Positively Naperville is an attitude. For 15 years, it’s also been an exciting odyssey to market the “spirit of Naperville’s success” with support from many civic-minded individuals.
As we begin our 16th year, we’re grateful to all supporters and PN readers that have embraced our vision to walk on the sunny side of the street as we share experiences, providing knowledge and understanding about can-do spirit.
We try to stay positive as we promote good things for a well-informed electorate, but that does not mean we’re unaware of all sorts of unmet needs and challenges that require attention.
If you read between the lines, you know our resounding message is to keep our community proactive by recognizing normal stresses and concerns in a thriving city.
Certainly, longtime readers have recognized that we believe peaceful strolls along the Riverwalk, nature walks in local parks and memorable sounds of the Naperville Municipal Band benefit good health. Whenever possible, keep moving and stay upbeat.
This birthday issue again salutes volunteers of service organizations and their driving forces that continually host events for humanitarian needs.
Thanks, Naperville Jaycees!
For instance, we hope you enjoy the Naperville Jaycees Last Fling, Sept. 2-5, when hundreds of volunteers put on a family-friendly fun festival with live music and carnival entertainment for all of Naperville, a local tradition since 1966.
More than once, we’ve expressed our gratitude that the Jaycees and its Roosters took a chance with PN back in August 2001. That’s when members of the service club volunteered their time to appear for a photo by Jo Lundeen on the cover of our first issue, copies of which were distributed during the Jaycees Labor Day Parade.
Then 11 days after PN’s launch, the surprise terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 set us back. Yet, we dug our heels into our work, determined not to let evil acts stop us.
And every month since, PN has been a showcase of activities designed to bring folks together, focused on the community’s generous outreach with respect for the sacrifices made every day for our freedom.
The final paragraph in the commentary of our first anniversary issue in 2002 proclaimed, “Enjoy your hometown, support our sponsors who support the community, shop locally to bolster the economy (and sales tax revenues!) and catch the spirit of Naperville that arrived with Joe Naper back in 1831.”
Local focus is constant! Save space!
In a big world that changes instantly, PN’s local focus has been constant.
Again, many thanks to all. One of our recurring regrets is that every month we must omit a whole bunch of adventure and local lore because we run out of print space.
Furthermore, never in a gazillion years when we sat in front of Ray Kinney in 2000 with a proposal for a job order to print our publication (Ray said, “No!” by the way. “Minuteman Press is not a web press.” Then he found us a web printer.) did we imagine our printed odyssey would be cataloged for perpetuity in the archives at Naper Settlement.
Thanks for the memories!
P.S. PN reader Ray Kinney has been instrumental in the progress of Positively Naperville since 2001, even though his printing facility was unable to produce the monthly publication because it does not run a web press. Ever since, Ray’s been behind our aim to showcase the can-do spirit of this city as a place to own a home and a business. We are grateful! We always enjoy the spectacle of catching his reading PN!
Editors’s Update / On September 1, 2016, the publishing date for the 15th anniversary issue of Positively Naperville, expert talking heads on CNBC’s Squawk Box, aired before the markets opened, were pondering HAL (HAL 9000 was the “sentient computer” featured in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”) and what’s next for technology. Really!
This collage of clippings from the first few issues of Positively Naperville reflects the beginning. Our first editions were eight-pages supported by a small group of private and independent enterprises, all focused on local interests and a preview of upcoming cultural events. In 2001, our community was celebrating the first 20 years of the Riverwalk and many of the headlines proclaimed that good news. Yesterday sometimes seems so much like today!
We are forever grateful to our sponsoring advertisers, contributing columnists and local residents who trust us with their stories about special activities, concerts and fundraisers. As print publications face the challenges of digital competition, we appreciate that supporters value a monthly community newspaper, a publication that comes with the cost of gigantic rolls of newsprint and big buckets of ink as well as distribution to locations throughout our coverage area.
Another special memory: Early in this endeavor, this editor’s parents lent their support and encouragement, too. The PN readers in the upper right corner of the collage are family members, including my fun-loving mother front and center, at the Mitchell Family Thanksgiving Reunion in 2001. In August, my mother, Carol Mitchell Crookston, age 88, died in her sleep just hours after our last visit. As we go forward, we always will celebrate her wonderful life, goodness of heart, freedom of spirit and love for family now that she has found much-deserved peace in her unseen goal.
God bless all caregivers—especially my brother and his wife in Muncie, Indiana—and Hospice nurses who assist families when loved ones need 24-hour memory care. Thanks to all who have sent kind expressions of condolence.
All of us who write, design and try to keep moving ahead appreciate our readers as we prefer to stay upbeat on the bright side of the news. We’re well aware that everybody is facing challenges. And we’re hopeful that you’re able to smile a time or two, even chuckle out loud, when you read PN.
Cheers to another productive year in print! Thanks to all readers and subscribers. And special thanks to the good folks who subscribed for four years. What a vote of confidence!
—Penick and Son, Stephanie and Tim
