On Sept. 18, family and friends turned out for the sixth annual AHCF Chicago Walk in Paulus Park. Alternating hemiplegia of childhood is a rare neurological disorder. There are just four or five children in the area known to have it and only about 600 who have been diagnosed with it worldwide.   The walk-athon in Lake Zurich is one of four across the country that is coordinated by families of children with AHC. The other locations include Raleigh, N.C. (held Sept. 10), East Lansing, Mich., (Sept. 23) and Neola, Iowa (Oct.1). The Chicago area walk was started by the godparents of 9-year-old …

All it takes is a little creativity from a few enterprising seniors and the next thing you know, your school spirit is soaring. At last week's football game against Cary-Grove, seniors voted for "Lake Zurich Means Business" as their theme for the game, and hundreds turned out in their business attire, some opting for more "business casual" than others did. "Yes, it's creative, but I don't know what business office would allow such short skirts," said Doris Evans of Lake Zurich.  "Some of these fellows looked like Secret Service agents, while others looked like cocktail waiters," said Lake …

Believe it or not, Alpine Fest just wrapped up its 69th year. According to the Lions Club, the fest began in the summer of 1942, in part to celebrate U.S. victories during World War II, as volunteer and service organizations came together to establish what we know today as Alpine Fest™. Over the years, as more and more people became active in the Lions Club, the carnival continued to grow. The event now draws more than 10,000 people to the park for three days of carnival rides, games, food, family events and entertainment. Alpine Fest concluded July 24 and included its annual parade featuring…

American Demolition Company began razing the old May Whitney Elementary School building in Lake Zurich on Tuesday of this week. The project is expected to be completed by mid-August.  With the demolition already having taken a significant chunk out of the school, which first opened in 1949, only two of the red pillars remained at the main entrance as of July 20th. For many former students and parents, memories of school picnics, annual Halloween parades, book fairs, and fundraisers will soon be all that remains, other than old photographs. For many, it was stunning news that the school would …

June 13 was the start of the Lake Zurich High School Summer Camps program. A total of 183 elementary, middle and high school students are enrolled in the Lake Zurich High School Basketball Camp, which is held in the main gym of the high school Monday through Thursday. Each of the four daily sessions runs two hours, beginning at 8 a.m. Grades three through eight will complete their respective programs at the end of June; freshmen and varsity participants will continue through July. Along with the boys program, there is a camp available for girl b-ballers as well. Billy Pitcher, the high school…

Eighty-five anglers of all ages participated in the 20th annual Lake Zurich Fishing Derby in Paulus Park on June 12.  The derby was sponsored by the Lake Zurich Park & Recreation Department and Lake Zurich Property Owners Association, which also furnished the prizes. Fishing began on the Paulus Park shoreline, as well as from boats on the lake, at 9 a.m. All fish had to be registered by 11:59 a.m. with Dick Schick and Bob Warren. Ten bass were caught that measured between 12 and 16 inches, as well as a 9-inch bluegill. Worms were the best bait, but one participant said he tried hot dogs. The …

On June 3rd, all five fifth grade classes from Spencer Loomis Elementary were treated to a full day of activities and food at Paulus Park. The picnic marked the end of the school year and was organized by Leslie McGuckin, Mary Kay Matasek and Alecia Mandal. Numerous parent volunteers and the beautiful weather helped make the day a success. Students participated in softball, bean bag toss, soccer and hula hoop contests, and danced to their favorite music from deejays provided by Personalities Inc. Culvers of Lake Zurich catered the event. 

Last Friday evening, after Lake Zurich High School's varsity lacrosse squad concluded their scheduled game, the team's 12 senior players and their parents were honored on the school's football field. Some of the Lake Zurich Lacrosse Club's youth players were also present at the event, giving them the opportunity to rub elbows with their high school counterparts. For those graduating seniors who will be playing lacrosse at college next fall, the sport will continue to be an important part of their lives.

