June is here. June brings the promise of, among other things, warmer weather (at least theoretically), blossoming gardens and increased opportunities for outdoor activities, all which I thoroughly enjoy. But before a discussion of June, here are a few observations.
I don’t know about you, but…
I wonder if you really know how easy it is for a person to get lost in his/her own “bubble” of life. I recently had an old friend that lived in Bloomington pass away at what I consider the young age of 67. As much as I was saddened by his death, I also was regretful that although he was someone that I used to keep in regular contact with, I hadn’t reached out to him in quite some time. I didn’t even know he was in ill health. Although I was able to convey my sympathies to his family when I attended the calling hours, I wish I would have spent some time with him and his family in recent years. It is just so easy to get so caught up in the living of our daily lives, that it becomes difficult at times to keep up with old friends and distant relatives if a person doesn’t live near them. I will guarantee you that the good times my friend and I had together will not fade from my mind. His memory will be eternal.
I don’t know about you, but…
I wonder if you feel the same way as I do when certain people move away from the place that you live. George and Ann Guzzardo, long time Kewanee residents, are leaving Kewanee to live in Peoria to live near their son Mark. Two nicer people you will never meet. For as long as I have known George, which has been a considerable number of years, he has been one of those people that has a way of brightening my day whenever there was a chance meeting. Just a casual conversation about this or that, or to share a laugh about things going on in our worlds had a way of improving my day. The move to Peoria really does make sense for them, it just means my world will be a little dimmer. In my opinion Peoria’s gain is Kewanee’s loss.
I don’t know about you, but…
I miss the days when getting little or no sleep was my own fault. Between having to deal with my sleep apnea machine, my chronic arthritis, rotator cuff issues, and the fact that I can’t make it through the night because of having to visit the bathroom at least once, I can’t remember the last time I had a really good night’s sleep. Perhaps that is why taking naps has become such an integral part of my life.
I don’t know about you, but…
I would guess that I am one of the many Kewanee residents that really did not realize everything that goes on at the Kewanee Municipal Airport. I was fortunate to be part of a group that took part in the Kiwanis Career Day program on May 13. Among other stops, the group that I chaperoned took a trip to the Kewanee Municipal Airport. I think I can speak for our entire group when I say that we really enjoyed our time at the airport and the presentation put forth by the two individuals that are responsible for managing the facility, Diane and Ross Carbiener. Our only disappointment was that we didn’t have more time to spend at the airport. Kewanee is indeed fortunate to have such a facility which is managed by two highly qualified individuals.
I don’t know about you, but…
Until recently I was unaware that on June 6, 1907, the newly created Windmont Park opened. It is a wonderfully simple place with a rich history that is enjoyed by many. The fact that we live only a few blocks from the park is one of the pluses of our home’s location. I know that our dog loves the place. All in all, it is my opinion that the number, quality and diversity of our parks help to improve the quality of life in our community. And June is one fine month to enjoy time in a park.
I don’t know about you, but…
Elder abuse is a subject that I didn’t give much thought to. That changed when I realized that I had become part of the group known as the elderly. Elder Abuse Awareness Day is on June 15. It is a day for communities worldwide to unite in bringing attention to the challenges and difficulties faced by elders, and our collective responsibility to protect and support them. Elder abuse includes physical, emotional and financial mistreatment of older adults. To me, the financial abuse of seniors is a particularly concerning aspect of elder abuse. It seems to me that everywhere we turn, people are trying to get their hands on what we have been fortunate to obtain. To me, anyone who knowingly tries to con or scam any one, but particularly the elderly, with the unauthorized or improper use of a person’s funds, property or resources, is a scoundrel of the lowest order. It happens so often anymore, that I am skeptical of everyone. It is really rather sad that a person has to be that way.
I don’t know about you, but…
Another day that is celebrated in June, Juneteenth, was not on my radar until recent years. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, occurs annually on June 19th. For those of you that do not know, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day all people living in the United States were officially granted freedom from slavery. It was the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas to liberate more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state. It wasn’t until June 17, 2021 that it was officially designated as a national holiday. This means that federal offices are closed, and federal employees receive a paid day off from work. To me, slavery in any form is totally unacceptable. The sad thing is that it still exists today. I wish it didn’t.
On another note, on June 30, 1921, Wethersfield was annexed to the city of Kewanee.
I don’t know about you, but…
I have often wondered about what our city would be like today, if at the time of the annexation, the two public school systems would also have been combined. After great deliberation, I cannot come up with any scenarios of the town being worse for that having happened in 1921. Hmmm!
I don’t know about you, but…
I believe on that note that maybe I should wrap up this month’s column. I leave you with the thought of the month from an unclaimed source. “You know you are in trouble when the little voices in your head start a group chat.” Well, it might be time for a nap, maybe in a park.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag