What's an old-timer? and other burning questions
When I started writing this column 15 or so years ago, it was on all things Naperville, ran only in our Naperville edition. And as a longtime Napervillean (lived there 1969-2004), I felt eminently qualified in my early column-writing days to devise a Naperville trivia quiz. The Q&As were rather subjective about places long extinct, but it drew a pretty good response from the "old-timers." (Naperville joke: What's an old-timer? Someone who's lived in Naperville more than three years.)
I was reminded of that quiz this past week when reading our story about Anderson's Bookshop celebrating its 50th anniversary. Fiftieth anniversary, mind you, of being in the building it occupied in 1964. What the heck was - and still is - in the same location in Naperville since I moved there in '69? I got as far as Anderson's, the downtown Burger King (that's right: no McDonald's yet) and legendary watering hole, The Lantern.
Help me out, old-timers: What am I missing?
When 'yes' means 'no':
What if a referendum question to annex property by a government agency receives a 70 percent "yes" vote? The answer, at least in the case of Elgin's Gail Borden Public Library District on Tuesday, is that the proposal fails. That solid majority vote came from people in Cook and Kane counties served by the library district. But voters in the area of Elgin and Campton townships proposed for annexation - who were looking at a $240 property tax increase ($150,000 home) - said "no" by more than a 2-to-1 ratio. For the question to pass, said Suzanne Fahnestock, director of elections for Kane County, voters in both groups would have needed to give their approval.
Wheaton's favorite daughter:
Wheaton seems to be exceptionally proud of Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti, the city council member-cum-lieutenant governor-elect. She's a trendsetter just by virtue of being a Republican and a Latina, but the early indications are she'll be more than a space-filler. She was named to head Bruce Rauner's transition team, which just oozes with diverse and intriguing names. I got a kick out of what one editor said when the news release came out: "This is quite an interesting mix of people. Kind of encouraging in a way. But I also have this question: What are all these people going to DO?"
Speaking of elections:
Geez, just as soon as you finish one, another starts. Filing begins Nov. 17 for towns that can have primary elections in February. (Don't even get me started on the folly of that.) These tend to be the bigger suburbs: Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Wheaton among them. We're already hearing five people have taken out candidate packets to run for mayor in Naperville (George Pradel is retiring after 20 years). If five or more people file to run for mayor, we have a primary to narrow the field to four. Good times.
Speaking of Naperville:
Unless you're an early riser, a runner or a spectator, good chance you've already missed today's second annual Edward Hospital Naperville Marathon. But our crack coverage team - staff writers Marie Wilson and Matt Arado, DuPage Editor Bob Smith and photographer Mark Black - were prepared to provide details for tomorrow's paper - and later today on dailyherald.com - that should be unique.
jdavis@dailyherald.com