The Huntley Farmside

              SERVlNti THE PEOPLE OF HUNTLEY SINCE 1960
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HUNTLEY, ILLINOIS
THURSDAY, M^Y 5, 1994 - VOLUME 34, NyMBER 5
USPS 580-360
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Thurow, Kohley Receive Lions Club's Highest Honor
Helmuth Thurow and Richard Kohley, long-time Huntley Lions members, received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award Tuesday night, April 26. It's the highest honor conferred by the Lions Clubs International Foundation. Jim Hutchinson, a past district governor, and Joe Schaller. Huntley Lions President, presented the awards at a special dinner meeting hosted by .Algonquin
Lions Club in Floyd's Restaurant. The only other Huntley Lion to receive this recognition was Charlie Lamb. Thurow and Kohley join the exclusive ranks of some of the most prominent Lions in the world. Earning the Melvin Jones Fellowship requires more than a financial commitment. Their status as a Melvin Jones Fellow also recognizes a deep
commitment to the ideals of Lionism.  The LCIF expressed their gratitude for the examples of leadership and service they set for all Lions and acknowledged their success in achieving a common goal of service to all mankind. They are recognized as leaders among Lions, promoting its important work and helping to expand irs scope of services.
Local realtor Tom Jurs (center) and Huntley Village President Jim Dhamer (right) get a little carried away with the scissors at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Duane Groves' Hometown Travel Service last week.
Hometown Travel Hosts Successful Grand Opening, Business Booming
By Tracey Ann Schwartz
After several years of working for big travel companies like Budget Rent-A-Car. American Eagle and Delta, Duane Groves, owner of the new HOMETOW!'>} Travel Service in Huntley, knew there was a better way. Groves reflects, "I thought I could do a better a job and it would be nice to be my own boss." And so began Groves' own journey toward entrepreneurial success.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Groves comes from somewhat of a travel family. His father worked as a mechanic for Delta Airlines. Since grade school Groves has enjoyed planning trips. His
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Huntley Lions Helmuth Thurow (left) and Richard Kohley received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, the highest honor conferred by the Lions Clubs International Foundation, Tuesday night, April 26.
Huntley Chamber Director Cathy DeQuaker, Dr. Bill and Jane Awe, Hunlley Chamber President Wade Runge, travel business owner Duane Groves, Village President Jim Dhamer, Pat Bieszki and Diane Merchant lend a hand in the Grand Opening ribbon cutting for Hometown Travel Service in Huntley.
father let him plan a one day trip each year for the two of them. Groves made it a goal to schedule as many flights on as many different aircraft and carriers to as many different cities as possible in one day. He still remembers the first trip: Atlanta to Dallas. Dallas to New Orleans. New Orleans to Philadelphia. Philadelphia to Atlanta. He became the family travel planner scheduling his grandparents' trips and later quizzing them about the aircraft, the service, the food, etc.
Groves who now lives with his wife, Sandra, and two step-daughters, Erin (13) and Elizabeth (11) in Marengo, immediately made Huntley his first choice of location for his new venture. Besides being close to home Groves felt the opportunity for growth in Huntley was too good to pass up. Groves admits it took a long time to find the property but he found a great location in the 11717 E. Main Street building which previously housed Huntley Pharmacy across from the Town Square. Groves completely rennovated the building creating two separate office spaces.
Since opening its doors on February 28. 1994 HOMETOWN Travel has enjoyed   steadily increasing business. Groves feels he has been very well received in the community. 'The people (of Huntley) are
very warm. I was pleasantly surprised that people have come in just to introduce themselves." During his grand opening celebration, April 28-30, Groves commented that "last week we doubled sales over the week prior, which was the busiest since opening." Currently Groves has two employees with definite plans to hire a third person. Diane Merchut of Huntley is HOMETOWN'S marketing representative focusing on corporate business. Debi Staddler of Union is a travel counselor who does the actual trip ticketing.
Village President Jim Dhamer performed a ribbon- cutting ceremony with Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry officials at a business after-hours that Groves hosted in honor of HOMETOWN'S grand opening. More than 30 chamber members enjoyed food, refreshments and even party games at HOMETOWN Travel on April 27th. In addition, Groves held a drawing for an Amtrak train trip for two to Minneapolis-St. Paul. MN to see the Mall of America. Ironically enough, the author of this writing won the prize. Groves speaks highly of Huntley's 2-year-old chamber of commerce. He says. "The chamber of commerce has been very helpful in every way possible. I have been
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