Need holiday spirit? Tuba Christmas will do the trick
They say that Christmas is a family holiday. I don't know when your family plans to celebrate, but Saturday, Dec. 5, is the day when the tuba family celebrates, you know, tubas, Sousaphones, baritones...
View ArticleLetter to the editor: Raising rates a wise choice
Raising rates a wise choice The recent decision by the Naperville City Council to raise rates for our electric customers is a wise one. No one wants to pay more for electricity, but with significant...
View ArticleElf on the Shelf more than Santa tattletale, depending on critic
With Thanksgiving dinner long digested and holiday decorations on display at every turn, the Christmas season machine is fully up and running. This was made official in Naperville on Sunday with Santa...
View ArticleSpread a little good cheer, and keep some for yourself
It's a pretty joyous thing, the giving part of this time of year. Just don't forget to include yourself on your recipient list. I'm not the first to point out that, while this is a wondrous season – a...
View ArticleSpeak Out: Retail workers should get the holiday off
No time off for the holidays: I really feel sorry for anyone who works retail today whether it's in big box stores, Best Buy stores or even McDonald's. All our holidays have become money, money,...
View ArticleIf Barbie is any indication, it will be a happy holiday buying season
Years ago, I wrote an annual column attempting to predict how successful a holiday shopping season we would have. I called it the "Barbie report," on the theory that sales of the doll Barbie were an...
View ArticleArguments over Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook have all been heard before
The major social networks – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and Tumblr – all use various language to at least loosely require that all users be at least 13 years of age. And if you...
View ArticleGifts of goodwill for that person who has everything
Oh, that Uncle Harry. He's an affable and thoughtful sort – always asking what the kids are up to, where the next vacation will be, how your garden grew this year. And he's a seasonal aggravation. The...
View ArticleSpeak Out: Refugees will go out and buy foreign-made cars
Build up American economy: I'm calling about the possibility of all of those refugees coming here and needing a new life. Some people say the refugees would be good American citizens, but what they...
View ArticleWhile we can't really change El Nino, we can change political climate
If you're having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, one reason might be El Nino. This periodic warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean is the primary reason the temperature today is in the...
View ArticleLetters to the editor: Test scores don't look 'terrific'
Test scores don't look 'terrific' In your December 9 article in the Naperville Sun, it was stated that "D203 pleased with students' 'terrific' exam results" and "District 204 students outpace state in...
View ArticleLetters to the editor: Hope for humanity
Hope for humanity At home, we watched the tragedy in San Bernardino unfold on the news in disbelief. No amount of gun violence can desensitize you to the next mass shooting. The feelings of...
View ArticleCoyote encounter: A deeper understanding of the wild dog
It was a wily one all right. Early one recent morning, as the dog and I started on our walk, we were heading up a nearby street that runs past a forest preserve when I caught a bit of movement out of...
View ArticleCharity's 'simple' mission a good reminder that it's better to give
In a week when many are looking forward to the presents they will receive, some among us take time out from the shopping and wrapping to help ensure gifts under the tree for those who need them most....
View ArticleAngelspotting: It's not just for holiday time
They're everywhere. Sometimes, you don't even have to lie in solemn stillness to hear them sing. Yep, even though most of us have days now and then when we're fully convinced the world is an evil,...
View ArticleLet's seize 2016 as opportunity to learn from mistakes and move into the future
Treating the new year as a fresh beginning is not only a good idea, it's necessary to preserve our sanity. There has to be a time when you turn your back on all the mistakes you made and start again,...
View ArticlePlan, save, listen, diet -- time again for resolutions
As 2015 draws to a close, it's time to think about that annual rite of January – the New Year's resolution. Like yours, the 10 resolutions below surely address familiar themes … family, health and...
View ArticleCreating memories part of 'Star Wars' family experience
With all due respect to the intergalactic rival "Star Trek," the newest installment in the "Star Wars" film franchise truly is all about the next generation. Let me establish up front, I'm not the...
View ArticleRule change gives local hunger relief a broader reach
Your wallet might be braced for a pummeling. Most people have heard by now that the cost of having garbage picked up in Naperville is going up this month. Sales taxes also saw a half-percent uptick at...
View ArticleEvidence shows football causes brain damage, so why don't parents care?
For me, once was enough. It wasn't even in a regular game, just a typical high school weekly practice. I went up for a pass, somebody grabbed my feet while I was still in the air, and I came down...
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