"He prepare us well for the real world." That was what Kyle Antos had to say about Joe Ryan, head coach of the Sycamore High School varsity football team. Joe humbly replies that he hopes "he's more than just a football coach." With a focus on character and work ethic that extends well beyond the confines of practice or the field of play, coach Ryan is hopeful that his team will move past the first few games of the season, the most challenging third of a season that he can remember, and be competitive in their conference, new for this year. In addition to a new conference, the team is also adapting to new rule changes, such as the new contact rule that requires players to have 48 hours of non-contact rest after any game participation. With some injuries and stiff competition behind them, they will go on to play Kaneland High School on Friday, September 13th, hoping to put a win on the board.

Celebrating nearly 95 years of success, the Suter Company is well known throughout Sycamore. Whether it's the highly sought-after chicken salads or their involvement with Make a Difference DKC, most people in the county are familiar with the Suter name. Today, Tim Suter leads the company as they rapidly expand their capacity and prepare for the next 95 years. As a third generation descendant of founder Charles B. Suter, Tim Suter joined management in 1990 along with his brother Dan. In the last year they moved a portion of their operation into their new expansion on Bethany Road and will begin breaking ground any day now on an additional expansion intended for their administrative staff. For Tim, however, his staff will always be more important than any building or piece of equipment.  As a member of the C12 Group, Tim has joined other business peers in search of ways to live out their faith through work. Some of the initiatives inspired by this collaboration include weekly chaplain visits for employees, free access to Christian-based Right Now Media, as well as work-sponsored prayer groups. This focus on faith can also be seen in their yearly support of Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). As a host site for FMSC's Mobile Pack Event, the Suter Company hosts more than 5,000 volunteers over a four day period during which nearly 1.5 million meals are expected to be packed for starving children in more than 70 countries around the world.