Plenty of varmints living the good life in Naperville
I never met him, but I can only assume the guy who coined the phrase "it's a jungle out there" must have been a suburban resident. In the last two weeks, we've come face-to-face with no less than...
View ArticleGiving runs deep here, on any given day
OK Naperville, what gives? Oh hey, you do! Whether it's plunking down a donation of cash desperately needed by one of the city's many deserving charities or giving a ride to an older neighbor whose...
View ArticleNaperville learning there is no such thing as a free room
When I first started going to the Centennial Beach, the procedure for getting in was pretty simple. In the early summer, you brought a utility bill with you, and they gave you a special safety pin...
View ArticleLetters to the editor: Halloween display rules, energy innovation
House ban about image The ban on the Naperville Halloween house can partially be attributed to Du Page County priding itself on being conservative and straight-laced, so the Halloween house is viewed...
View ArticleOur holiday rituals are out of this world
NASA stories have been in the news a lot lately, with seemingly daily updates on the discovery of new potential Earth-like worlds, flowing water on Mars and an asteroid that's set to whiz through our...
View ArticlePondering the pumpkin's plethora of possibilities
It's almost a punch line, the great pumpkin. These days, as you've probably noticed, it's pretty much impossible to turn around without coming face-to-face with the season's favorite do-it-all gourd:...
View ArticleCelebrating life by remembering the dead
Although I spent time around the Mexican border when I was young, it was primarily in the summertime. So it wasn't until much later, when my best friend moved to New Mexico, that I became familiar...
View ArticleWhen work becomes play, it's a magical sight
It was a beautiful sight — neighborhood parents gathered in the driveway on a warm autumn Sunday afternoon chatting and enjoying an adult beverage as their children frolicked in the leaves. Together...
View ArticleDowntown Naperville welcomes drug treatment center
It's as unlikely — and as appropriate — a place for a drug rehab venture as one can imagine. Right in posh downtown Naperville, next to boutiques and spas and high-end restaurants, Banyan Treatment...
View ArticleVets deserve our thanks, so let's give some
They put their lives on the line for you. And me. And we don't even know most of their names. Falling in the gray doldrums of November — shadowing the zany sugar high and pretense of Halloween and...
View ArticleComputers far from solution to education's problems
When the Soviets launched their first sputnik, or satellite, the idea was to scare the pants off President Dwight D. Eisenhower by showing him that the USSR could drop a bomb anywhere on earth. What...
View ArticleLetters to the editor: The magic is gone
The magic is gone My family and I have been delighted by the extraordinary displays at Halloween and Christmas that Nicholas Thomas has taken weeks to set up at his home 1127 Conan Doyle Drive in...
View ArticleFacebook hasn't replaced the reunion; it improved it
Much has been made of how high school and college reunions have been impacted since the rise of Facebook:"How Facebook is affecting school reunions" — Time, June 15, 2009"Facebook puts a damper on...
View ArticleNaperville can't afford to do nothing about affordable housing
There's something about Naperville that people tend to find appealing. This is no big secret: the streets are safe, the schools are good, the services generally plentiful and efficient. It comes as no...
View ArticleMaking it possible for seniors to stay here good for Naperville too
Growing old is what happens when things go well. It is not, however, without its challenges, and Naperville tries to help people meet those challenges by providing as much help as it can in as many...
View ArticleIf lucky, you put up holiday lights during last of warm weather
If you're like most of our neighbors, you made good use of the recent unseasonably warm weather. Your leaves are raked; your holiday lights are up; and the Christmas decorations are poised and ready...
View ArticleDoor busters aside -- real value sometimes comes in small packages
Don't you dare leave that seat. There's one more sliver of pecan pie with your name on it. And if that's not enough, take a look around the table. Some of your favorite people are sitting there. This...
View ArticleGratitude comes with helping others - not from Thanksgiving deals
Now it starts. The holiday season. Revered by most, reviled by some, it is the season when every human quality, from the very worst to the very best, is displayed at one time or another in a turbulent...
View ArticleKegerators, Mythology Day and 3 turkeys: It's time to give thanks
As the short work week winds down, offices close and schools dismiss, it's clear that most people have already checked out mentally on all things not pertaining to food, shopping and football. That...
View ArticleRooted in the perennial Christmas tree dilemma
Boy, did Kermit ever nail it. For many of us, there's no question that being green does not come easily. (Now, I realize not everyone heeds the wisdom of a fictional frog. But a plush version of the...
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