some beautiful crocheted items that her mother, Melly, made for her two daughters. Each outfit is a piece of the past. Thuringer said, “My mother crocheted and was a seamstress. Everyone she loved got a beautiful crocheted blanket. We have a special round crochet blanket that is a treasure. She crocheted so many different things for my daughters. My daughters both came home from the hospital in the most beautiful, crocheted blanket woven with hues of soft colors and an outfit that mom had made.”
Daughters and sons hold close, cherished memories of their mothers, whether it be a trip, a celebration, or a note in a lunch bag. Some are lucky to have special sentimental items. Candi Thuringer has kept some beautiful crocheted items that her mother, Melly, made for her two daughters. Each outfit is a piece of the past.
Thuringer said, “My mother crocheted and was a seamstress. Everyone she loved got a beautiful crocheted blanket. We have a special round crochet blanket that is a treasure. She crocheted so many different things for my daughters. My daughters both came home from the hospital in the most beautiful, crocheted blanket woven with hues of soft colors and an outfit that mom had made.”
My husband carter and I saw an article in a magazine in 1985/86 that Del Webb offered three-day getaways in their communities that we could visit. We stayed in a home with a golf cart and gave us an idea to help us decide if we wanted to retire in their community. We drove and stayed in many Del Webb communities – Arizona, California, South Carolina, and Florida, and we enjoyed all our stays but when we returned home to Schaumburg, Illinois we knew we wanted to stay here in Illinois for our golden years with our family.
Itās hard to say if a hummingbird is mourning just by the look on its face, but I think the hummers in my yard this spring are sad about the changes in their neighborhood. Thatās because their favorite resting spot, the old purple cherry plum tree in my yard, is gone. It blew down on one of those blustery days in late April, just before the hummers got back in town.
Itās hard to say if a hummingbird is mourning just by the look on its face, but I think the hummers in my yard this spring are sad about the changes in their neighborhood.
Thatās because their favorite resting spot, the old purple cherry plum tree in my yard, is gone. It blew down on one of those blustery days in late April, just before the hummers got back in town.
My daughterās high school prom fell on a gorgeous spring day. The air was fresh and damp with the scent of lilacs and new life springing from the ground. While posing for photos, the breeze made the skirts of the girlsā gowns sway, a hint at the dancing that would happen later. My daughter, tall and slender, stands at the apex of most of the group pictures. She is taller than the other girls, so she tips her head slightly, not out of shyness, but in deference to the height difference. She is as elegant as Iāve ever seen her. The dress she is wearing, she told me, makes her feel beautiful. I can see it, too; the way her shoulders are back, the way her eyes sparkle, the way she delicately lifts her skirt to navigate stairs, revealing her strappy black shoes.
My daughterās high school prom fell on a gorgeous spring day. The air was fresh and damp with the scent of lilacs and new life springing from the ground. While posing for photos, the breeze made the skirts of the girlsā gowns sway, a hint at the dancing that would happen later.
My daughter, tall and slender, stands at the apex of most of the group pictures. She is taller than the other girls, so she tips her head slightly, not out of shyness, but in deference to the height difference. She is as elegant as Iāve ever seen her. The dress she is wearing, she told me, makes her feel beautiful. I can see it, too; the way her shoulders are back, the way her eyes sparkle, the way she delicately lifts her skirt to navigate stairs, revealing her strappy black shoes.
Debby Bailey, a Sun City resident, volunteers at Young at Heart, an animal shelter, and is working hard to raise funds for the organization. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to saving the lives of senior pets. At a high school reunion, Bailey reconnected with Debbie Phillips. Bailey said, “We immediately bonded again, both having in common the love of animals, especially cats. I found out that Debbie wrote a book about her cat, Heidi.Ā It was a children’s book, ‘The Empty Bed: Tails of Heidi’. It was so cute, and I loved the story and the illustrations.”
Debby Bailey, a Sun City resident, volunteers at Young at Heart, an animal shelter, and is working hard to raise funds for the organization. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to saving the lives of senior pets.