One of the most popular destinations in Illinois for designer prom dresses, Volle's Bridal & Boutique will soon be celebrating their 40th anniversary in Lake Zurich. "Customers come from surrounding communities and as far away as the south side of Chicago for our dresses" said Volle's Consultant Pamela Rowell.   "I heard this was a great place," said customer Nicole Ingram of Barrington.  "I saw their advertisement in promguide.com and their dresses are really unique," said Hannah Goldman of Winnetka. Rowell said that Volle's maintains a registry of every prom dress that they've sold, as well…

If you think the role of a high school baseball player is strictly confined to practicing and playing baseball, guess again. Coach Gary Simon's boys also pinch hit as the grounds crew after many of their home games. They get especially busy laying tarps across the infield when there's rain in the forecast, which seems to be true of almost every game played so far this season. With rain expected for most of the balance of the week, the team will try to prevent the infield from becoming a small body of water.

The first game of Lake Zurich Baseball and Softball Association's 12-game regular baseball season kicked off last Saturday at various area fields, including Lions Park. For a brief moment, until  the first game is played, everyone is on the same level playing field. On a partly sunny, somewhat windy Saturday afternoon--perfectly acceptable baseball weather--Lake Zurich area kids ran out onto the diamond to participate in "The Great American Past Time."

Besides students and their families, the hallways were full of posters, class projects, and artwork during the annual Spencer Loomis Elementary School open house. One of the most noteworthy displays was a fifth-grade assignment during Black History Month in February, which involved decorating soda bottles to represent  African-Americans of historical or popular significance.  The open house gave students the opportunity to show their parents and other family members exactly what they've been up to during the school year, including recent math, reading, science,  social studies and art …

Families from District 95 schools got up early Saturday morning to participate in the 3rd Annual Science Expo for grades K-8 at Middle School South.  The fair featured Gary Krueger, also known as Professor Gizmo, who entertained the crowd with his science demonstrations and remarkable gizmos involving air pressure and suction.   Students who participated in the science expo had to solve a problem, come up with a hypothesis, explain their procedure, and have a conclusion.  Exhibits were judged by National Honor Society students from Lake Zurich High School.

Close to 200 people attended the Lake Zurich Quarterback Club's Spring Fling, held Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 365 Surryse Rd. This year's theme was "Traditional Tailgate," and the event included a silent auction, a raffle and a baggo tournament, as well as several long banquet tables festooned with all manner of scrumptious hors d'oeuvres. There was also a free bar, which helped get the men ready for baggo and the women ready to bid. The party raised money for all of Lake Zurich High School football teams.

Families were invited to bring their pet hamsters to their local Petco store on April 2, to watch their tiny companions compete in races. The annual Hamster Ball Derby was part of a weekend "Meet the Critters" event that included educational opportunities and family fun.  Families and store patrons at the Lake Zurich Petco cheered on the speedy rodents, who were vying for 1st and 2nd prize. The winner received a Super Pet Critter Trail Treat Zone Habitat. The kids who attended were taught that hamsters are one of the most popular mini pets in the world, are easy to handle and make a great …

Every Sunday since January, 10-and-11-year-old boys have been preparing for Lake Zurich's youth baseball season by honing their ball playing skills during two-hour sessions at Homerun Sports and Fitness Youth Indoor Baseball League.  The six-on-six teams have been learning basic fundamentals in pitching, hitting, fielding, base running, and assorted other game situations. With the guidance of several coaches, the boys have been able to expand their baseball knowledge.

Spencer Loomis Elementary School held its second annual Loomis Live  PTO fundraiser, on March 12, which allowed students a Passport to Fun.  This year, students and their families visited Hawaii, Mardis Gras, the county fair, military boot camp, and hung with Harry Potter at Hogwarts.  Families were entertained by a martial arts demonstration, a poms performance, and many participated in dodgeball, a basketball shootout, as well as a hula hoop contest and a neon DJ dance party!

Just a little a wee bit before St. Patrick's Day, nine girls between the ages of 7 and 16 from the McNulty School of Irish Dance performed a number of traditional Irish dances on March 13, at the Ela Public Library. The dance school is currently celebrating its 40th year. Dancers begin by learning solo and team dances in Irish soft shoes and then progress to more complex soft and heavy-shoe dances over time.

The Lake Zurich High School Girls Color Guard puts in a lot of time rehearsing behind the scenes before before the public gets to see their precision routines.

There's more than just the Bears boys basketball team hitting the hardwood floor at each home game. It takes an entire cast of characters to put it all together.