Mill Creek in Motion is a new committee initiated this year by the PTO. It's purpose is to keep our children healthy by encouraging physical activity. One or two events will be planned each month to keep the kids moving. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition when a child is above the normal weight for their age. The extra pounds can lead to many health problems that were once confined to adults, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep problems. Just because your child may be carrying around some extra weight does not mean that they are obese. Children will normally…

Mill Creek's contribution to Red Ribbon Week kicks off Monday at Mill Creek Elementary School. The school's theme this year is to "Make an Extreme Commitment" to be drug free. Each day during this week, an event is planned for the kids. Monday's skating party at Funway Entertainment Center in Batavia is just the beginning. The purpose for Red Ribbon week is to increase awareness about drugs and their danger, allowing the kids to sign a pledge to be drug free and earn their own red ribbon to wear. The children are encouraged to participate each day with the planned events. This gets the  kids…

Once every so often you meet someone new and become great friends. This happened to me when I met Mary Agnes Zellmer more than 11 years ago. Our older sons brought us together during their preschool years, they have remained friends and are now in middle school. They don't see each other as much as they would like, but when they do get together, they pick up right where they left off. When her oldest son, Jim, was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes in 2004, he was only 6 years old. Mary Agnes knew as the primary care-giver she would have to master diabetes, become an expert so that she …

Oct. 1 was no ordinary Friday for Mill Creek's fourth grade students. On this Friday, the students woke up early and were divided into two charter buses that headed for Springfield at 6 a.m. The students did not mind the early hour or the three-hour bus ride. Each bus had a different schedule for that day, but all the students were able to see the same sites. The first destination was the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The kids and their chaperone had two and a half hours for the self-guided tour of the museum. What was the favorite attraction at the Lincoln Museum? It was Mary's …

Geneva has some beautiful parks, and I agree with Rick Nagel's article about the least known Geneva park gems. These parks have a lot to offer walkers, runners, and nature lovers. But let's face facts. Nagel is an East-Sider, born and raised, and those park he picked, well, you get the picture. Mill Creek has a few gems of it's own to brag about, and I'm just the person to do the bragging. There are 12 parks in Mill Creek, all told, six on the north side and six on the south side. They are maintained by the Geneva Park District, whose boundaries include Mill Creek, but three of the parks are …

Faith Baptist Church at Mill Creek makes faith a part of everyday life here in Mill Creek. Each month,  the church has a fundraiser for different organizations in need. September's Mission opportunity will help children and families worldwide and in the U.S. to end hunger and poverty, and in October, Mill Creek residents participate in the annual CROP hunger walk. The walk is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 17, and starts at the Batavia United Methodist Church. All are welcomed, and if you're interested in taking part, you can register now at the church On Sept. 12, award-winning artist and Aurora…

As you drive around Mill Creek, every so often comes a small area that looks like a swamp. Tall, reedy plants surround an area containing water and cat tails. What are these areas of land and why are they there? Mill Creek was subtly and cleverly designed around environmentally protected wetlands. While architects of many subdivisions built in the 1970s and '80s looked at wetlands as liabilities, Mill Creek's are interwoven into the various neighborhood, seeming as if they were designed into the subdivision like landscaping. The wetlands that surround Mill Creek also help feed the local …

Mill Creek Elementary School is back in business. The kids returned for a half day of school Wednesday, and their first full day was Thursday. The traditional lineup by grade began on the playground with the teachers holding colored balloons representing their class. Children lined up behind the balloons, greeting classmates as they awaited the first bell. How did it feel to be back? "I am glad to be back to school and see my friends," said fouth-grader Joshua Gearhart.  The kids were all smiles and laughter as they walked through the playground to find their spot. Shannon Esposito welcomed …