Here’s to November, a month chock full of important dates that welcome annual attention and attendance.
And for a change, these traditional events were not canceled!
First, at 2AM Sun., Nov. 1, remember to “fall back” on time.
By now, we’re confident you know Early Voting is daily and polls will be open from 6AM to 7PM on Tues., Nov. 3, the deadline for all eligible, registered voters to make their votes count.
Next up, the U.S. Marines Corps will celebrate its 245th birthday on Nov. 10, followed by Veterans Day, Nov. 11, when all service men and women from all four armed service branches in the U.S. Department of Defense will be honored at 11AM.
And the Annual Cheers! Event in support of Naperville Responds for Veterans will begin virtually at 6PM Fri., Nov. 13, at the Judd Kendall VFW. The lucky date is set for flag waving, horn tooting, bell ringing and fund raising to assist Veterans and their families in need of home repairs. Please see (click) this page!
Then, of course, comes Thanksgiving on Nov. 26. For many of us, the day that welcomes family gatherings with sumptuous turkey dinners, accented with delicious dressing, side dishes, and desserts, will be scaled down for 2020.
Somber thoughts on campaign season
How can a Naperville resident elected to public office to serve constituents, create public policy and approve budgets, commit calumny?
Ads with deliberate falsehoods trying to tarnish another candidate’s reputation have never been accepted for publication here.
In fact, PN avoids soliciting political advertising. Yet, we’ve been grateful when a candidate finds value in supporting our mission to showcase community spirit, using our printed pages to let readers know their intentions to serve.
And while we’ve always appreciated advertising support (All financial support helps pay for buckets of ink, large rolls of newsprint, distribution and more.) and feedback from readers, this silly season we’ve been disheartened by emails to PN that appear to be letter-writing campaigns aimed at discrediting an elected official’s career with misinformation. We’re happy to note those letters have not appeared on other editorial pages, either.
We’ve always steered clear of endorsements, urging educated Naperville voters to make their own choices, using the vital connections among the founding principles of the nation, can-do spirit in Naperville and constitutional rights as free individuals.
Lessons learned
Over the years, we’ve learned lessons about elections. For instance, in 1988, “Read my lips. No new taxes” and in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid!” resonated with voters.
Funny. As much as times have changed in 2020, some thoughts remain the same, even when following all the safety protocols to fight COVID-19.
We’re forever grateful
Since last Thanksgiving, just as many local events that keep us out on the beat, our annual Mitchell Family Reunion in July was canceled.
The other day my cousin emailed that our Mitchell Family Thanksgiving that began in the dining room of my grandparents’ farmhouse in Battle Ground, Ind., more than 70 years ago also was put on hold. When our family outgrew Grandma’s dining room, our gathering moved to the Campground Retreat Center in the late 1960s, then to Ross Camp near Purdue where it’s been ongoing for about 30 years. Touching base with our extended family twice a year has created cherished memories. Will they begin again?
In early October our son inspired another Mitchell memory when he encouraged a much-needed getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. That’s where we visited Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains.
Long story short, experiencing life in a natural setting for week while enjoying the incredibly beautiful brilliance of autumn from overlooks and trails was just the bubble break needed.
Moving right along, wash your hands often, wear a mask, keep your distance, follow local protocols, but don’t wash away your common sense.
God bless America, land that I love. Happy Thanksgiving.
– PN
One more memory from Blue Ridge Mountains…
While at the peak of Graveyard Fields (Elevation 5,120) in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the only overcast day of our trip, PN met up with two young men from Louisville, Kentucky. Both had recently finished law school and were waiting for results of their Bar Exam.
They proudly mentioned that attorney Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) also was from Louisville. Brandeis served on Supreme Court and during his tenure as associate justice from 1916 to 1939, he became known as the first justice to champion freedom of speech. In a 1927 opinion he wrote, “Those who won our independence … believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth; that, without free speech and assembly, discussion would be futile … ”
Meeting up with the two young men who humored us to be PN readers, inspired this month’s quote in “Worldly Words.” The Brandeis quote appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1913.
