I would like to wish all of the Algonquin Patch users a happy new year! Thank you for sticking with me in 2011 and I am looking forward to what 2012 is going to bring. In 2012, we are going to see continued work on the Western Bypass, as well as Algonquin's first-ever 10-mile run in May, put on by the Recreation Department. There will be a few new restaurants, including Rainbow Restaurant (already a staple in Elmhust), Niko's Lodge and Jiang’s Mongolian Grill. Have a great 2012!
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we appreciate most in life. We can be thankful for the shelter over our headers, our family, friends and our health. But we can also be thankful for the little things, too, like the Green Bay Packers and a new pair of shoes. What are you thankful for? Upload a photo of it. Once the picture is finished processing, click "Edit your photo" to add a caption describing why you're thankful for what's depicted in your submission. Don't forget to look through the gallery above to see what others are thankful for.
Tomorrow will be Algonquin Patch’s one-year anniversary, and I have to say, what a year it has been! Over the past 364 days, I’ve gotten to experience the staples of Algonquin: Founders’ Days, the Algonquin Sub Shop and westbound Algonquin Road at 5 p.m. I would like to thank everyone who has used this site by reading and commenting. Also a double thank you if you’ve ever posted an announcement or event, and triple points for my bloggers who share a part of their lives with the rest of us. You all are what make Algonquin Patch a dynamic online community. (Shout out to all of the Algonquin …
On Monday, Oct. 24, District 300 administrators and its supporters are heading down to Springfield to lobby against Amendment 3 of Senate Bill 540. With permission from their parents, high school students will also be joining the caravan that is set to meet at noon at the Lincoln Statue by the Capitol. Lawmakers are expected to make their final decision during the upcoming veto session that starts Oct. 25, and District 300 is making a last-chance effort in swaying the lawmakers' decision. If you can't make it down to Springfield on Monday or you are curious as to what is unfolding, I will be …
Tuesday evening I had the pleasure to test out a state-of-the-art simulator that the Algonquin police use for training. Sgt. Andrew Doles, the officer in charge of firearm training for the department, explained that police regularly conduct two types of training: marksmanship and judgmental. Marksmanship training is exactly as it sounds. They work on their aim and accuracy in a gravel pit off Route 31. For their judgmental training, they use a simulation machine manufactured by Meggit, a company that develops and manufactures virtual-training capabilities and live fire training systems. The …
Ready to meet IRL? All the tweeps out there can tell you that acronym stands for “In Real Life” and that is just what we are about to do! @AlgonquinPatch, @HuntleyILPatch and @LakeHillsPatch are teaming up to host a local Tweetup! The IRL meeting will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 28, at Café Firefly, 301 S. Main St., downtown Algonquin. The evening's theme will be centered on TV and social networking! There will be prizes, so be sure to bring your business card so that you can win some cool Patch gear and gift cards. Dress is casual (of course!) and there will be food and drinks available for…
There are many people that can remember where they were or what they were doing when they found out that Kennedy had been shot. From a more recent historical occurence, I am curious to see how many people can remember what they were doing on 9/11, which is now in its 10th anniversary. I was a sophomore in high school and was sitting in my first period geometry class. With just a minute to go before the end of class, our high school's principal announced over the loud speaker that teachers should turn on the TVs. Before our teacher could get the TV on, class was over and I was walking into to …
I noticed it while marching in the Algonquin Founders' Days parade at the end of last month. It was hard to miss. A brand-new, shiny billboard appeared on the side of Algonquin's most famous building. No, I am not talking about historic Village Hall. On the side of the nearly completed exterior of the infamous Riverside Plaza, there hangs a very large ad featuring a blonde woman with a plunging neckline that says "Let's talk about living here." The Northwest Herald reported today that while the sign complies with village ordinance, it has been garnering complaints. Russ Farnum, community …
By the end of this week, the Founders' Days festivities will already have begun. It's my first year attending the festival, and I have been told by numerous people that it is nothing short of amazing. I guess that's why the event is in its 51st year! But, before everyone gets wrapped up in the excitement of the fireworks, social garden (which is where you will find me) and live bands, I am writing because the committee needs our help. The organizer of the parade, Alan, needs just a few volunteers to help him get the parade started at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. If this is something you or someone …
You never know what to expect when you get a room of strangers together. The dynamic could be good, bad or ugly. In the case of last night’s #TweetUpAlgonquin, I think it was great. More than great—it was fantastic. I had only been to one tweetup before (thank you, #LCSN) and wasn’t sure how many people would show up. I would have deemed eight guests a success. So when at one point in the night I counted 25 people in attendance, you can imagine how flattered and happy I was that so many people came out for the event. There was even a group of Dundee-Crown high schoolers who came in for coffee…
