Dennis Anderson: Welcome to the Community Exchange for McHenry County

Welcome to the Community Exchange.

In this space each Saturday, I plan to introduce you to people, places and things in McHenry County you need to know about.

I graduated from Leadership Greater McHenry County in June 2022 along with 30 of my fellow classmates. Our class was a mix of community leaders from nonprofit and for-profit organizations, health care, clergy and small-business owners. Since graduation, not a week has gone by where I haven’t had a conversation or exchanged emails or texts with one of my classmates.

After our class spent more than nine months working, learning and experiencing together a variety of ways our county works, we’re now close colleagues and friends. And we’re part of a growing community of LGMC alumni.

So this Community Exchange column is an offshoot of the connections I’ve made and plan to share with you over time. Here are just a few items to share this week.

My Sister’s Dress Sale: When I shared news about this column, here is the first item I received from Denise Smith of Smith Physical Therapy and Running Academy in Crystal Lake:

My Sister’s Dress Sale is returning to McHenry County on Feb. 25. The goal of the sale is to make prom affordable, so organizers seek donations of gently used dresses to be sold for $25 each from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 25 at McHenry County College. Proceeds go to the Women’s Education to Empowerment Scholarship Fund at MCC and Home of the Sparrow. Dresses can be donated at Wear Did U Get That, Sage YMCA, Smith Physical Therapy and Running Academy, Black Orchid Boutique, D&A Salon Apothecary, Woodstock Square Historic District and the Algonquin Area Public Library.

For information, go to facebook.com/mysistersdress, Instagram @mysistersdressmchenryco or email mysistersdress@gmail.com.

Author, Author: Three McHenry County residents have recently published books.

Jes Smyth of Crystal Lake has written the novel “Time for Once,” “an adult coming-of-age story about love, acceptance and the mistakes we all make in the messy but crucial process of growth.” “Time for Once” is published by Wellium Publishing.

Douglas Peterson has written “The Death and Resurrection of Baseball,” a work of speculative fiction set in his hometown of McHenry. Although the book isn’t meant as a strict metaphor, the future of baseball and our country are rooted in today’s cultural landscape, Peterson told Northwest Herald reporter Aaron Dorman.

Norman Jones of Crystal Lake has written “The Untold Story About How Unions Took Over Illinois Government.” Jones said the book explains “how dues revenue is not used to abide by federal statutes and defend the civil rights of members.”

• Dennis Anderson is vice president of news and content development for Shaw Media. Share your Community Exchange news with him at danderson@shawmedia.com.