Arthur Graham, Naperville Central; Katrina Schlenker, Batavia; Micah Wilson, St. Charles East; and Lianna Surtz of Rosary in Aurora, forever will have a common thread woven by their high school cross country 2020 season. They captured first places in their final meets of the season. They are sectional champions. Their
Every day is time to know that COVID-19 continues and touches our lives in some way. It is reality. It is undeniable. We all know it and must be prepared to act and react. We can do more than throw up our hands in defeat. We must not surrender. The
Compacting news and thoughts into limited space with other important and relevant items: • The Los Angeles Dodgers were a youthful and talented team in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs advanced past the Dodgers on the way to the World Series championship. This year was the Dodgers’ third trip to
Relevant notes: • In spite of the problems of wide range with the existent COVID-19 situation, it is important we understand and take the right approach, even with complications. We were never promised a rose garden. Life can be filled with small joys. We must persist. One day society will
Life lessons with the COVID-19 extend to sports: What can be done, how, and for how long. It is true for high school sports, top division college sports, and the professional ranks. Major League Baseball’s World Series survives and will provide a sense of normality with a seven-game World Series,
Clear and Concise, Week 41: • We can do better. Masks may not fully protect us from the COVID-19, however, not wearing masks provides less protection. We have seen the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country, including various states suffering through spikes in numbers of cases. The triple-header of advice
Sports are at once lasting and fleeting. Lasting: We savor high-level sports memories: Top players, special championships, stellar performances. We have seen more than a few of our former sports stars die in recent months. Too many to enumerate. Start with Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears, Lou Brock of
Mail-in ballots are valid. They do work, noise to the contrary, notwithstanding. We do live in interesting times and ultimately memorable, not because they are legitimately difficult times, rather because overall we can find a way to overcome those difficult times. We must overcome the polarization in the country. Respectful
Remarkable memories often take a focus on the unusual. The staggered start of college football by conference from early September to early November 2020 qualifies as highly unusual. All of sports, high schools to the professional ranks, therefore qualify as unusual. There is no high school football in Illinois this
Election is in the air, and more than just high-television visibility of the election season for the presidency of the United States. How many voters’ minds will be changed by the first televised debate in this cycle Tuesday of this week is of little consequence, especially with two more presidential
Playoff baseball for both Chicago Major League baseball teams, White Sox and Cubs, offer delight, especially with a good start. The White Sox interrupted their slide of recent defeats in game one of the playoffs Tuesday on the West Coast. The Sox, seeded No. 7 after falling from a top
Negative and positive are more than components of a focus on electricity and electrical charges. Negativity and bad news may be more enticing and stimulating to some individuals. Good news can be glossed over as moderately boring. Yet, positive thoughts and good news keep society moving in a salutary direction.
High school sports is more than competition, results, excellence, and enjoyment. Some schools, participants, and parents, have increased efforts to move State governor JB Pritzker, and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to allow all sports to resume. High school football in Illinois has not started and the State is
Observances are plentiful in life, some more meaningful, and some more rituals. Ceremonies for the September 11, 2001 tragedies always are among the meaningful. It is a natural, of course, because many live through it vicariously with written accounts and images everywhere. It has been nearly 20 years and events
Success in sports should be enjoyed and never taken for granted. Through Tuesday this week First place residents in the Chicago area professional sports included White Sox, Cubs, Bears and Sky. Cubs and Sox were in first place in each Central Division, National League and American League, respectively. The Cubs
Labor Day just passed. The political season is upon us. For those of us who pay attention during the political season it is good news. For those of us who do not enjoy the political season it may be dismaying that the political season has been in effect a long
The good news is there are games being played in all sports at all levels, baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, tennis. Seeing empty arenas still takes a second look to understand. Cardboard cutouts do help with thinking there are fans in the stands. Likely the stark, empty, grandstand for the
There are many important items which require our using a shoehorn to fit in as much in this space this week. We promise a highlight of the 19 veterans who received Quilts of Valor in the still-new Veterans Serendipity Park of the Oswegoland Park District. First, the omnipresent COVID-19 elicits
Both Chicago Major League Baseball (MLB) teams moved into first place earlier this week. Fans can revel in success. The season gives a sense of just starting, however, it is more than half over. The White Sox, with several recent winning streaks moved their won-loss record past the Cubs. The
Any 10th anniversary is worthy of acknowledgement. The Aurora Downtown Alley Art Festival, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, throughout downtown, will be in its 10th year. Aurora will emerge from its quiet atmosphere because of the COVID-19 to celebrate, carefully! As a society, we mix masks with no
