Author: Paul Stukel

From the November 2021 issue of Fox Valley Magazine Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. As we said last month, Halloween may be the perfect holiday because of its lack of pressure on anyone – no pressure on parents to make sure the feast is prepared well and on-time. No pressure about presents. No pressure on kids to pretend they like the food or presents given to them. It’s just pure hedonism at its best. Thanksgiving is the peaceful holiday. OK, I can now hear women (and some men) rising up in anger, swearing like sailors that I don’t know what…

The Elgin Police Department is joining with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and nearly 200 other Illinois police and sheriff’s departments to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket and Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. The safety campaign, publicly joined already by Naperville and St. Charles police departments, will run Nov. 22 –29 leading up to and following the Thanksgiving Day holiday, one of the busiest times on Illinois roads. In it’s announcement, EPD reminded drivers that if celebrating with alcohol or other impairing substances: Make a plan for a sober ride home before you…

After closing last Thursday because of an employee who tested positive for COVID, The Graceful Ordinary announced today on its Facebook page that it will be reopening on Tuesday, November 23. “Thanks so much for bearing with us throughout our recent closure and for all your support. We’re pleased to let you know The Graceful Ordinary is now open with the exception of the holiday on Thursday. We look forward to welcoming you back in once again!” The restaurant, which is located on the river at 3 E. Main in St. Charles, had been open for only ten days when…

Elgin police responded to a shots fired incident on the city’s west side early this morning. It was the 60th such incident in Elgin in 2021. At 1:19 a.m. this morning, officers responded to the 1200 block of Fleetwood Drive for a report of shots fired. Evidence of gunfire was located. There are no injuries, and no property damage has been reported at this time. If you have information that may assist, please call 847-289-2600 or to text a tip, send a message to 847411. Please include “ELGINPD” in the beginning of the text along with the message and/or tip…

Welcome to our latest edition of Fox Valley Magazine’s 4 FOR THE WEEKEND where every child is above average. Wait, that’s Lake Wobegone… So let’s get to it, starting with….. If The Shoe Fits Yes, there is going to be a lot of “shoe”-related snarkiness in the weeks ahead. But that shouldn’t dampen the excitement of a big, beautiful musical being staged at the Paramount in Aurora. We’ll leave aside the implications of the Paramount beginning its Broadway Series with musicals about, well, footwear. And “kinky” footwear, to boot. We’re just gonna run with appreciating the great fortune we have…

Paramount’s Cinderella, Directed By Brenda Didier, A Perfect Fit For A Family Holiday Adventure, Nov. 13, 2021-Jan. 9, 2022 The magic of Cinderella is unleashed this weekend at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora. With the final review performance on Friday, the musical opens Saturday with two shows and begins its two-month run through January 9, 2022. You may think you know the story, but you’ve never seen it like this. Paramount Theatre presents Cinderella, the beloved musical by the genius minds of Rodgers and Hammerstein, in a mesmerizing new production bringing a reimagined take on the classic children’s story that…

Get ready to get your blues on because legendary Chicago blues man Buddy Guy is performing this weekend at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. 8x GRAMMY Award winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy has influenced eminent guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and John Mayer and was ranked 30th in Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. Carlise Guy is the daughter of seven-time Grammy Award-winning blues legend Buddy Guy. She is also the lead vocalist of the NuBlu Band, which blends blues, soul…

(Satirical…or not?) Pittsburgh – In a rarely used procedure, officials in Monday night’s Bears-Steelers contest took the unusual step of awarding the home team at least 10 net unearned points, resulting in a Steelers victory, 29-27. A bewildered Bears team looked on in confusion as the head official ceremoniously met Steelers quarterback “Big” Ben Roethlisberger at midfield after the last seconds ticked off the game clock and raised his hand in victory while the home field crowd roared its approval. The unusual scoring methodology began with the Bears apparently scoring a touchdown early in the 4th quarter, only to have…

Here are the results for Fox Valley teams from the first night of the second round of the IHSA Football Playoffs. More games tomorrow! (This page will be updated as scores come in.) Class 8A (All games Saturday) Marist South Elgin 0 0 Naperville (Central) Loyola 0 0 Palatine Naperville (Nequa Valley) 0 0 Class 7A (All games Friday) Mt. Carmel Batavia 16 10 Geneva St. Rita 7 28 Jacobs Normal 17 7 Class 5A ( All games Saturday) Nazareth Academy Marmion 0 0

Here are the dates and times this weekend for Fox Valley teams still alive in the IHSA football playoffs. Class 8A No. 2 South Elgin (10-0) at No. 18 Marist (7-3), Saturday, 1:30pm No. 3 Neuqua Valley (9-1) at No. 19 Palatine (7-3), Saturday, 6pm No. 1 Loyola (10-0) at No. 17 Naperville Central (7-3), Saturday, 1pm Class 7A No. 1 Batavia (10-0) at No. 17 Chicago Mt. Carmel (7-3), Friday, 7pm No. 10 St. Rita (9-1) No. 26 Geneva (6-4), Friday, 7pm No. 3 Normal Community (10-0) at No. 19 Jacobs (7-3), Friday, 7pm > Class 5A No. 14…