Retired educator Meyers reflects on state honor

SUN CITY — After a nearly 30-year career as a teacher, athletic director, and coach, Jim Meyers received a top honor from the state-wide Illinois Association of Athletic Directors (IADA).

Meyers was one of three members of the IADA Class of 2024 Hall of Fame, along with Terry Dobbs who worked at Palatine and Greg King of Sterling, at the May IADA meeting. Meyers explained that due to his retirement as Johnsburg High School Athletic Director in 2003, he is one of the elder statesman so honored.

31 years ago, Huff helped White Sox division winner

HUNTLEY — It's White Sox and Cubs this week (June 4 and 5) in the Crosstown Classic series, two of four total games, but one local baseball fans gathering definitely had a south side feel.

Mike Huff, a member of the American League West Division Champion White Sox, addressed the Huntley White Sox Fan Club recently. He has found a new niche in baseball, after careers in real estate and once in a while broadcasting White Sox games.

Instead of tracking down fly balls as he did in his seven-year MLB career, he seeks to grow the game for the younger generations.

Sun City pickleball player heads to nationals

HUNTLEY — A local pickleball enthusiast will begin his 2024 season competing against the best.

John Schwan of Sun City has qualified for the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships which will take place in Naples, Florida, April 13-20. A record 3,000 amateur and professional pickleball players will compete in the “most prestigious pickleball tournament in the world,” according to a press release statement.

Schwan, 75, will compete in the men's age 75 to 80 age bracket in singles. He has been playing pickleball at the Sun City Pickleball Charter Club for three years.

Sun City Resident Creates Sharemystories

SUN CITY - Sun City resident Jim Hanekamp has designed a new app called Sharemystories, focused on preserving memories using photos, written word, and audioclips in a timeline format.

Hanekamp, 66, grew up outside of Chicago in a large family. During the pandemic, the six adult siblings, separated by geography, enjoyed regular Zoom calls to reminisce about family vacations and forgotten family lore.

“I started thinking about the things we’ve done and realized, I haven’t really captured these things anywhere,” says Hanekamp.

REGENCY SQUARE CONCEPT REVISITED

HUNTLEY - “You would not select another location in Huntley and you would walk away from Huntley if this spot is not approved?” Trustee Mary Holzkopf asked the Lynd Living representatives after they had finished their presentation.

David Lynd, Lynd Living CEO, didn’t answer the question directly. He did say that “we told the property owners that we would not buy the property on the other side of Route 47.”

Lynd was asked why he was interested in the Regency Square property.

‘Sentimental Journey’ takes you on a trip of a lifetime

The Theatre Company of Sun City’s will present Sentimental Journey, a musical about an entire lifetime and the milestones along the way in a production that is both humorous and heartwarming, featuring familiar songs and dances of days gone by.

The show is created by Rob Kaye, director, and Peter Davis, music producer.

Kaye and Davis created the show for luncheon and dinner theater in the mid-90s, when they worked as partners in a theater production company. At the time, Kaye says he drew on stories told by his grandparents, who remembered the day they brought home their first TV, which seemed enormous with its sixteen-inch screen; they also recounted the sight of military vehicles coming down neighborhood streets to deliver sad news to families of the enlisted during WWII.

Injured Sandhill Cranes near Sun City spark questions about wildlife response

HUNTLEY - There has been a Sandhill Crane predicament in Sun City.

Recently, Sun City male Sandhill Crane had broken its wing over the summer months and still appears to not be able to fly. Normally this species of bird begins its migration to our Southwestern states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and as far south as Mexico between late October and mid-December.

The mate of the injured bird is staying with him and will not migrate without him.

Several organizations have been contacted for possible assistance in capturing and caring of this pair.

Empty classrooms create void in volunteer community

HUNTLEY, Il - Leggee Elementary School’s popular Buddy program shut down when the coronavirus cancelled classes last spring. Now, with schools still shuttered for safety, the gap has widened between students in need and their volunteer lifelines, many of them Sun City residents.

“I have volunteers who have been with me since the beginning,” said District 158 Volunteer Coordinator Eileen Delahanty. “These people are like my family. I’m very concerned for them.”

Leggee is currently in remote learning mode, but, pre-pandemic, its hallways were dotted with cozy clusters of students and their Sun City Buddies learning reading and math one-on-one.

THE DOORWAY TO OUR COMMUNITY