More than a few times, with a song in my heart, this space has been dedicated to memories from childhood in Muncie, Indiana. And on occasion, I’ve reminisced with my favorite tunes during walks in May Watts Park where nobody can hear me sing.
With the deluge of electronic contacts and surge of AI on my mind, all of a sudden the other day I found myself singing the introduction to wonderful music presented by singer Perry Como, songs filled with lyrics easy to understand, popular back in the 1960s.
I asked my husband, Jim, if he remembered Perry Como. Right away, he began singing, “Letters, we get letters. We get stacks and stacks of letters…”
As corny as Kansas in August, we finished together, “Dear Perry, would you be so kind to sing a request for the song I like best?”
Sometimes it just feels right to think about gentler, kinder times, especially when springtime turns to summertime and the living is easy. I continued to flash back to Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, a star-studded variety show that invited viewers “to dream along” with the host while listening to his wonderful world of music.
My folks also watched all those years ago. With one TV, our family watched together.
Back in my office, I had intended to search for old Perry Como shows on YouTube. Instead, I was distracted by my inbox that now greeted me with more than 4,000 emails, prompting new words to the old tune on my mind, “Emails, we get emails. We get feeds and feeds of emails. Dear Readers, would you be so kind to follow our request to send press releases the way we like best?”
How to Send Press Release
I wondered. What if I shouted from the highest hill at May Watts Park? Do we need to broadcast again that using the search tool for “Send Press Release” at www.positivelynaperville.com provides all you need to know and then some?
Make no mistake. We are pleased beyond words that many local businesses want to be featured on our pages. Yet all the changes since 2001 have us punting to keep up with the growth of technology and stories from all over the world.
Kindly note, most of the stories we now receive must be vetted and verified. Many stories are way too long. Many event promotions come with a high ticket price that a good ad could promote. Some news releases announce that an organization was just granted big bucks.
Note also, we have monthly deadlines. Local daily news online is a matter of time.
Since our launch during the 2001 Last Fling, we’ve promoted this publication as “a preview rather than a review,” mostly aimed at keeping residents informed about things to do and local culture.
What’s more, computer programs now permit publicists to prepare long lists of personalized emails to send at the same time with just a couple clicks. Many senders say they simply send “to see what sticks.”
Trying to stay fresh, authentic and upbeat becomes more challenging by the day. And with the advent of AI, learning to spot fakes has just begun. Learning not to feel anxiety when hitting “delete” also is beginning to fill the bill.
As lifeguards say at Centennial Beach, now through Labor Day, “Thanks for your cooperation!”
Speaking of Bills
We hope our June cover captures that it’s duck season in downtown Naperville. Several stories conducted online to promote the arrival of “Splashing for Summer” on June 2 and the Riverwalk Duck Race on June 6 have pretty much drained us of duck puns. We hope PN readers will be creative.
The good news is that from now until after Labor Day, 18 artistically-designed duck sculptures invite all ages to tour throughout the landscape in the Central Business District to enjoy the variety of wit, wisdom, history and beauty on exhibit.
Sing along now, to the tune of “Rubber Duckie”… “Oh, Downtown Duckie, you’re the one. You’ll make summer… lots of fun. Downtown Duckie, I’m awfully fond of you. Bo bo bo de oh.”
Stay safe, hydrated and healthy. Thanks for reading and finding references to showtunes from “With a Song in My Heart,” “Porgy & Bess,” “South Pacific,” “Calamity Jane” and “Sesame Street.”
– Stephanie Penick
PN Publisher
One more thing: How to Send a Press Release! Also, note that if you scroll way down any page on this website, you’ll find a field of black that features a directory of many sections to this online version of Positively Naperville. Thanks for reading.
