Boiler Up! Cheers to March Madness and a once-in-a-lifetime experience on March 28 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Yet, despite of our boisterous cheers, top-seeded Houston beat Purdue on a last-second basket, 62-60.
Longtime readers may recall that in addition to being a policy wonk and Naperville news junkie who thrives in the great outdoors, college basketball featuring Purdue University also is part of my DNA. Our family history dates back to my Grandpa Mitchell who after his graduating from P.U. began a career there as an agricultural economist. And nearly every year since for more than 100 years, either my dad or one of my uncles, cousins, brothers, nieces, and both sons have been attending Purdue.
If our family had saved all the “Sweet 16” t-shirts when the Boilers made it to the first round of playoffs, we’d have a stack. I’m happy to say my Purdue Zack Edey hockey shirt, now in its third year, wears well and it’s likely to last a long, long time.
At any rate, Houston advanced to the Elite Eight, and pretty much trounced Tennessee, 69-50, to advance to the Final Four in San Antonio.
So when March Madness ends the first weekend in April, four No. 1 seeds—Florida (West), Duke (East), Houston (Midwest) and Auburn (South) —will be the Final Four. Match ups will begin with Auburn vs. Florida and Duke vs. Houston.
Our cheers will follow Houston for the NCAA men’s championship. Cheering for the team that takes Purdue out of the running was a lesson my mother taught us.
And speaking of cheering, one of the most meaningful things my dad ever said to me referred to my enthusiastic cheering! When we were visiting him in Muncie during March Madness 2019, my 96-year-old dad said, “It’s a lot of fun watching basketball with you.”
Thank your mentors
As we were editing and trying to finish up this April edition, I took a breather to watch a game wrap-up when Charles Barkley was reminiscing about the mentors in his life. Barkley went all the way back to high school coaches and fellow teammates, fortunate to have been touched by many, including the sports analysts sitting with him for CBS. Listening to his heartfelt reminiscing, I felt my eyes blur with tears.
My thoughts raced back to grade school, junior high and high school, and five years of weekly visits for orthodontia that began in fifth grade, sitting in the dentist’s chair in Dr. Thomas’ office. Captive with my mouth (and eyes) wide open, Dr. Thomas would expound on the virtues of hard work and determination that led him to receive high honors at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Like my dad, Doc called me Steve. As a young adult living in New York City, and until I was 31, every visit to see my folks in Muncie included a check-up with Dr. Thomas. Doc was 74 when he died in 1998. I hope he knew how much he meant to me.
And all weekend I couldn’t get Barkley’s sentimental thoughts of gratitude off my mind.
Suddenly it’s April
Where do we begin with folklore to enjoy the month that begins with foolishness and the promise of showers for May flowers?
When you consider the ever-increasing difficulty to distinguish facts from fiction among AI, perhaps those newsy soundbites—too often with misinformation and other distractions—have shortened our attention spans to fool us all.
That said, bear with our printed pages as we aim to elicit a few smiles with our ever wonders (Thanks to all who submit them!) as days grow longer and many readers catch spring fever.
When we considered the Moser Tower with its 72-bell carillon would be illuminated in blue to heighten awareness for Autism this month, we remembered when folks joked with high hopes that Taco Bell would buy naming rights for the tower that holds one of the biggest musical instruments in the world.
We also recall a PN prankster about 20 years ago who posted a calendar entry for April 1 to promote a benefit concert for Moser Tower, featuring Hootie and the Blow Fish drummer Jim Sonefeld, a Naperville native.
Moving right along… This April abounds with springtime events from Passover and Easter to Arbor Day and Earth Week, all celebrating the season’s renewal of life.
And remember to let local wildlife be wild… Watch and listen for Sandhill Cranes. Known to fly high overhead, the extremely large flocks honk boisterous “bugle” calls for lucky observers to experience one of the noisiest wildlife migrations in the world.
Stroll the Riverwalk where we’ve observed ducks, geese, great blue heron and many other birds as well as beaver, rabbits, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, frogs, toads and a few jumpin’ fish. And watch the development of the Eagle Street Gateway. Look for photos and updates posted regularly on PN’s website.
Good nature reminds us to pay attention, listen and watch. Be prepared to avoid aggressive geese protecting their nests.
Take time to fish or teach a child to fish. Anglers say fish are particularly easy to catch in cool water this time of year, perhaps like pranking gullible fools in April.
Cheers for the Houston Cougars! No joke.
– Stephanie Penick
PN Publisher