Ready to meet IRL? All the tweeps out there can tell you that acronym stands for “In Real Life” and that is just what we are about to do! Algonquin Patch (@AlgonquinPatch) is teaming up with local social media guru April M. Williams (@AprilMWilliams) to host a local Tweetup! The IRL meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, at Café Firefly, 301 S. Main St., downtown Algonquin. Williams, who teaches an Internet marketing series at the Shah Center at McHenry County College, will deliver a short presentation on social networking and what it means for you. There will be some cool …
It's June, which means most of us have made a dent in our spring cleaning -- which also means garage and yard sale season is in full swing. Here at Algonquin Patch we pride ourselves on local, useful information. That includes who has books for a bargain, a dresser in their driveway or some clothes laid out on the lawn. Posting your garage sale on Algonquin Patch is easy. What's even better is it's free. You must be registered on Patch and logged in to enter an event, so do that first at . Then click on our "Events" tab on the top of the page and on "Put it on the calendar" near the top …
Patch is working on a project to welcome summer in Algonquin, and we want you to be a part of it.We'll be putting together a series of stories we're calling the Patch Passport to Algonquin to help readers become tourists in their own town.As we work, we'd love your input! We'll be featuring local hot spots for shopping and dining, fun kid-friendly places and historically important landmarks. We'll capture them through stories, photos and videos.Here are some of the things we are starting with, but this is just the beginning. You know your town best. If you know of something cool in Algonquin …
It's that time of year—students don funny looking hats and struggle to keep them on as they march into auditoriums to the tones of "Pomp and Circumstance" while parents dab at their eyes with tissues and wonder how their babies grew up so fast. Yep, it's graduation season. Do you have a high school senior heading to university? A college senior taking the leap into the real world? Let everyone know about your child's accomplishments by posting an announcement on Patch. It's really simple. First, create a free user account by clicking "Sign Up" in the top right corner of this page. If you've …
Typically with any major historical moment people will make a mental note of where they were when they heard the news so in a few years they can say exactly what they were doing at the time. But with the umpteen ways you can get your news today, I think it is more interesting to make a mental note of how you heard the news. It has been reported that Twitter actually first broke the news that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was dead, even before President Obama announced it on TV at 9:45 p.m. Twitter says that it reached more 4,000 tweets per second at the beginning and end of President Obama’…
Five times a year, Patch editors are given the opportunity to leave their computers and iPhones for the day, and spend it out in the community doing a volunteer project. Giving back to the community is a big part of who we are, and what we do. This time I spent my morning volunteering at the first annual McHenry County Human Race that took place on Saturday, April 16. The national event offered charities an easy way to raise money, and participants could either walk or run the 5k race to benefit the organizations of their choice. All in all, I have to say it was a successful event, despite …
Today is April Fools' Day and while you won't find any fake articles on Patch, I still wanted to honor the "holiday" in some way. This is the prank I will be pulling on a special accountant I know..."spilled" nail polish on this year's tax documents. I am clumsy by nature, so I think this might actually work! I found it on aprilfoolzone.com. You Spilled What?!?! Find an old bottle of nail polish that you don't want anymore. Unscrew the cap and set it sideways on a piece of waxed paper, letting the contents flow out into a puddle. When it dries completely, peel it off of the paper. Now you can…
As you may (or may not) know, March 14 is National Pi Day. Pi, a Greek letter, Pi = 3.1415926535… The digits of the currently month (3) and date (14) align to represent the three most significant digits of the infinite number. Today geeks and high school math students will celebrate Pi Day in various ways. Besides eating a slice of pie, here are other ways you can celebrate this holiday: - run 3.14 miles - eat a slice of pie (or bake one if you really feel like celebrating) - order a pizza pie for dinner Want to find out more about Pi? Read this Time Q&A article.
As an organization Patch employees donate 5 business days a year to a local organization that needs volunteers. I had a nervous look painted on my face as I entered the bloodmobile late Thursday morning. I didn’t know what to expect. This was my first official time donating blood. In the past I’ve tried to give blood twice but it never worked out because I always had a low iron count. But this time I prepared myself. I ate salmon the night before and had a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich for breakfast. I skipped my morning cup of coffee, which is more of a sacrifice than I care to …
The Chicago Bears may not be playing in today's big game, but there's still a reason to watch the Super Bowl today. The commercials! After all, how could you forget the Snickers/Betty White ad from last year?! Every year, marketers spend millions of dollars trying to figure out clever ways to sell their brand in a 30-second segment on one of the biggest TV nights of the year. And for a lot of people, the ads are more entertaining than the game being played. According to an Associated Press article on MSNBC, the top commercials to watch this Sunday will come from Best Buy, Audi, CareerBuilder.…
