Ready to Train for a 5K in Yorkville? Chili Chase is Nov. 18

Here are key training tips and strategies from an expert personal trainer and running specialist.

Training for a 5K is a great way to boost your cardiovascular health, reduce stress or simply add more running to your routine. Yorkville's Chili Chase is about three month away, giving you plenty of time to prepare. The Chili Chase will be held Nov. 18 at the Yorkville American Legion Post 489 as part of Holiday Under the Stars. A 5K, or 3.1 miles, is perfect for beginners, but it does take some training to gain the endurance to go the distance. Raina Hafer, NCSF, certified personal trainer and running specialist, shares her shape-up tips for success. Commit to a Race.  Many local charities and organizations host 5K races in the area, so you'll be raising money for a good cause even as you meet your fitness goal. Choose a race date that …

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City to Honor a Santa Who Children Can Believe In

Max Townsend has played Santa for 47 years—through heart attacks, a quadruple bypass and a Pacemaker surgery.

The end of the holiday season is always a little sad for Max Townsend as he puts away his Santa suit for another year. It was nearly 50 years ago that he first rented a $9 Santa suit and visited a group home for special needs kids. Now, Townsend visits children in hospitals, churches, schools, homes, orphanages each year. And for the last few years he has been a staple at the annual Yorkville Holiday Under the Stars event. “A high school buddy of mine had a cousin there and he said, ‘I think you’d make a good Santa Claus,’” said Townsend, of Stickney. “I still have the suit in my closet.” He found he enjoyed playing Santa so much that once he got out of the service a few years later, he decided to make it a holiday ritual. And he takes his…

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Jen Slepicka

7:00 am on Monday, January 9, 2012

BEST SANTA EVER. He makes me believe. What a great soul.   more ›

Photos: Children and Santa at Holiday Under the Stars

Yorkville Patch and Stephanie Kurtz Photography offered free pictures with Santa at Holiday Under the Stars.

Santa apparently is renowned throughout the land as taking a little extra special time with children when he visits Yorkville's Holiday Under the Stars. We wanted to make the visit a little special for parents, too, so we partnered with Stephanie Kurtz Photography to offer free photographs with Santa on Nov. 18 at River City Roasters. Most parents opted to have their photographs e-mailed to them, but here are the photographs from those who asked to have them posted on Patch. Thank you for reading and supporting Patch. We sincerely hope you have a happy holiday season.

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Editor's Corner

Patch is Ready for Holiday Under the Stars. Are You?

The city is presenting the traditional tree lighting ceremony Friday and a new Taste of Yorkville event Saturday.

The United City of Yorkville, as well as community organizations and businesses around town, are planning activities and specials this weekend for Holiday Under the Stars. Yorkville Patch is joining the fun, too. On Friday, we're partnering with Plano photographer Stephanie Kurtz and offering free photographs of children visiting with Santa. Santa Claus will be at River City Roasters from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and (if you like), we'll snap your child's or children's photo on Santa's lap and either post it on Patch or e-mail it to you next week. Of course, if you'd rather just snap your own photographs and leave us out of it, that's fine, too. If you're not familiar with Stephanie Kurtz Photography, you can check out her Facebook page here. (Kurtz…

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