At a high school reunion, Bailey reconnected with Debbie Phillips. Bailey said, “We immediately bonded again, both having in common the love of animals, especially cats. I found out that Debbie wrote a book about her cat, Heidi.Ā It was a children’s book, ‘The Empty Bed: Tails of Heidi’. It was so cute, and I loved the story and the illustrations.”
Just a few weeks ago, my dad experienced a minor stroke, and while we are grateful that it wasnāt severe, it has left us all quite shaken. As their adult daughter, I want to do everything in my power to support my Mom and Dad through this challenging time.
We have been having a rough couple of months (health wise), and both of us needed a fun date night with dinner and a show. What better way to combine both of these than at a Japanese hibachi restaurant. We literally have to lock Rosie in her crate since she is an escape artist and opened the latches and got out twice!!! Feeling confident that she was secured, we jumped into the Mini-Mobile and headed out to Arlington Heights to dine at Rokbonki Japanese Steakhouse.
Maintaining relationships can be difficult. We all have a variety of individuals with whom we have some sort of relationship. It may be a friend from elementary school that we have lunch with every few years, an adult child that we talk on the phone with each day or a cousin with whom we exchange Christmas cards annually. The level of the relationship, the type of contact and the frequency of contact varies. Some relationships āwither on the vine,ā as the saying goes, because we donāt invest enough time and energy in maintaining them others remain strong no matter the amount of effort.
Sunās out and we are headed into outdoor season. With eighty-degree weather coming this early, that spring fever has been blasted into overdrive. The old joke persists that Chicagoland residents donāt have more than two seasons. And upon the drive to work, men in hard hats and caution lights block the roadways. While sitting in traffic, I could see some local tennis courts filled with would-be athletes practicing. I remember getting my racket and friends to do just the same. But I never had the same fervor as others. Certainly not like the characters we find in Challengers.
A widely-known saying by an unknown author reads: “When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.ā Wrigley, a St. Bernard, was a beloved figure in Sun City.Ā His gentle nature and friendly demeanor earned him the title of ‘mayor’ and ‘mascot’ of our community. His massive size was matched only by his even bigger heart, which he shared freely with everyone he met.Ā
A widely-known saying by an unknown author reads: “When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.ā
Wrigley, a St. Bernard, was a beloved figure in Sun City.Ā His gentle nature and friendly demeanor earned him the title of ‘mayor’ and ‘mascot’ of our community. His massive size was matched only by his even bigger heart, which he shared freely with everyone he met.Ā
Two high school students from Italy, Ilaria and Giulia, have been guests in our home for the past ten days. This completes an exchange student experience my daughter enjoyed at one of their homes earlier this month. It is wild to me that over a week ago, we picked up two strangers from the airport. Ten days later, tears rolled down my cheeks as I said goodbye as they left for their flights home. I will miss them, my new Italian daughters. My own daughter, with three older brothers, now has sisters she can call her own.
Two high school students from Italy, Ilaria and Giulia, have been guests in our home for the past ten days. This completes an exchange student experience my daughter enjoyed at one of their homes earlier this month.
It is wild to me that over a week ago, we picked up two strangers from the airport. Ten days later, tears rolled down my cheeks as I said goodbye as they left for their flights home. I will miss them, my new Italian daughters. My own daughter, with three older brothers, now has sisters she can call her own.
OK, Iāll admit it ā my guilty pleasure is that I enjoy watching āAmerican Idol.ā Oh, itās not my only guilty pleasure, but itās the only one Iām willing to admit for now. Stay tuned. For the record, the show today is way better than it was at the beginning, 22 years ago. Back then, the main focus was on delusional dreamers who had no idea how bad they were, and the only reason to watch the early episodes was to find someone to laugh about at the water cooler the next day. It was a guilty pleasure back then, too, I guess, especially if you found pleasure in cruel ridicule.
OK, Iāll admit it ā my guilty pleasure is that I enjoy watching āAmerican Idol.ā Oh, itās not my only guilty pleasure, but itās the only one Iām willing to admit for now. Stay tuned.
