Is your car, truck or SUV up to the job?Don't just assume your car, truck or SUV willstart with winter coming to Richmond; haveit checked out so you know it will start.Have you ever noticed that more people have trouble starting their cars, trucks or SUVs in Richmond when winter rolls into town? The same cars, trucks or SUVs started just fine all through the summer. Autumn arrived and they still started

Imagine what it would be like if you drove this winter andyour car's heating system wasn't keeping you warm. In McHenry,it gets darn cold in winter. You could wind up looking like apopsicle if your heating system fails.Last week, we discussed how the defrosters will help thaw ice on your windshield as the coming McHenry winter approaches. The good news is that, if the defrosters work, there’s a good

The ability to see while driving is, obviously,crucial. But, a McHenry winter provides evengreater challenges to visibility. Are you ready?Imagine driving down 120 in McHenry with your eyes closed. Probably not a good idea. How ‘bout wearing dark, dark sunglasses while driving at night? Uhm … that’s not the best idea either, is it? Or, you could make a pin hole in cardboard and look through that

A crucial step in preparing your car, truck or SUVfor the Johnsburg winter ahead is to have the antifreezechecked.Some folks say ‘You gotta go with the flow.’ You may agree with that philosophy. You may prefer to buck the trends and blaze your own trail. But, when it comes to a Johnsburg winter and your car, truck or SUV’s antifreeze, going with the flow is definitely the right answer.Antifreeze

Yes, it’s still September in McHenry. But it’s the end of September. On average, the first accumulation of snow for the season comes Nov. 18. That’s only about a month-and-a-half off. In 2006, the first accumulated snow came on Oct. 12. THAT’S ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY!Whether winter comes sooner or later, you want to be prepared. You wouldn’t want to find yourself out for a walk in shorts and

There was a time when people in Wonder Lake left the doors of their homes unlocked. They knew their neighbors and knew they wouldn’t come into their homes unless invited. They also knew that their neighbors would notice if someone suspicious was near their home and that the neighbors would confront them, ask them what they were doing, or call the Sheriff to come check things out.Folks around Wonder

 Or you might bring the car in to have it looked atYou’re driving down 120 in McHenry and you suddenly notice a knocking or scraping sound you never heard before. What do you do? Well, you could turn up the stereo louder until you can’t hear the sound. But that won’t fix a problem that will probably only get worse.Some drivers in McHenry have powerful stereos in their cars. When they turn

The last day to swim at the Merkel AquaticCenter Pool is Monday, Labor Day. McHenry is a great place to live and, particularly, to enjoy summer. But summer doesn’t last forever and Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, is one of the signs that the seasons are about to change.And as summer ends, the little ones, and not so little ones, are back to school. In fact, most of them are back to

What if you have trouble with the car now as McHenry schools open up for the fall? That’s not a pretty picture, is it?Summer is winding down. Of course, summer may have kept you busy in its own way – vacations, trips to the McHenry pool and park on Green Street, summer camp and other such activities. But autumn is different. With the approach of autumn, you need to prepare to modify your schedule.

Does that sound like a goofy idea? Not too many years back, it was fairly common for a family in McHenry to drive somewhere with a blanket and a picnic basket for a Sunday outing. The biggest difference today is that most families would go in an SUV where, in years gone by, they would have gone in the family stationwagon.It was a customary Sunday afternoon event, though it sometimes happened on Saturday.