Homecoming comes to Huntley
Teenagers in face paint, toilet paper in trees ... no, it's not Halloween in Huntley this week - it's homecoming!
Huntley High School girls held their powder puff football games on Sunday, and today, Sept. 17, the homecoming parade will step off at 6 p.m. from the new village hall. The half-mile route runs east on Main to Woodstock St., stopping by the town square.
On Friday, Sept. 18, everyone's invited to come out and cheer the Huntley Red Raiders when they tackle the visiting Woodstock Blue Streaks. The varsity game starts at 7:15 p.m. at the HHS stadium on the Harmony Road campus. There will be no bonfire, but a fireworks display is planned after the game. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for seniors age 60 and up, $3 for high school students, and $2 for children in grades K-8.
Huntley High's Homecoming Dance will be held Saturday evening in the school's east gym. For information, call the high school office at (847) 659-6600.
At the library: The space shortage at the Huntley Area Public Library should soon see a little relief.
Last week, the Huntley village board approved the library's request to install a 2,700-square-foot temporary unit on the east side of the current building. The addition includes a larger space for the children's collection and small rooms for offices and storage, and may be ready by winter, "with luck, we're hoping," said library director Virginia Maravilla.
The zoning permit allows use of the mobile unit for only three years, which will help temporarily but won't solve the library's space problems, she said.
"It's still less than 3,000 square feet, and what we really need is 33,000. So it's not going to make a big difference, but it will help a little."
If you don't have a library card, now is the time to get one. The Huntley library is celebrating its 20th anniversary and National Library Card Month with prizes and free books for first-time cardholders. Sign up now and you'll be entered to win one of 20 book bags with a book light and a free book of your choice. The drawing is open to adults and children. Every new cardholder also gets a Corner Books coupon for the Friends of the Library book sale.
The library's free 20th Anniversary Open House for adults is set for 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, with relaxing music, refreshments, a short program and tours of the facility. Space is limited; responses are requested by Monday, Sept. 28. Call (847) 669-5386, ext. 21.
A weeklong children's celebration is planned for Oct. 4-10. Details are posted in the October newsletter or online at www.huntleylibrary.org. Children may pick up party invitations at the library's service desk.
Land Use forum: On Monday, Sept. 21, the McHenry County League of Women Voters will host a free forum on the county's proposed "2030 Land Use Plan," a 20-year blueprint for economic growth, zoning, transportation, open space, and yes, future construction and gravel pits in Grafton Township and throughout the county.
The forum starts at 7 p.m. at the McHenry County College Conference Center on Route 14, west of Crystal Lake. County board members will be on hand to answer questions and hear public comments. A final board vote on the plan is expected in the next few months.
AAUW Eleanor bash: Did you hear? America's favorite first lady is headed to Huntley. No, it's not Michelle Obama, but Eleanor Roosevelt, as portrayed by historical presenter Jessica Michna of Racine, who will be on hand Sunday, Oct. 11, to blow out the candles at her 125th birthday celebration - "An Evening With Eleanor" - hosted by the American Association of University Women's Huntley Area Branch.
The gala party includes a social hour with cash bar, a delicious Roosevelt-era dinner, a silent auction, displays, raffles, and a first-person performance by Michna.
All profits support local AAUW programs and its Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation, which funds projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. The event is open to the public, ages 12 and older, and runs from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 at Randall Oaks Golf Club on Binnie Road in West Dundee. Reservations are due by Oct. 4; tickets are $28 each or four for $100. Phone Bertie Ratliff at (815) 245-5355 or e-mail huntleyaauw@ameritech.net.
Diane Ayers is a member of the Huntley AAUW. Send your Huntley news to her at huntleynews@ameritech.net.