For the record, the show today is way better than it was at the beginning, 22 years ago. Back then, the main focus was on delusional dreamers who had no idea how bad they were, and the only reason to watch the early episodes was to find someone to laugh about at the water cooler the next day. It was a guilty pleasure back then, too, I guess, especially if you found pleasure in cruel ridicule.
I had the unimageable happen to me this past summer, I was bit by a mosquito IN MY BACKYARD IN HUNTLEY and contracted West Nile Virus. I was in Three Lakes, Wisc. when the full effects of the virus hit me, a guesstimate of four to five days after I was bit, I had cold-like symptoms throughout the night. I was sitting in the kitchen of our rented fishing cabin early morning when I realized I couldnāt stand. An ambulance was called and my 6-month journey began.
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) of the United States Postal Service is making a significant contribution to end hunger in the Huntley community. They are sponsoring the Annual Stamp out Hunger food collection on Saturday, May 11. This event, held every second Saturday in May, mail carriers in over 10,000 cities and towns across the country collect donations. This initiative, which began in 1993, has grown into the nationās largest one-day food drive. Harriet Ford, President of Grafton Food Pantry, emphasizes the crucial role of our community in this effort.
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) of the United States Postal Service is making a significant contribution to end hunger in the Huntley community. They are sponsoring the Annual Stamp out Hunger food collection on Saturday, May 11. This event, held every second Saturday in May, mail carriers in over 10,000 cities and towns across the country collect donations. This initiative, which began in 1993, has grown into the nationās largest one-day food drive.
Harriet Ford, President of Grafton Food Pantry, emphasizes the crucial role of our community in this effort.
John Schwan, a Sun City Pickleball Charter Club member, is a national champion after winning his age bracket gold medal at the Minto US Open Pickleball Championship April 14 in Naples, Fla.
The Young Authors’ program, an initiative sponsored by the Huntley School District, provides a platform for kindergarten through 8th grade students to showcase their creative writing skills. The program’s goal is to foster a love for writing and storytelling, encouraging students to express their unique perspectives and ideas. Each student had the unique opportunity to pen their original stories, which esteemed community volunteers then evaluated. The selection process is rigorous; one exceptional winner was chosen for each grade level. The judging panel, including dedicated community volunteers from Sun City, played a crucial role in the selection process. Their commitment and expertise were instrumental in identifying the most outstanding authors. Their names include Judy Cieciwa, Julie Ford, Pat Hector, Dolores Kuta, Mary Nogar, Diane Nolan, Sandra Pelka, Kathy Render, Joan Riffner, Valerie Tomanica, Barbara Yarbrough, Dolores Kuta, Karen Hutchings, Darcy Chadwick, and Heather Elder.
The Young Authors’ program, an initiative sponsored by the Huntley School District, provides a platform for kindergarten through 8th grade students to showcase their creative writing skills. The program’s goal is to foster a love for writing and storytelling, encouraging students to express their unique perspectives and ideas. Each student had the unique opportunity to pen their original stories, which esteemed community volunteers then evaluated. The selection process is rigorous; one exceptional winner was chosen for each grade level.
The judging panel, including dedicated community volunteers from Sun City, played a crucial role in the selection process. Their commitment and expertise were instrumental in identifying the most outstanding authors. Their names include Judy Cieciwa, Julie Ford, Pat Hector, Dolores Kuta, Mary Nogar, Diane Nolan, Sandra Pelka, Kathy Render, Joan Riffner, Valerie Tomanica, Barbara Yarbrough, Dolores Kuta, Karen Hutchings, Darcy Chadwick, and Heather Elder.
Those of you who grew up in the Chicago area will probably remember a TV show on WGN that was a staple of our childhood. We are referring to the show of all lunchtime shows, Bozoās Circus. We ordered tickets when Nancy got pregnant, and we received them when our daughter was seven years old. One of Bozoās sidekicks was Ray Rayner posing as the clown, Oliver Oā Oliver. The reason why we are babbling on about this show is because one of our loyal readers suggested Oliverās Bar and Grill in Woodstock and we had no idea how to start this article. The best we could come up with was this lame Bozoās Circus reference.
