Good News Sunday: One man's idea of a soccer pitch offers hope to Mount Prospect neighborhood

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

The new community soccer pitch under construction at Euclid Elementary School in Mount Prospect shows what a difference one person can make.

Dani Martinez, a youth pastor in the village's Boxwood neighborhood, approached officials in Mount Prospect and River Trails Elementary School District 26 last year with the idea for a small field near the school.

Martinez, who lives in the neighborhood, said it not only would provide an outlet for area youth passionate about the sport, but also help build community in an area that has dealt with gangs and violence.

Now his idea is becoming a reality, as work is underway on the 4,500-square-foot mini soccer pitch south of the community garden at the school, 711 E. Euclid Ave.

Martinez said it the project, estimated to cost up to $215,361, is expected to be finished by the end of the month.

"We are excited to watch the development unfold," District 26 Superintendent Jodi Megerle said. "This will be a great place for our school and community to gather."

For the full story, click here.

Elgin Salvation Army rings in the season with Red Kettle kick-off event

Ready or not, one of the iconic sights and sounds of the Christmas season is popping up around the area as the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign has begun.

The Salvation Army Elgin Corps recently kicked off the annual Christmas drive at Rookie's RocHaus in West Dundee and got off to a strong start, raising more than $10,000 from the event.

This year's "Love Beyond Christmas" campaign theme highlights that even though the fundraising happens during the holidays, the money collected funds the organization for the entire year.

"As Christmas goes, so goes the Salvation Army," Development Director Rick Reigner said.

Last year, the Elgin Corps' fundraising provided 21,138 instances of assistance to area residents, including 2,160 cases of emergency rent and utilities assistance, 4,670 bags of groceries, 14,749 Christmas gifts and 12,214 essential supplies such as baby formula, diapers, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items.

Eighty-two cents of every dollar the Salvation Army raises goes directly to programs.

For the full story, click here.

Vinyl turning the tables in a digital world

In the golden age of pop and rock, vinyl records ruled the audio universe.

With the advent of CDs and then streaming media, it appeared that vinyl would be relegated to the audio boneyard. Instead, vinyl is making impressive gains.

For the first time since 1987, vinyl albums outsold CDs in units, 41 million vs. 33 million.

At Record Wonderland in Roselle, the bins and the counter are brimming with a wide selection of 33- and 45-rpm vinyl offerings ranging from Bob Dylan box sets to Anthony Braxton avant-garde jazz albums.

But owner Steve Young said there is plenty of new music on vinyl, as well.

"There are a lot of people who feel that the vinyl sound is warmer and deeper," Young said.

Young said vinyl has an appeal to young people that sometimes goes beyond the sound of the record.

"Right now, I think part of it is young people like a bigger format. There are a lot of young people who come in here, don't necessarily even want to play the record. They just like to have an object that represents an artist that they're really fond of."

For the full story, click here.

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