Old vs. New - Huntley: With charm, village fits village motto
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
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| Paul Mercer is the Huntley Village Trustee and has lived in Huntley for over 30 years. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com) |
HUNTLEY – Take a trip to Huntley, and signs displaying the village’s name and slogan hang from many corners.
For many residents new and old, “the friendly village with a country charm” is a perfect description their town.
Paul Mercer, a longtime resident and Huntley village trustee, lives in the Del Webb neighborhood. For the better part of four decades, he’s watched the town grow from 1,000 residents to 23,000.
“Huntley was like a Chicago neighborhood, the way everyone was so friendly and knew everyone,” Mercer said. “But that’s one part that hasn’t changed with the growth.”
Mercer moved to Del Webb in 2000 with his wife, Judy. Both are interested in the outdoors, and Paul Mercer exercises at the local fitness center every day. He also helped form a bicycle club for village seniors.
“We have a whole range of people involved in that,” Mercer said. “I can ride to Sycamore and back.”
Mercer also enjoys his local creative writing group and had written columns for the now-defunct Village Life magazine, where he interviewed several old-timers that knew Huntley inside-out.
“I wanted new people to have an idea of what life was like back when they were young,” Mercer said.
In the 1970s, when Mercer first moved to Huntley, he said the snowmobile club and American Legion’s fall dance were a big deal for the village.
At that time, he lived near the Dairy Mart on Route 47. Mercer said the restaurant used to burn its garbage during those years, and the smell agitated him enough to approach the village board. It took care of the situation soon after, he said.
“I was really impressed with that, to see that that’s how they take care of the people here,” Mercer said.
Mercer later served on planning boards and eventually decided to run for village trustee. A couple of years ago, he helped implement Huntley’s first farmer’s market.
Mercer said he most enjoyed knowing what’s going on in town and helping residents. A few friends refer to him as “Pothole Paul,” he said, for his persistence on maintaining local roads.
Although Mercer said he missed the days when Huntley was small, he doesn’t mind the many people who’ve moved here for some of the same reasons he did nearly 40 years ago.
“I think a lot of people look at it the way I look at it,” he said. “It’s a good location, and the quality of life is very high.”
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| Harold and Kristene Likens are newcomers to the Huntley area. Both are enjoying shorter commutes to their jobs and love their new home. (Valerie Tobias - vtobias@nwherald.com) |
Kristene and Harold Likens moved from Elgin to Huntley four years ago, partly to be closer to friends and also for the school district. Their son, Mason, is 2.
“We love it,” Kristene Likens said. “It’s quiet here.”
Said Harold: “I like the open space, just the overall environment. There’s plenty to do.”
When the Likens first arrived at their new house in the Wing Pointe subdivision, neighbors invited them over immediately.
In the past few years, the family has made several new friends from their son’s day care program to Kristene’s scrapbooking class and Harold’s golf outings.
“We do try to shop locally,” Kristene Likens said. “We love Del Toro’s, Jake’s Pizza and Papa Saverios.”
Harold’s mother recently retired and moved to the Del Webb neighborhood, and the couple also likes visiting other relatives nearby.
The two take pleasure in their shorter commutes to work.
“I don’t miss I-90,” said Kristene Likens. “Now I never pay attention to the I-PASS account.”
Neither Kristene nor Harold said they disliked anything about Huntley, but like many, property-tax payments aren’t their favorite.
They said they pay $5,000 more a year in Huntley than in their last home, which was half the value.
But it’s worth it, they added.
The Likens are the third owners of their home. They said they fell in love instantly after finding the house by accident.
“It was a phenomenal opportunity for us,” Kristene Likens said.
“We don’t plan on going anywhere again.”
